World History Timeline

Timeline

54 events

11th century BCE

  1. c. 1046 BCE★★★★★

    Battle of Muye: Zhou overthrows Shang

    King Wu of Zhou defeats the last Shang king, founding the Zhou, the longest-lasting dynasty in Chinese history.

    WarDynasty· China

5th century BCE

  1. c. 475 BCE – 221 BCE★★★★★

    Warring States period

    Seven major states vie for supremacy for over two centuries, an era that also sees the flourishing of the Hundred Schools of Thought.

    WarPolitics· China

3rd century BCE

  1. 221 BCE★★★★★

    Qin unifies China

    The state of Qin conquers its rivals, ending the Warring States period; Ying Zheng proclaims himself the First Emperor.

    DynastyPoliticsWar· China
  2. c. 215 BCE★★★★★

    Qin links walls into the Great Wall

    Under Qin Shi Huang, general Meng Tian connects and extends northern walls as a defence against the Xiongnu.

    WarTechnology· China

2nd century BCE

  1. c. 179 BCE★★★★★

    Nanyue conquers Âu Lạc

    Zhao Tuo, king of Nanyue, conquers Âu Lạc and incorporates it into Nanyue; traditionally dated to 179 BCE.

    WarPolitics· Vietnam, China

2nd century

  1. 184★★★★★

    Yellow Turban Rebellion

    A peasant uprising led by Zhang Jiao shakes the Eastern Han and paves the way for an era of rival warlords.

    WarReligion· China

3rd century

  1. 208★★★★★

    Battle of Red Cliffs

    Allied forces of Sun Quan and Liu Bei defeat Cao Cao's army on the Yangtze, preventing him from conquering the south.

    War· China
  2. 220 – 280★★★★★

    Three Kingdoms period

    After the fall of the Han, China splits into the states of Wei, Shu and Wu until reunification under the Jin in 280.

    WarDynasty· China

6th century

  1. 589★★★★★

    Sui dynasty reunifies China

    Emperor Wen of Sui conquers the southern Chen dynasty, ending nearly three centuries of division.

    WarDynasty· China

8th century

  1. 722★★★★★

    Mai Thúc Loan's uprising

    Mai Thúc Loan rebels against Tang rule in Hoan Châu and proclaims himself emperor before the revolt is suppressed.

    War· Vietnam, China
  2. 755 – 763★★★★★

    An Lushan Rebellion

    The revolt of An Lushan and Shi Siming causes massive loss of life and permanently weakens the Tang dynasty.

    War· China

10th century

  1. 938★★★★★

    Battle of Bạch Đằng (938)

    Ngô Quyền defeats the Southern Han fleet on the Bạch Đằng River using hidden stakes, ending a millennium of Chinese rule.

    War· Vietnam, China
  2. 981★★★★★

    Lê Hoàn repels the Song invasion

    Forces of Đại Cồ Việt under Lê Hoàn defeat a Song dynasty invasion, including an engagement on the Bạch Đằng River.

    War· Vietnam, China

11th century

  3. 1077★★★★★

    Battle of Như Nguyệt River

    Lý Thường Kiệt halts the Song invasion at the Như Nguyệt (Cầu) River; tradition links the poem "Nam quốc sơn hà" to the battle.

    War· Vietnam, China

12th century

  1. 1127★★★★★

    Jingkang incident

    Jurchen Jin forces sack Kaifeng and capture two Song emperors, ending the Northern Song; the court re-forms in the south.

    WarDynasty· China

13th century

  1. 1234★★★★★

    Mongols destroy the Jin dynasty

    Mongol and Southern Song forces take Caizhou, ending the Jurchen Jin dynasty in northern China.

    WarDynasty· China
  2. 1258★★★★★

    First Mongol invasion of Đại Việt

    Mongol forces under Uriyangqadai occupy Thăng Long but withdraw after the Battle of Đông Bộ Đầu.

    War· Vietnam, China, Mongolia
  3. 1274 – 1281★★★★★

    Mongol invasions of Japan

    The Yuan twice sends fleets against Japan, in 1274 and 1281, and both fail; the storms involved become known as kamikaze ('divine winds').

    War· Japan, China, South Korea
  6. 1288★★★★★

    Battle of Bạch Đằng (1288)

    Trần Hưng Đạo destroys the Yuan fleet on the Bạch Đằng River, ending the third Mongol invasion of Đại Việt.

    War· Vietnam, China, Mongolia

15th century

  1. 1406 – 1407★★★★★

    Ming conquest of Đại Ngu

    Ming forces defeat the Hồ dynasty (1406–1407) and annex the country as the province of Jiaozhi.

    War· Vietnam, China
  2. 1418 – 1427★★★★★

    Lam Sơn uprising

    Lê Lợi launches a revolt at Lam Sơn (Thanh Hóa) against Ming rule; the ten-year struggle restores independence.

    WarRevolution· Vietnam, China
  4. 1427★★★★★

    Battle of Chi Lăng – Xương Giang

    Lam Sơn forces destroy the Ming relief army, killing its commander Liu Sheng and forcing the Ming to withdraw.

