Pluto = Death, Underworld, Rebirth, Nuclear power, Dictators, Police, Secrets 

Moon Nodes = Massive scale, Widespread effect, In the public eye, Crowds

Square = Breakdown under pressure, Clash of incompatible ideas, Rebellion

Pluto square Nodes — What to expect?

Pluto square Moon Nodes (Rahu and Ketu) is one of the most important astrological events of the 2023. Since Pluto progresses very slowly, the effects of this transit will be felt over several months, from about February to December. This will set a background for other events to unfold. When the transit becomes exact and is triggered by other faster moving planets (see times listed below), expect notable and likely dramatic events (e.g., a massive earthquake, a revolution leading to an overthrow of a leader, a serious mining accident, a bankruptcy of a large insurer with widespread economic consequences, etc.).

Pluto square Nodes — Who may be impacted on a personal level?

On a personal level, people with planets in the late degrees of the cardinal signs through early degrees of the fixed signs (i.e., Aries/Taurus, Cancer/Leo, Libra/Scorpio, and Capricorn/Aquarius) will feel the effect of Pluto square Nodes the strongest. For example, Capricorns born around January 17-22 (any year) will likely experience a period of major transformations in their lives, including changing their perspectives on issues related to health, physical fitness, personal goals, and dealing with restrictive circumstances or people. They may feel like rebelling against these actual or perceived restrictions to transform their lives on a fundamental level (e.g., changing a job, paying off debt, ending a repressive relationship, quitting a bad habit and transforming their body to the new level of physical fitness). Initially, it may seem that the circumstances are oppressive and the transformation may require some sacrifices (e.g., quitting smoking or finding a new job), but it will be a positive transforming experience once the new goals have been accomplished. 

Below are a few examples of foreign leaders, politicians, entrepreneurs, and Hollywood celebrities with planets in the degrees that Pluto will affect this year (and/or in 2024) I found by browsing the charts on https://allfamous.org:

• Emmanuel Macron (Ascendent in 28 degree of Capricorn)
• Kim Jong-un (Mars in 28 degree of Libra)
• Kim Yo-Jong (sister fo Kim Jong-un; Mercury in 27 degree of Libra, Jupiter in 28 degree of Aries)

• Ilhan Omar (Moon in 28 degree of Aries)
• Pete Buttigieg (Sun in 29 degree of Capricorn)

• Mark Zuckerberg (Mercury in 29 degrees of Aries, Pluto in the first degree of Scorpio)
• Priscilla Chan (wife of Mark Zuckerberg; Moon in the first degree of Taurus)
• Jeff Bezos (Mars in 29 of Capricorn, Ascendent in the first degree of Aries)
• Larry Page (Mars in 29 of Capricorn)

• Kim Kardashian  (Sun in 28 degree of Libra) & several others in the Kardashian family (Kris Jenner, Courtney Kardashian, Khloe Kardashian, Kendall Jenner, Brody Jenner, Scott Disick, Caitlyn Jenner) — various planetary positions in their horoscopes. For those whose personal planets are aspected, the impact will be stronger (e.g., Kylie Jenner has Mars in the 28 degree of Libra and Ascendant in the first degree of Scorpio). For others, the influence may be indirect. Notably, natal chart of Kanye West will not be affected by difficult Pluto transits in 2023.
• Blue Ivy Carter (Ascendent in 29 degree of Aries, Jupiter in the first degree of Taurus)
• Victoria Beckham (Sun in 27 degree of Aries)
• Rachel McAdams (Sun in 27 degree of Capricorn)
• Megan Fox (North Node in 28 degree of Aries)
• Will Smith (Mercury and Venus in 28 and 29 degrees of Libra)
• SSSniperWolf (Sun in 29 degree of Libra)
• Paula Deen (Sun in 29 degree of Capricorn)

Earthquakes, changes in leadership, and financial crises as some structures reach a breaking point — February to December 2023 

