World History Timeline

Timeline

19 events

12th century

  1. 1185★★★★★

    Battle of Dan-no-ura

    The decisive naval battle of the Genpei War, in which the Minamoto clan destroys the Taira.

    War· Japan

13th century

  1. 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

15th century

  1. 1467 – 1477★★★★★

    Ōnin War

    A civil war that devastates Kyoto, weakens the Ashikaga shogunate and begins Japan's Sengoku (Warring States) period.

    War· Japan

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
  2. October 21, 1600★★★★★

    Battle of Sekigahara

    Tokugawa Ieyasu defeats his rivals, paving the way for the Tokugawa shogunate's 250-year rule over Japan.

    War· Japan

19th century

  1. 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

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. September 18, 1931★★★★★

    Mukden Incident

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

    War· China, Japan
  3. 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
  4. 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
  5. 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
  6. 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
  7. September 22, 1940 – September 26, 1940★★★★★

    Japanese invasion of French Indochina

    Japanese forces attack Lạng Sơn and land near Haiphong, compelling the French administration to accept Japanese bases in Tonkin.

    War· Vietnam, Japan, France
  8. December 7, 1941★★★★★

    Attack on Pearl Harbor

    The Imperial Japanese Navy launches a surprise attack on the US naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, bringing the United States into World War II.

    War· United States, Japan
  9. February 15, 1942★★★★★

    Fall of Singapore

    British forces in Singapore surrender to Japan, the largest capitulation in British military history, beginning the Japanese occupation of Malaya.

    War· Singapore, United Kingdom, Japan
  10. March 9, 1945★★★★★

    Japanese coup in French Indochina

    Japan overthrows the French administration in Indochina; Bảo Đại then proclaims the Empire of Vietnam with Trần Trọng Kim as prime minister.

    WarPolitics· Vietnam, Japan, France
  11. April 1, 1945 – June 22, 1945★★★★★

    Battle of Okinawa

    One of the bloodiest battles of the Pacific War, causing heavy losses among soldiers and Okinawan civilians.

    War· Japan, United States
  12. August 6, 1945★★★★★

    Atomic bombing of Hiroshima

    The United States drops the first atomic bomb used in war on Hiroshima, killing tens of thousands instantly.

    WarDisaster· Japan, United States
  13. September 2, 1945★★★★★

    Surrender of Japan

    Japan signs the Instrument of Surrender aboard USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay, formally ending the Second World War.

    WarTreaty· Japan, United States
Timeline · World History Timeline