    War· Vietnam, China
  5. 1428★★★★★

    Lê Lợi defeats the Ming; Bình Ngô đại cáo

    The Lam Sơn uprising triumphs over the Ming; Lê Lợi founds the Later Lê dynasty and Nguyễn Trãi writes the proclamation "Bình Ngô đại cáo".

    WarDynastyCulture· Vietnam, China
  6. 1449★★★★★

    Tumu Crisis

    The Ming army is defeated by the Oirat Mongols and the Zhengtong Emperor is taken captive.

    War· China

16th century

  1. 1592 – 1598★★★★★

    Japanese invasions of Korea (Imjin War)

    Toyotomi Hideyoshi twice invades Korea; Joseon and Ming forces, with Admiral Yi Sun-sin's navy, eventually repel the Japanese.

    War· South Korea, Japan, China

17th century

  1. April 1644★★★★★

    Fall of the Ming; Qing enters Beijing

    Li Zicheng's rebels take Beijing and the Chongzhen Emperor dies by suicide; weeks later Qing forces enter the city and begin their rule of China.

    WarDynasty· China
  2. 1683★★★★★

    Qing annexes Taiwan

    After the Battle of Penghu, the Kingdom of Tungning surrenders and Taiwan is incorporated into the Qing empire.

    WarPolitics· Taiwan, China

18th century

19th century

  1. 1839 – 1842★★★★★

    First Opium War

    Britain wars with Qing China after it cracks down on the opium trade; the defeat opens what China calls the 'century of humiliation'.

    WarEconomy· China, United Kingdom
  2. 1850 – 1864★★★★★

    Taiping Rebellion

    Hong Xiuquan's movement founds the 'Taiping Heavenly Kingdom'; the ensuing civil war causes tens of millions of deaths.

    WarReligionRevolution· China
  3. 1856 – 1860★★★★★

    Second Opium War

    Britain and France fight Qing China, occupy Beijing and burn the Old Summer Palace in 1860, forcing further unequal treaties.

    War· China, United Kingdom, France
  4. 1894 – 1895★★★★★

    First Sino-Japanese War

    Japan defeats Qing China in a war over influence in Korea, establishing itself as a rising Asian power.

    War· China, Japan, South Korea
  5. 1899 – 1901★★★★★

    Boxer Rebellion

    The anti-foreign Boxer movement besieges Beijing's legation quarter; an Eight-Nation Alliance intervenes and occupies Beijing in 1900.

    WarRevolution· China

20th century

  1. February 8, 1904 – September 5, 1905★★★★★

    Russo-Japanese War

    Japan defeats the Russian Empire in a war over Manchuria and Korea, the first modern victory of an Asian power over a European one.

    War· Japan, Russia, China, South Korea
  2. 1926 – 1928★★★★★

    Northern Expedition

    The National Revolutionary Army under Chiang Kai-shek marches north, defeats the warlords and nominally reunifies China.

    War· China
  3. September 18, 1931★★★★★

    Mukden Incident

    Japan's Kwantung Army stages a railway explosion near Mukden as a pretext for invading Manchuria.

    War· China, Japan
  4. 1934 – 1935★★★★★

    Long March

    The Chinese Red Army retreats thousands of kilometres from Nationalist forces; Mao Zedong emerges as leader during the march.

    WarPolitics· China
  5. July 7, 1937★★★★★

    Marco Polo Bridge Incident

    A clash between Japanese and Chinese troops near Beijing begins the full-scale Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945).

    War· China, Japan
  6. December 13, 1937 – 1938★★★★★

    Nanjing Massacre

    After capturing Nanjing, the Imperial Japanese Army kills large numbers of Chinese prisoners and civilians over several weeks.

    War· China, Japan
  7. May 1939 – September 1939★★★★★

    Battles of Khalkhin Gol

    Soviet and Mongolian forces under Georgy Zhukov defeat the Japanese on the Mongolian–Manchurian border.

    War· Mongolia, Japan, Russia, China
  8. September 1, 1939 – September 2, 1945★★★★★

    World War II

    Germany invades Poland, starting the deadliest conflict in human history, which ends with Japan's formal surrender on 2 September 1945.

    War· Germany, Poland, United Kingdom, France, Russia, United States, Japan, China
  9. December 1949★★★★★

    ROC government retreats to Taiwan

    Defeated in the Chinese Civil War, Chiang Kai-shek's government withdraws to Taiwan and makes Taipei its provisional capital.

    WarPolitics· Taiwan, China
  10. June 25, 1950 – July 27, 1953★★★★★

    Korean War

    North Korean forces cross the 38th parallel; the war, drawing in US-led UN forces and China, ends in an armistice in 1953.

    War· South Korea, North Korea, China, United States
  11. October 20, 1962 – November 21, 1962★★★★★

    Sino-Indian War

    China and India fight a Himalayan border war over Aksai Chin and present-day Arunachal Pradesh, ending in a unilateral Chinese ceasefire.

    War· India, China
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