Astrologically, Pluto rules things like power structures (e.g., power plants), powerful entities (incl. individuals, companies, governments, etc.), nuclear power, mining, underground, trash, recycling, death/rebirth, burials, spying, crime/illegal activities, manipulation/abuse, police, prisons, taxes, rates, debt, and anything secretive or hidden/buried. Thus, we can expect these themes to be featured more prominently in the news pretty much the entire 2023. When Moon Nodes are involved through a hard (0, 90, or 180 degree) aspect from a slow-moving planet like Pluto, the events can be expected to be widespread, either affecting many people (e.g., an entire country) and/or becoming widely known around the world. Square (90 degree) aspect is particularly disruptive, as it indicates some situation that has come to a breaking point, a crisis occurs,  and something snaps releasing the energy. With Pluto in particular, we can expect the amount of energy to be enormous, shaking things up in an unforgettable way (e.g., tension in the earth’s crust is released as an earthquake). At the same time, there is also a potential for a massive transformation, innovation, reform, rebuilding, restoration, and a shift to a completely new revolutionary approach to deal with the old problem (e.g., a mining accident leads to improved safety measures for miners). 

Another indication of shifting power structures, sources, or distribution methods is Pluto’s change of Zodiac signs (per Western astrology) from Capricorn into Aquarius. Pluto will enter Aquarius in March of 2023 with a short retrograde period where it will revisit late degrees of Capricorn from mid-June 2023 to mid-January 2024. While Capricorn symbolizes mountains, peaks, tops of structures, rigid hierarchy, and a top-down approach (e.g., a single powerful leader, a central power source, a central storage location, etc.), Aquarius symbolizes equality, fair distribution, distributed architectures, shared power, networks with nodes sharing the load, etc. Taken together, these two astrological events (Pluto square Nodes and Pluto shifting into Aquarius) can bring events that literally shake the earth, shake some power structures, uncover a buried/hidden problem (e.g., abuse of power, improper disposal of hazardous waste, illegal financial schemes, etc.), but also offer an opportunity for a fresh start. This fresh start will likely involve a complete rebuilding of the old crumbled structure using modern technological approaches and a major change in power distribution (e.g., a single ruler is replaced by a Board, large corporations break into smaller entities of equal value, the sources of energy become more diverse, resources [but also responsibilities] become more equally shared among members of the community, etc.). Some theoretical examples include replacing a centralized police force with smaller local units, reduction of federal taxes in favor of raising local taxes, re-distributing hazardous waste from a single large location to many smaller storage locations, etc.

Phoenix rises from the ashes: Destruction of the old ways is followed by reforms and transformation  

The energy of this transit often manifests as wide-spread events (or events that are widely known and affect large populations) that involve an enormous release of power, tremendous shake-up, mass-scale shift, coup/revolution, a collapse followed by rebuilding from scratch, etc. For ex., a massive earthquake devastates a city, which is then rebuilt using innovative materials and engineering methods. Back in 1755, a catastrophic Great Lisbon earthquake (estimated 7.7 – 9.0 in magnitude) and the following tsunami devastated the capital of Portugal and surrounding areas causing approximately 12,000 to 50,000 deaths. When the quake occurred, Pluto was within 5 degrees of the exact square to the Nodes, while also squaring Uranus (within 3 degrees); Mars and Saturn were in a loose opposition. A month after the earthquake, when Pluto reached an exact square to the Nodes, engineers introduced plans for a total re-building of the city using innovative approaches featuring anti-seismic design and  prefabricated building methods (see Pombaline style for more).

In the past, events that occurred under similar Pluto square Nodes transits included large seismic events, revolutions, and notable accidents. Specific historical examples are listed in a separate section below, but here is a taste:

• Large volcanic eruptions
• Massive earthquakes with high death toll followed by large-scale reconstruction efforts
• Mining disasters; strikes among miners
• Major financial / taxation reforms; banking crisis  
• Coups / revolutions; social unrest; protests 
• Peak in the spread of some disease with high mortality rate 
• Technological advances involving air travel and space travel
• Technological advances involving nuclear energy programs
• Accidents involving nuclear weapons
• Accidents or attacks involving prominent persons or structures

When Can We Expect Significant Pluto Square Node Events in 2023?

When slower-moving planets form exact aspects to Pluto and/or the Nodes, we can expect the general background energy to manifest as specific events. In 2023, there will be several times when Mars, Saturn, et al. will form difficult astrological transits that may manifest as stressful events or coincide with an ongoing stressful event reaching a peak (e.g., a low in the stock market prices, peak tensions in some negotiations, etc.).

