Timeline of Taiwanese history This is a timeline of Taiwanese History. Pre-Historic Times 50,000 years ago: First settlements by Austronesian ethno-linguistic peoples. 16th Century 1544: Taiwan named Ilha Formosa, or "Beautiful Island," by sailors from Portugal. 17th Century 1604: Dutch traders forced out of the Pescadores Islands (or Penghu) by the Ming. 1624: Dutch East India Company (VOC) occupies Tayuan (大員) (now Anping) and builds Fort Zeelandia; immigration of Han Chinese from mainland China increases significantly. 1626: The Spanish Navy builds Fort San Salvador in Santissima Trinidad (now Keelung harbor). 1626-1636: Trade dispute between VOC and Japan.(濱田彌兵衛事件) 1627: Dutch Rev. Georgius Candidius, the first Protestant missionary to Taiwan, arrives in Singang (now Sinshih). 1629: Spanish Navy builds Fort San Domingo in Castillo (now Tamsui), later renamed Hong-Mao Cheng (紅毛城, literally, the Fortress of the Red Haired Barbarians). 1642: Fort San Domingo captured by the Dutch; the Spaniards are ousted. 1652: Guo Huai-yi (郭懷一) incident. 1653: The capital of the Dutch colonial government moved to Fort Provintia (now Tainan City). 1661: Koxinga, a pirate and Ming loyalist, invades Taiwan. 1662: Koxinga captures Fort Zeelandia and ousts the Dutch; dies shortly afterwards. 1683: The Qing (or Ching) attacks Taiwan; Koxinga's successor surrenders and is expelled. 1684: Southwestern Taiwan becomes part of Qing territory as a prefecture of Fujian province; policy of immigration restriction enacted. 18th Century 1721: Jhu Yi-guei (朱一貴) incident. 1723: Changhua and Tamsui counties established. 1786: Lin Shuang-wun (林爽文) incident. 1796: Wu Sha (吳沙) settles in Kavalan (now Yilan County). 19th Century 1810: Kavalan become the territory of Qing. 1845: Commodore Matthew Calbraith Perry anchored off of Keelung for ten days. 1862: Dai Chao-chun (戴潮春) incident. 1863: Treaty of T'ientsin; Keelung, Tamsui, Anping (now Tainan), and Táⁿ-káu (打狗, now Kaohsiung) ports opened to foreigners. 1871: Canadian missionary George Leslie Mackay arrives in Tamsui. 1874: Okinawa vessel incident; Japan launches bloody retribution compaign against the Paiwan aborigine group in Mutan She. 1875: Taipei Prefecture (north) divided from Taiwan Prefecture (south). 1874: Mudan Village (牡丹社) Incident. 1884: Franco-Chinese War; blockade of the Keelung and Tamsui harbors by the French. 1887: Taiwan established as a province separate from Fujian. 1891: Railway between Keelung and Dadaocheng (now part of Taipei City) completed. 1894: First Sino-Japanese War. 1895: Treaty of Shimonoseki; Taiwan and the Pescadores ceded to Japanese, becoming a Japanese colony. 1895: The short-lived Republic of Taiwan. 1895: Taipei Hospital established. 20th Century 1901-1910 1901: The 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) 1908: North-South (Western Line) Railway completed. 1911-1920 1913: Miaoli Incident. 1915: Tapani Incident, largest revolt in Taiwanese history; over 10,000 protesters killed by Japanese authorities. 1921-1930 1921: Taiwanese Culture Association founded. 1921: "Petition to Establish a Taiwan Parliament" movement begins. 1923: Emperor Hirohito of Japan visits Taiwan. 1924: Yilan Line Railroad completed. 1926: Hwatung Line Railroad completed. 1927: Taiwanese People's Party, Taiwan's first political party, founded. 1928: Taihoku Imperial University (now National Taiwan University) founded. 1930: Jianan (or Chianan) Canal (嘉南大圳) completed. 1930: Wushe Incident; Japan forcefully crushes rebellion by the Atayal aborigine group. 1931-1940 1935: Earthquake in Miaoli. 1935: Exposition to Commemorate the 40th Anniversary of the Beginning of Administration in Taiwan. 1937: Four national parks planned. 1937: Sun Moon Lake Hydroelectric Power Plant completed. 1939: Industrial production surpasses agricultural production. 1941-1950 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. 1945: Popular Legislature Election Law enacted. 1945: Japan defeated in World War II, Kuomintang (or Chinese Nationalist Party) military rule under Chief Executive Chen Yi begins. 