1989
Events concerning the Grand Theft Auto series in 1989.
Real world
- The European Leisure Software Publishers Association, later known as the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association, is founded.
- Cody Posey, a man later convicted of murdering his father, stepmother and stepsister, is born.
- Ryan Chinnery, a man later convicted of assault by penetration, sexual assault and grevious bodily harm, may have been born in either 1988 or 1989.
Game world
2D Universe
- Samuel Deever is put under investigation for suspected cannibalism.
- Jerkov is thrown out of the Russian army.
- Tetsuo is charged with violent assault after chopping the fingers off a chef and feeding them to him.
3D Universe
- Jack Howitzer's film career begins to slowly decline from this point on.
- Katie Zhan begins working as a nurse.
- Jimmy Hernandez joins the Los Santos Police Department.
- Dwaine and Jethro meet and befriend The Truth at the '89 Fierro Love In.
- Daniel Lamb leaves his job as a lab technician at Green and Becker Pharmaceuticals Inc. and begins working as a research associate for McKenzie Druchner Inc.
- Ronald Reagan's second term as President ends George H. W. Bush is elected President of the United States.
- 1989 is the year that Martin Graves predicted that manual labour would have been replaced by robotic labour.
HD Universe
- Marriages
- Frank Mathers marries his first wife.
- Arrests
- Lester Arnold is arrested for assault.
- Gavin Finkle is arrested for assault.
- Dwayne Forge is arrested for burglary.
- Jim Fitzgerald is arrested for hijacking.
- Billy Grey and Brian Jeremy are arrested for murder.
- Sonny Honorato is arrested for manslaughter.
- Joseph Johnson is arrested for assault.
- Albert Lawson is arrested for assault.
- Vincent Lupisella is arrested for racketeering.
- Zhou Ming is arrested for trademark counterfeiting.
- Oswaldo Quiroga is arrested for possession of heroin.
- Jayvon Simson is arrested for possession of crack cocaine.
- Other
- Ray Bulgarin immigrates to Liberty City and is later arrested for human trafficking.
- Richards Majestic releases The Redeemer, a film starring Al Di Napoli.
- A Duster is manufactured, which is later used by Trevor Philips during the mission Minor Turbulence.
- The Feud win the championship this year.