I will elaborate on these in a separate 2023 predictions post, but here are key dates (+- a few days) when it may be best to avoid travel to seismically active areas, scheduling elective surgeries, relocating, vacationing far from home, and so on. The times below may be better suited for doing an inventory of old things that should be discarded, recycled, or donated; kicking bad habits; restoring old furniture; and so on. These times will likely also see increased market instability, so it’s best to avoid riskier investments and making impulsive decisions:

• May 20 – June 1, 2023 —  Mars opposite Pluto, together forming a grand square to Jupiter and Moon Nodes: Expect major market moves in the preceding days (probably down); increased likelihood of major seismic events, accidents, protests, and attacks; increased international tensions, which may disrupt shipping/travel. These events may be in response to an international agreement or a legal ruling, involve diplomats or judges, and/or involve long distance transportation (e.g., a major railroad accident, a shipping canal blockage, etc.). There may also be increased news about financial entities (e.g., banks, cryptocurrency exchanges, etc.), currencies, tax reforms, and/or financial reforms — we may hear about a large acquisition, large expense, an entity going bankrupt, entities protesting financial reforms, concerns about excessive spending or debt, legal rulings against a financial entity, news of massive financial fraud, etc. Some commodity or currency may drastically go up or down in value, possibly due to some legal ruling or regulation. Some legal battle or an international dispute (e.g., over transportation, import/export, or payment processing) may be a hot topic in the news — the battle will be heated and the agreement hard to reach. A solution may be to dissolve the entity, close the business, annul the payment, cancel the contract, etc. — some policy may be terminated or an entity may close (e.g., due to insolvency). Weather-wise, areas prone to drought may experience stronger than usual heat waves and/or excessive drought.

• July 20-22, 2023  —  New Moon (Sun Moon conjunction) in Cancer opposite Pluto, all three in a t-square to Moon Nodes; Mars opposite Saturn: Increased probability of a large earthquake that deals significant structural damage; a coup / revolution that results in a removal / installation of a [tyrannical] leader; major social unrest; a spike in some infectious disease (could be in the aftermath of an earthquake damaging infrastructure); concerns about safety/security including shelter and food supply (could be due to natural disasters or military tensions). The New Moon indicates that the events occurring at this time may have a follow up event or a resolution in about 2 weeks at the Full Moon. Stressful time for leaders, celebrities, and other prominent entities — they may be attacked, quit in disgrace, be imprisoned, isolated, accused of some serious wrongdoing, etc. Check charts of prominent individuals who have planets or major astrological points in the 29th degree of cardinal signs (per Western astrology) — individuals whose charts are impacted should be extra careful at this time. Stock market may see a large drop, accordingly, on concerns about instability or insecurity. In particular, there may be concerns about financial stability of entities (e.g., banks)  and assets (e.g., real estate) that are normally expected to be reliable, safe, and protected — these protections may be lost or suspended at this time due to some major transformative events (e.g., a coup, major bankruptcy, financial reform, power grid outage, suspended government services, curfew, etc.). 

• August 21-23, 2023  —  Pluto square Moon Nodes; Mars conjunct Mercury with both opposing Neptune; Venus square Jupiter: A strong possibility of a major market crash; upsets over the price of gas, oil, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, etc. Increased probability of a large earthquake that may trigger a tsunami; an underwater volcano explosion; or an earthquake on an island. Also likely, a maritime accident or an attack on a navy vessel; an accident involving a pipeline, chemical plant, hospital, marina, ship, seaside location, etc.; an attack or an accident involving poor visibility, substance abuse, or mental problems (e.g., ships collide in a fog, a drunk captain runs ship aground, miscommunication leads to an accident, etc.). The situation may involve a fire or an explosion (e.g., a gas pipe leaks and explodes). The cause of the issue or the source of the problem may be difficult or identify. Additionally, we may hear about a spike in some infectious disease. With Mercury and Mars in Virgo, there may be increased focus on the details or numbers in some report, sales of some pharmaceutical, contracts involving production of some medication, or actions of medical researchers / professionals — there may be concerns that some details are not clear or confusing (e.g., the results of some study are inconclusive, the earnings report is missing details, the contract is up in the air, etc.) — these concerns may bring down the value of the related products or businesses. One or more of the events above may affect travel by increasing the costs of shipments / long-distance transportation. At the same time, the value of oil and gas may go down (and/or, there may be a lot of fighting around oil/gas contracts, trade, and transportation). Lastly, there may be increased fluctuations in the value of gold and/or some currency, where that currency or gold may quickly gain in value, but then equally suddenly drop (possibly gain on Aug 21-22, and drop on Aug 23).