1947: 228 Incident; "White Terror" begins. 1947: US consulate in Taipei proposed "status of Taiwan is undetermined" and "Taiwan Under UN trustee" program in March. 1947: Chen Yi recalled and Taiwan Provincial Government established. 1949: April 6 Incident. 1949: The New Taiwan dollar is issued, exchanged at 1:40,000 old Taiwan dollars. 1949: Kuomintang army defeated in the Chinese Civil War, retreats to Taiwan with 2 million refugees. 1949: The capital of the Republic of China (ROC) relocated from Nanjing to Taipei. 1951-1960 1951: Treaty of San Francisco; Japan officially renounces claims to Taiwan. 1958: 823 Artillery War. 1959: August 7 Flood: serious flooding in central Taiwan. 1960: Free China Incident. 1961-1970 1964: Shihmen Reservoir completed. 1964: Peng Ming-min arrested for the draft of A Declaration of Formosan Self-salvation. 1971-1980 1971: ROC is expelled from the UN. 1975: President Chiang Kai-Shek dies. 1978: The first north-south freeway (No. 1) completed. 1979: The United States switched diplomatic recognition to the People's Republic of China; Taiwan Relations Act passed by the United States Congress. 1979: Kaohsiung Incident. 1979: Western Line Railroad fully electrified; North-Link Line completed. 1980: Lin Family Murders on the anniversary of the 228 Incident. 1980: Hsinchu Science Park founded. 1981-1990 1981: Chen Wun-cheng (陳文成) Incident. 1984: Labor Standards Law enacted. 1986: Typhoon Wayne makes landfall in the west coast of central Taiwan. 1986: Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), the first oppositional political party after World War II, formed illegally from the Tangwai movement. 1986: Yuan T. Lee wins the Nobel Prize in chemistry. 1987: Martial law lifted. 1988: President Chiang Ching-kuo dies; Lee Teng-hui assumes the presidency. 1988: Bans on publishing newspapers lifted. 1989: Bans on establishing new commercial banks lifted. 1990: Taiwan Wild Lily Student Movement in Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall. 1991-2000 1991: Opposition parties legalized. 1991: South-Link Line Railroad completed. 1992: Fair Trade Law enacted. 1992: The first democratic election of the Legislative Yuan. 1994: National Health Insurance begins. 1995: Third Taiwan Strait Crisis. 1995: 228 Incident monument erected; President Lee Teng-hui publicly apologizes on behalf of the KMT. 1996: Muzha Line of the Taipei Rapid Transit System completed. 1996: The first direct presidential election; Lee Teng-hui elected. 1997: Danshui Line of the Taipei Rapid Transit System completed. 1997: Private cellular phone companies begin services. 1999: Chi-Chi earthquake. 2000: Chen Shui-bian, the opposition candidate from the DPP, elected president; first peaceful transfer of power. 2000: Yilan Line Railroad electrified. 21st Century 2001-2010 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. 2003: SARS outbreaks. 2003: North-Link Line railroad electrified. 2004: Second north-south freeway (No. 3) completed. 2004: 228 Hand-in-Hand Rally. 2004: Chen Shui-bian re-elected after being shot the day before. 2004: Taipei 101 becomes World's Tallest Building. category: Timelines category: History of Taiwan Most Popular Articles: Music    Musical Instruments    Guitar    Classical Music    History    Music Definition    Country Music    Rock Music    Pop Music    Hip Hop    Rap    DJ    Video Games    Casino Games    Poker    Blackjack    Casinos    Real Estate    Loan    Auction    eBay    Marketing    Search Engine Optimization    File Sharing    MP3    Music Industry    Kazaa    Internet    Supermodel    Fashion    Fashion Designers    Erotica    Modeling    Clothing    Boots    Shoes    Diamond Engagement Rings    Diamond    Rugs    Gospel Music    Affiliate    E-Commerce    Radio This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License at http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html You may copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license. 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