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Events on Saturday 2 June 1979 1
1979Pope John Paul II makes first papal visit to PolandA homecoming that emboldens the anti-communist oppositionJohn Paul II, the first Polish pope, visited his communist-ruled homeland from 2 to 10 June 1979, drawing crowds of millions. The trip is widely credited with galvanizing the opposition movement that produced the Solidarity trade union the following year. It marked a turning point in the erosion of Communist Party authority in Eastern Europe.