• October 2, 2023  —  Pluto square Moon Nodes; Mars conjunct South Node (and thus square Pluto); Mercury opposite Neptune: A strong possibility of a market drop; upsets over the price of gas, oil, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, etc. Some deal involving these areas (e.g., gas or chemicals) may fall through; or, the product (e.g., some medicine) may be damaged or undeliverable. Problems for transportation of the Neptunian products and/or for transportation over water or under water (e.g., a ship delivering gas is stuck and can’t dock due to bad weather; a pipeline suffers damage and leaks; etc.). Increased probability of large earthquakes; maritime accidents; problems for navigation over/under water; transportation accidents due to miscommunication or poor visibility (e.g., a multi-car pileup due to fog). Also, an increased likelihood of protests, unrest, news of excessive police brutality, attacks or violent acts, coups, etc. Unrest may be in response to the news of police brutality, or, increased police / military activity may be in response to unrest or some attack. Lastly, there is an increased chance of plane accidents, transportation accidents, and road rage accidents as more people than usual may feel upset or distracted / confused. 

• November 10, 2023  —  Pluto square Moon Nodes; Mars conjunct Sun while both oppose Uranus; Saturn moving into Pisces; Mercury square Saturn: A strong possibility of a large market drop on this day and in the preceding few days. A financial entity may unexpectedly declare problems or announce sudden problems (e.g., higher than expected rates, portfolio restructuring, excessive losses, etc.) — the announcement may trigger angry responses from investors.There may be surprising, shocking, or sudden disruptive events involving financial sector, including banks, currencies (esp. cryptocurrencies), rates, loans, financial exchange platforms, networks and services used exchange financial data, electric grids, social media companies, and businesses related to IT, airspace, e-vehicles, electronic gadgets, etc. Businesses and services in these areas may announce unexpected layoffs, experience outages (e.g., due to power outage or communication networks being down), announce reshuffling of leaders, spilt into smaller entities, or experience some other shocking / sudden problems. Additionally, there may be upsets over the price and availability of gas, oil, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, etc. A deal involving these areas (e.g., gas or chemicals) may fall through; even more likely, the products or services (e.g., services necessary to service ships) may be disrupted or delayed; problems with transportation or trade involving Neptunian products; shortage of clean water. With Saturn entering Pisces, concerns about the issues above may be more serious than before — there may be worries that shortages may become permanent, some development is suspended / canceled / damaged for good (e.g., a pipeline), and so on. The mood may be pessimistic with long term investments taking priority over riskier ones. Long distance communication or transportation may be impacted, possibly due to weather (esp. tornadoes or strong winds), or, due to structural damage (e.g., of cables or service centers). In addition to the increased potential of strong quakes, at this time, there is a high chance of bad weather involving air turbulence. There is also an increased probability of plane accidents or accidents involving e-vehicles — the cause may be excessive or unpredictable speed, an untimely spark, fire [due to the electric malfunction], problems with batteries, problems with charging equipment, etc. Bad time for participating in daredevil sports events, racing, air gliding, parachuting, etc. — something or someone may be too heavy, the load may be imbalanced, or shifting wind gusts may create problems. 

• November 25, 2023  —  Pluto square Moon Nodes; Mars square Saturn; Mercury square Neptune: Likely, a market drop in the preceding few days. Increased likelihood of a large earthquake or an accident / attack / disaster that causes structural damage. An earthquake (or a volcanic eruption, or an explosion) may involve a seaside location, an island, or take place under water. Damaged objects or the source of contention (e.g., a bridge over a body of water, a marina, a ship docking facility, etc.) may disrupt long distance transportation (esp. under or over water), and/or the damage [e.g., from an underwater earthquake] may impact sea routes or trade of Neptunian products (e.g., oil, gas, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, etc.). Problems for old leaders or for inflexible rigid leaders — they may face anger and demands for some reforms or changes, or, they may suffer an accident that involves overheating or overexertion. Similarly, this time is not favorable for sporting events that involve high speed, fighting, racing, etc. — we may hear about accidents or delays.

