Berlin Wall timeline details an icon's history

On Nov. 9, 1989, the world watched, stunned, as a human deluge surged through the checkpoints of the Berlin Wall, marking the beginning of the end for the Soviet Bloc.

An East German official had announced the Wall was open for private travel.

For 28 years the barrier had separated families and nearly 200 people died trying to scale the wall.

Bearing hammers, chisels and champagne, the citizens of Berlin tore into the barrier separating East and West Berlin.

Select the years above to see why the Berlin Wall was built, what it looked like and how it influenced the world.