The key event associated with the fall of communism in Eastern Europe was the collapse of the Berlin Wall on November 9, 1989. The wall, which had divided East and West Berlin since its construction in 1961, symbolized the broader division between communist and capitalist nations during the Cold War. Its fall marked a significant turning point, igniting a wave of revolutions throughout Eastern Europe where citizens began to demand democratic reforms and the end of oppressive regimes. The collapse of the wall ultimately paved the way for German reunification and the disintegration of the Soviet Union by 1991, leading to the end of communist control in the region.