• December 27, 2023  —  Pluto loosely square Moon Nodes; Mars conjunct Mercury with both square Neptune: Increased probability of a large a market drop that day and/or in the preceding few days. Also, similarly to the events around August 21-23, 2023 (but likely not as bad), expect upsets over the price of gas, oil, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, etc. Other types of events that may occur at this time include a maritime accident or an attack on a navy vessel; an accident involving a pipeline, chemical plant, hospital, marina, ship, seaside location, etc.; an attack or an accident involving poor visibility, substance abuse, or mental problems. The situation may involve a fire or an explosion. The cause of the issue or the source of the problem may be difficult or identify. Additionally, we may hear about a spike in some infectious disease. With Mercury and Mars in Sagittarius, the focus this time (compared to the Mercury/Mars opposition to Neptune in late August) may be more on international negotiations, trade, travel, and long-distance shipments / transportation. The events at this time may be disruptive for transportation by sea, transportation of oil/gas, and/or oil and gas prices may go down. There may be increased news about contracts or deliveries of related commodities and products, including oil, gas, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, etc. The news may be upsetting due to the lack of detail or some logistics being unclear (e.g., a contract is cancelled, a delivery status is undetermined, an agreement is reached but the details are vague, a ship cannot move forward or enter a port, etc.).

Examples of Past Events That Took Place When Pluto Squared the Lunar Nodes

In all examples below, Pluto formed square aspect to Moon Nodes (Rahu and Ketu). In some years, additional slow-moving planets added stressful energy to the Pluto-Nodes square by forming difficult aspects to Pluto and the Nodes. In particular, in 1939 and 1965, Saturn formed a square and an opposition to Pluto amplifying destructive Plutonian energy. In March of 1965, when Saturn-Pluto-Nodes grand square was tightening, U.S. president Johnson launched a three-year campaign of sustained bombing of targets in North Vietnam and the first American combat troops entered Vietnam (https://www.history.com/topics/vietnam-war/vietnam-war-timeline). Hitler’s invasion of Poland in September 1939 marked the start of the World War II (https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/world-war-ii-history); at that time, Saturn-Pluto-Nodes t-square was nearly exact (1-2 degree orb). In 2023, Saturn will thankfully not be adding “oil to the fire” and will not be forming difficult aspects to Pluto. (The last time Saturn and Pluto were in a difficult aspect was conjunction in late 2019 – early 2020, which corresponds to the beginning of the COVID-19 epidemic [https://www.cdc.gov/museum/timeline/covid19.html]). At the same time, as mentioned above, in late May through early June 2023, Mars and Jupiter will form a grand square with Pluto and Moon Nodes — this could be one of the more tense periods of the year.

Additionally, it’s worth noting that the United States is currently going through its Pluto return (2022-2024) where Pluto is slowly moving over the same area in the sky (late Capricorn) where it was when the country was founded in 1776. In Dec 1776, when the U.S. was going through American Revolution, Pluto also formed a difficult transit to the Lunar Nodes; however, it was not a square but a conjunction with the North Node. On Dec 26, 1776, when George Washington [general at the time and subsequently, the first U.S. president] crossed Delaware river as depicted in the famous painting by Emanuel Leutze), Pluto and North Node were only 5 minutes apart. Dec 26, 1776 marked the first day of the so-called Battles of Trenton and Princeton, (December 26, 1776–January 3, 1777), a series of engagements won by the Continental Army against Hessian and British forces in New Jersey. The battles were notable as the first successes won by the Revolutionary general George Washington in the open field. [Source: Battles of Trenton and Princeton; Battle of Trenton]

