In December 1989, Nicolae Ceaușescu (general secretary of the Romanian Communist Party) and Elena Ceaușescu (his wife) were arrested and executed by firing squad. In the wave of democratization in Eastern Europe, Romania was the only country where the change in government was completed through bloodshed.

Ceaușescu had served as president of Romania since 1974, and he was also the first president of Romania. During his presidency, he imposed dictatorial rule, and used secret police to monitor people's lives. In 1989, democratization movements began in the eastern European socialist countries; at the end of the same year, discontent with Ceaușescu led to an earth-shattering riot on the borders of Romania, and the eventual defection of the military forces that had supported him. December 22nd, the two Ceaușescus fled the capital in a helicopter. They were subsequently arrested by the Romanian National Salvation Front; their arrest sent the country into a frenzy of celebration when the news broke.

On December 24th, Mr. and Mrs. Ceaușescu were tried on five charges, including mass-murder, using the secret police against people and the state, and damaging the national economy. The Ceaușescus vigorously denied all charges. The next day, the two were sentenced to death, thus bringing down the 25-year Ceaușescu government and the Romanian Communist Party.

References: [Google藝術與文化("Google Arts & Culture")(Chinese)] (https://artsandculture.google.com/exhibit/审判和处决-tvr-the-romanian-public-broadcaster/gREp68EU?hl=zh-CN); Wikipedia