Final answer:
November 9, 1989, and August 19, 1991, are significant dates in Cold War history because they marked the fall of the Berlin Wall and the failed August Coup in the Soviet Union, both key events leading to the end of Soviet influence and the dissolution of the Soviet Union.
Step-by-step explanation:
The dates of November 9, 1989, and August 19, 1991, are significant in the context of the Cold War for their symbolic representation of the end of Soviet influence and the beginning of the dissolution of the Soviet Union itself.
On November 9, 1989, the Berlin Wall, a symbol of the Cold War's division, fell. This event came as Communist control was weakening and after years of tension between the superpowers, which included a massive arms race and political confrontations around the globe. The fall of the Berlin Wall was a clear indicator of the declining Soviet influence over its satellite states and the impetus for the eventual dissolution of the Soviet Union.
August 19, 1991, witnessed a coup attempt by Communist Party hardliners in the Soviet Union against Mikhail Gorbachev. This event, known as the August Coup, ultimately failed, but it exposed the Soviet Union's political instability and hastened its collapse. By December 1991, the Soviet Union officially dissolved, ending the Cold War era.