Large / deadly earthquakes

• 30 May 1998: Afghanistan earthquake (magnitude 6.5) killed up to 5,000 and injured over 10,000 [Source: May 1998 Afghanistan earthquake]
• 28 Dec 1989: The 1989 Newcastle, Australia, earthquake (magnitude 5.6) was one of Australia’s most serious natural disasters, killing 13 people and injuring more than 160. The damage has been estimated at $8.5 billion (in 2018 dollars, adjusted for inflation)  [Source: 1989 Newcastle earthquake]
• 28 Aug 1973: Veracruz earthquake (magnitude 7.1) killed up to 1,200 and injured thousands  [Source: 1973 Veracruz earthquake]
• 29 Sep 1973: Deep Earthquake of 1973 Beneath the Japan Sea — the largest deep earthquake along the western Pacific (magnitude 7.8, focal depth 575 km). [Source: Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America (2001) 91 (1): 102–111.]
• Apr 29 1965: Puget Sound earthquake (magnitude 6.7) caused the deaths of seven people and about $12.5–28 million in damage. [Source: 1965 Puget Sound earthquake]
• May 3 1965: San Salvador earthquake (magnitude 5.9) caused severe damage to El Salvador’s capital city, San Salvador, leaving 125 dead and hundreds injured. [Source: 1965 San Salvador earthquake]
• 24 Oct 1956: Nicaragua earthquake (magnitude 7.3) triggered a tsunami and caused building damage in Managua. [Source: 1956 Nicaragua earthquake]
• 28 Jun 1948: Fukui, Japan, earthquake (magnitude 6.8) devastated Fukui leaving 3,769 dead and 22,000 wounded; and destroying over 36,000 buildings. [Source: 1948 Fukui earthquake]
• 6 Oct 1948: Ashgabat earthquake (magnitude 7.3) caused extreme damage in Ashgabat and nearby villages, where almost all brick buildings collapsed, concrete structures were heavily damaged, and freight trains were derailed. The number of the casualties is estimated from 10,000 to 110,000, equivalent to almost 10% of the Turkmen SSR’s population at the time. [Source: 1948 Ashgabat earthquake]
• 24 Jan 1939: Chillán earthquake (magnitude 8.3) with a death toll of around 28,000 is the single deadliest earthquake in Chile. [Source: 1939 Chillán earthquake]
• 27 Dec 1939: The Erzincan earthquake (magnitude 7.8) was the most severe natural loss of life in Turkey in the 20th century, with 32,968 dead,and some 100,000 injured. [Source: 1939 Erzincan Earthquake]
• 1 Nov 1755: The Great Lisbon earthquake (magnitude 7.7 – 9.0) impacted Portugal, the Iberian Peninsula, and Northwest Africa. Estimates place the death toll in Lisbon at between 12,000 and 50,000 people, making it one of the deadliest earthquakes in history. [Source: 1755 Lisbon earthquake]
• Late 535 – 563: The volcanic winter of 536, the most severe and protracted episode of climatic cooling in the Northern Hemisphere in the last 2,000 years. It was caused by an eruption, with several possible locations proposed in various continents. Modern scholarship has determined that in early AD 536 (or possibly late 535), an eruption ejected massive amounts of sulfate aerosols into the atmosphere, which reduced the solar radiation reaching the Earth’s surface and cooled the atmosphere for several years. (Astrologically, late 535 looks like a likely date for increased volcanic activity, with Pluto-Nodes square occurring at the same time as Uranus+Saturn opposition to Neptune.) [Source: Volcanic winter of 536]

Mining accidents or disruptions 

• May 1998: The 1998 Russian miners’ strike, also known as the “rail war”, was a strike of Russian coal miners over the non-payment of wages after a year. In addition to the demands for wages, strikers demanded the resignation of Boris Yeltsin as President of Russia. The strikes eventually ended with the payment of wages by the mining companies involved.. [Source: 1998 Russian miners’ strike] 
• 28 May 1965: Dhanbad, India, coal mine disaster explosion led to fire in the mine. The fire killed 268 miners. [Source: 1965 Dhanbad coal mine disaster]
• 1 Nov 1956: Springhill, Nova Scotia, Canadian mine explosion killed 39 coal miners, but 88 others underground were rescued. [Source: Springhill mining disasters]

Scandals / trials involving prominent individuals 

• 26 May 1998: Date for Paula Jones sex harassment trial vs. President Clinton [Source: List of historical events from May 1998 by TAKEMEBACK.TO]
• 4 Nov 1981: Dr George Nichopoulas is acquitted of overprescribing addictive drugs for Elvis Presley [Source: On This Day] (Note that Jupiter [law, luck] was conjunct Pluto while both squared Moon nodes = highly-publicized trial about shady activities involving a famous person; Jupiter brings luck = the Doctor was acquitted)

