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Timeline of Taiwanese history
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This is a timeline of the History of Taiwan including the History of the Republic of China on Taiwan (1945-present).
For the timeline of the History of the Republic of China on mainland China (1912-1949), see Timeline of Republic of China history.
Pre-Historic Times
- Sometime between 13,000 and 3,000 B.C.: Earliest inhabitants for which archeological evidence has been found. Changbin Culture.[1]
- 1540s: Kingdom of Middag established.
- 1544: Portuguese sailors passing Taiwan record in the ship's log the name Ilha Formosa (Beautiful Island).
- 1582: Portuguese shipwreck survivors battle malaria and aborigines for ten weeks before returning to Macau on a raft.
- 1592: Japan unsuccessfully seeks sovereignty over Taiwan (Takayamakoku 高山国 in Japanese, lit. high mountain country).[1]
 Dutch Empire rule (August 26, 1624-February 1, 1662)
- 1624: Ming China opens trade with the Dutch. The Dutch establish a trading base for commerce with Japan and coastal China. Dutch official Maarten Sonk takes up his new post at Tayuan (present-day Anping, Tainan County) beginning the Dutch administration of Taiwan.
- 1624: Dutch begin construction of Fort Zeelandia which is completed ten years later.
- 1626: Spain sends an expedition to Santissima Trinidad (Keelung) and build Fort San Salvador due to the Dutch threat to Chinese and Japanese trade to the Spanish Philippines.
- 1628: Spanish establish a settlement at Tamsui and build Fort Santo Domingo in an attempt to attract Chinese merchants.
- 1642: With the Dutch in southern Taiwan and the Spanish in northern Taiwan, confrontation between the two adversaries were inevitable and eventually the Dutch drive the Spanish out of Taiwan, becoming the sole ruling power on Taiwan.
- 1653: Taiwan becomes the second most profitable trading port in Asia, due to its ideal central location between Japan, China and southeast Asia.
- 1662: Koxinga lays siege to Fort Zeelandia with the Dutch surrendering nine months later.
- 1683: The reminent forces of the Ming dynasty are defeated by the Qing dynasty, which has assumed full control over mainland China.
- 1899: The Japanese Imperial government heavily suppresses any opposition to its rule, having systematically eliminated all anti-Japanese factions on the island.neutrality disputed
- 1899: Bank of Taiwan established to encourage Japanese investment into Taiwan.
- 1899: Taiwan yen is issued by the Bank of Taiwan with an exchange ratio on par with the Japanese yen.
- 1901: Railroad between Keelung and Hsinchu rebuilt.
- 1904: Taiwan bank notes issued.
- 1905: Earthquake in Chiayi.
- 1905: First population census. (First Provisional Taiwan Household Registration Survey)
- 1905: Taiwan becomes financially self-sufficient and is weaned off subsidies from Japan's central government.
- 1907: Beipu Incident led by Cai Ching-lin (蔡清琳).
- 1908: North-South (Western Line) Railway completed.
1911-1918
Dōka: "Integration" (1919-1935)
Kōminka: "Subjects of the Emperor" (1936-1945)
- 1937: Four national parks planned.
- 1937: Sun Moon Lake Hydroelectric Power Plant completed.
- 1939: Industrial production surpasses agricultural production.
- 1941: Taiwan Revolutionary League formed to coordinate anti-Japan resistance.
- 1941: Segregation of primary schools between Japanese and Taiwanese children ends.
- 1941: Pingtung Line Railroad completed
- 1943: Compulsory primary education begins. Enrollment rates reached 71.3% for Taiwanese children (including 86.4% for aborigine children) and 99.6% for Japanese children in Taiwan making Taiwan's enrollment rate the second highest in Asia after Japan.[1]
- 1945: Popular Legislature Election Law enacted.
- 1945: Japan (then including Taiwan) defeated in World War II by United States military forces, United States directs Japanese forces to surrender to the ROC. Chen Yi appointed as Chief Executive of Taiwan as ROC proclaims Taiwan retrocession.
1951-1960
1961-1970
1971-1980
1981-1990
1991-2000
2001-present
- 2001: Three mini-links between Kinmen, Matsu and the mainland of Fujian begins.
- 2001: Private fixed-line telephone companies begin services.
- 2001: Serious flooding caused by Typhoon Nari.
- 2002: Entry into the World Trade Organization.
- 2002: Penetration rate of cellular phones exceeds 100%.
- 2003: SARS outbreaks.
- 2003: North-Link Line railroad electrified.
- 2004: Second north-south freeway completed.
- 2004: 228 Hand-in-Hand Rally.
- 2004: President Chen Shui-bian is re-elected by a margin of 0.22% votes after being shot the day before.
- 2004: Taipei 101 becomes World's Tallest Building.
- 2005: The first direct commercial airplane flights from Beijing to Taipei for the Chinese New Year.
- 2005: The PRC passes an "anti-secession law" authorizing the use of force against Taiwan and the ROC government should it formally declare independence. In response, 1.6 million people marched in Taipei against China's "anti-secession law". Similar marches occur across the world by Taiwanese nationalists. Protests against the PRC were held worldwide, including, but not limited to: Chicago, New York City, Washington DC, Paris, and Sydney.
- 2005: The KMT visits mainland China for the first time since 1949.
- 2005: President Chen is invited and attends the funeral of Pope John Paul II. He is the first Taiwanese president to visit the Vatican.
- 2005: The National Assembly of the Republic of China convenes for the last time to implement several constitutional reforms, including single-member two-vote districts, and votes to transfer the power of constitutional reform to the popular ballot, essentially abolishing itself.
- 2006: Taiwan's first high speed rail line, Taiwan High Speed Rail, begins operation.
- 2007: Taiwan applies for membership in the United Nations under the name "Taiwan", and is rejected by the General Assembly.
- 2008: March 22 presidential election; with 58.48% of the vote, KMT candidate Ma defeats DPP candidate Hsieh. Many voters boycott the referenda on whether and how to join UN so the level of voter participation required for referenda to be considered valid is not achieved.
- 2008: July - the first direct China-Taiwan flights begin in nearly 6 decades, in a new sign of improving ties.[2][3][4]
References
See also
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