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| 1985, Dec. 24 |
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| Death of FERHAT ABBAS (b. 1899), one of the central figures in 20th-century Algerian politics. During the 1930s, he was an outspoken champion of assimilation and wished for Algeria to become merely one more province of France. By 1955, he had given up these hopes and aligned himself with the FLN. He became a moderate leader within the resistance and served (1958–61) as president of the Algerian provisional government. After independence, he clashed with government leaders, and he abandoned politics altogether following his arrest and brief detention (1964). | 1 |
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| 1988, Dec. 22 |
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| Reelection of Pres. Benjedid to a third term. | 2 |
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| 1989 |
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| Death of Kateb Yacine (b. 1923), one of Algeria's greatest authors. His early work appeared in French, but after 1970 he concentrated on producing plays in colloquial Arabic. His name is often associated with the “generation of 1952,” a group of Algerian authors who came to prominence during the 1950s and, publishing in French, won critical accolades throughout the Francophone world. Among the most illustrious of these writers were Muhammad Dib, Mouloud Feraoun, and Mouloud Mammeri. | 3 |
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| Feb. 23 |
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| Voters approved a referendum that created a multiparty political system, granted the right to strike (within limits), and extended freedom of expression. | 4 |
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| July 19 |
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| As part of an aggressive Arabization program, Arabic was declared the only language for general publications. In Dec. 1990, demonstrations against the act drew more than 100,000 people. Arabic was later made the required language for public and commercial transactions (Feb. 11, 1991). | 5 |
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