Revolutions / coups / regime changes 

• 20 Dec 1989: The United States invades Panama in an attempt to overthrow military dictator Manuel Noriega, who had been indicted in the United States on drug trafficking charges and was accused of suppressing democracy in Panama and endangering U.S. nationals. [Sources: The U.S. invades Panama from HISTORY.COM, United States invasion of Panama]
• December 1989: The Romanian Revolution, which started in the city of Timișoara and spread throughout the country, ultimately culminating in the drumhead trial and execution of longtime Romanian Communist Party (PCR) General Secretary Nicolae Ceaușescu and his wife Elena, and the end of 42 years of Communist rule in Romania. [Source: Romanian Revolution]
• 29 Dec 1989: The Parliament amended the Constitution to formally rescind the the Polish United Workers’ Party’s constitutionally-guaranteed power and restore democracy and civil liberties. This began the Third Polish Republic. [Source: Polish People’s Republic]
• Nov-Dec 1989: Fall of the Berlin Wall — In 1989, a series of revolutions in Eastern Bloc countries caused a chain reaction in East Germany. After several weeks of civil unrest, the East German (GDR) government announced on 9 Nov 1989 that all GDR citizens could visit West Germany and West Berlin. The Brandenburg Gate border crossing, a few meters from the Berlin Wall, was re-opened on 22 Dec 1989. [Source: Berlin Wall; Fall of the Berlin Wall]
• 11 Sep 1973: Chilean coup d’état: After an extended period of social unrest, a group of military officers led by General Augusto Pinochet seized power in a coup. The collapse of Chilean democracy ended a succession of democratic governments in Chile, which had held democratic elections since 1932. [Source: 1973 Chilean coup d’état]
• 23 Oct 1956: The start of the Hungarian Revolution, a countrywide uprising against the government of the Hungarian People’s Republic and the policies caused by the government’s subordination to the Soviet Union. [Source: Hungarian Revolution of 1956]

Financial / monetary / taxation reforms or crises

• 29 May 1998: US President Bill Clinton signs Public Law 105-176 authorizing the US Mint to move certain emblems from the reverse to the obverse of coins, to leave more room for State quarter dollar designs.  [Source: List of historical events from May 1998 by TAKEMEBACK.TO]
• June 1948: Currency reform in post-war West Germany — The Deutsche Mark was officially introduced on June 20, 1948. The introduction of the new currency was intended to protect western Germany from a second wave of hyperinflation and to stop the rampant barter and black market trade. The move angered the Soviet authorities, who regarded it as a threat. The Soviets promptly cut off all road, rail and canal links between the three western zones and West Berlin, starting the Berlin Blockade. [Source: Deutsche Mark; Berlin Blockade] 
• June 1772: The start of the Credit and Commercial Crisis of 1772, a peacetime financial crisis which originated in London and then spread to Scotland and the Dutch Republic. It has been described as the first modern banking crisis faced by the Bank of England. [Source: The Credit and Commercial Crisis of 1772; British credit crisis of 1772-1773]
• 19 Apr 1764: The Parliament of Great Britain passed the Currency Act (effective September 1, 1764). The passage of the Currency Act banned colonial paper currency, requiring the recently implemented Sugar Act (also called Plantation Act or Revenue Act of 1764) to be paid in gold and silver. The Currency Act effectively assumed control of the colonial currency system. The act prohibited the issue of any new bills and the reissue of existing currency. The colonies protested vehemently against this. [Source: Britain Begins Taxing the Colonies: The Sugar & Stamp Acts; The Currency Act]

Natural disasters (other than quakes) leading to massive destruction 

• December, 1989: Christmas Coastal Snowstorm: Dec 22-24, 1989 — The largest snowstorm in history for the Southeast U.S. coast [Source: National Weather Service]
• 6 May 1965: Twin Cities Tornadoes was one of the worst tornado outbreaks in Minnesota history. Six tornadoes affected six counties around the Twin Cities with 13 fatalities and over 500 injured. The tornado outbreak lasted three hours and caused $51 million in damage. [Source: Weather.gov]

