The Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 were a series of student-led demonstrations in Beijing's Tiananmen Square against the Chinese government's failure to implement political reforms and economic reforms. The People's Liberation Army (PLA) responded with an army crackdown on June 3-4, 1989, resulting in hundreds or thousands killed.

The Great Leap Forward of 1958-1962 under Mao Zedong was a massive agricultural campaign that aimed to transform China from a largely agrarian society into a modern industrial nation through rapid industrialization and collectivization of agriculture. It led to widespread famine and starvation, with estimates ranging from tens of millions to several hundred million deaths.

Mao Zedong is widely considered responsible for both events, although his exact responsibility varies depending on perspective.
