A magnitude 9.0 earthquake and tsunami in northeastern Japan kill nearly 20,000 people and trigger the Fukushima nuclear disaster.
Beijing hosts the Summer Olympic Games for the first time, opening on 8 August 2008.
North Korea conducts its first underground nuclear test, drawing UN Security Council condemnation and sanctions.
South Korean President Kim Dae-jung meets North Korean leader Kim Jong-il in Pyongyang.
Portugal transfers sovereignty over Macau to China, ending more than four centuries of Portuguese presence.
Britain transfers sovereignty over Hong Kong to China under the 'one country, two systems' principle.
Voters in Taiwan directly elect their president for the first time, choosing Lee Teng-hui.