Airplane-related accidents or disasters

• 15 Dec 1989: Quadruple engine failure due to blockage by volcanic ash — KLM Flight 867, en route from Amsterdam to Narita International Airport Tokyo, was forced to make an emergency landing at Anchorage International Airport, Alaska, when all four engines failed. The Boeing 747-400 flew through a thick cloud of volcanic ash from Mount Redoubt, which had erupted the day before. [Source: KLM Flight 867]
• 20 Sep 1973: Jim Croce, an American folk and rock singer-songwriter, dies In plane crash at the height of his popularity. [Source: Music History Calendar]
• 16 May 1965: Biên Hòa Air Base, Vietnam, major flight line munitions mishap resulted in a chain reaction of explosions that destroyed aircraft, fuel and pre-armed ordnance. The explosions destroyed 10 B-57s, 2 A-1Es and the Navy F-8, killed 28 Americans and 6 Vietnamese and wounded more than 100 more and damaged 25 RVNAF A-1s in what was described as one of the “worst disasters in Air Force history.” [Source: Bien Hoa Aribase]
• 17 Jun 1948: United Air Lines Flight 624 crash killed all 43 on board. The crew had been responding to a false signal of a fire in the front cargo hold by releasing CO₂, apparently without opening the pressure relief valves. The part-incapacitated crew began an emergency descent and hit a high-voltage power line. [Source: United Air Lines Flight 624]

Wars, attacks or acts of violence

• 6 Dec 1989: The DAS Building bombing was a truck bomb attack in Bogotá, Colombia targeting the Administrative Department of Security (DAS) headquarters. A truck parked near the building exploded, killing 57 people instantly and injuring 2,248. [Source: DAS Building bombing]
• 6 Dec 1989: The Montreal massacre — In 1989, a gunman killed 14 women students and injured 10 others in Montreal, Canada. The gunman targeted female students — the men were ordered from the room and the gunman began shooting the women while shouting: “You’re all a bunch of feminists, and I hate feminists!”: [Source: The Montreal massacre] 
• 28 Sep 1973: ITT Building in New York City bombed to protest ITT’s involvement in the September 11, 1973 coup d’état in Chile. [Source: On This Day]
• 28 Sep 1973: Sep 28 Palestinian Terrorists hijack Austrian train. [Source: On This Day]
• 15 Aug 1973: Black September [guerrillas] kill 3 and wounds 55 in Athens.  [Source: On This Day]
• 29 Oct 1956: The start of the Suez Crisis, when Israeli armed forces pushed into Egypt toward the Suez Canal, a valuable waterway that controlled two-thirds of the oil used by Europe. [Source: History.com]
• 24 Jun 1948: The start of the Berlin Blockade (24 June 1948 – 12 May 1949), one of the first major international crises of the Cold War. During the multinational occupation of post–World War II Germany, the Soviet Union blocked the Western Allies’ railway, road, and canal access to the sectors of Berlin under Western control. The Soviets offered to drop the blockade if the Western Allies withdrew the newly introduced Deutsche Mark from West Berlin. [Source: Berlin Blockade] 
• 12 Aug 1939: City of San Francisco train derailment killed 24 and injured 121. The derailment was caused by sabotage of the tracks; the case remains unsolved. [Source: 1939 City of San Francisco derailment]
• 1 Sep 1939: World War II begins [Source: Timeline of World War II (1939)]

Nuclear power- or weapons-related events or accidents

• 30 Nov 1981: The United States and U.S.S.R. open talks to reduce intermediate-range nuclear forces. [Source: This Day in History]
• 5 Oct 1973: Israel’s 1973 “nuclear alert” — During the 1973 Yom Kippur war, Israel may have come close to making a nuclear preemptive strike [against Syria]. [Source: UPI news; DEFENSE TECHNICAL INFORMATION CENTER]
• 5 Dec 1965: 1965 Philippine Sea A-4 crash was a Broken Arrow incident in which a United States Navy Douglas A-4E Skyhawk attack aircraft carrying a nuclear weapon fell into the sea off Japan from the aircraft carrier USS Ticonderoga. The aircraft, pilot and weapon were never recovered. [Source: 1965 Philippine Sea A-4 incident]
• 1 Sep 1939: The start of the second major phase of German nuclear weapons program (“uranium project”), which focused on development of the nuclear reactor among other things. [Source: German nuclear weapons program]

Inventions, technical progress

• 26 Sep 1973: Concorde makes its first non-stop crossing of the Atlantic (Washington, D.C. to Paris) in record-breaking time (3h33m). [Source: On This Day]
• 27 Sep 1973: Soyuz 12 carries 2 cosmonauts into Earth orbit (2 days). [Source: On This Day]
• 21 Jun 1948: The release of the “Manchester Baby,” also called the Small-Scale Experimental Machine, the first electronic stored-program computer. [Source: Manchester Baby]

Comment below to note any other notable Pluto-square-Nodes events!