Southeast Asia

south-eastern region of Asia

17 dated entries naming Southeast Asia, drawn from 16 separate years between 68 CE and 2025 CE. Nothing here is written by us: each line is the sentence a Wikipedia year article used, and the link beside it opens the exact revision.

Also written as South East Asia, Southeast Asian in the source articles; Wikipedia redirects those to the same subject, so their entries are on this page.

JSON Wikipedia article Wikidata Q11708

1st century

68Kingdom of Funan is established in the Mekong Delta comprising present-day Cambodia, Southern Vietnam, Southern Thailand and Eastern Thailand, the first known civilization in Southeast Asia. The capital city is Vyadhapura or modern-day Ba Phnum District in Cambodia.source

5th century

425Buddhism begins to spread to Southeast Asia.source

8th century

701Arab merchants introduce Oriental spices into Mediterranean markets. Muslim merchant vessels visit the Maluku Islands (South East Asia) for the first time (approximate date).source

11th century

1025Srivijaya, a Buddhist kingdom based in Sumatra, is attacked by Emperor Rajendra I of the Chola dynasty of southern India in a dispute over trading rights in Southeast Asia. It survives but declines in importance.source

13th century

1281August 15 – Battle of Kōan (or Second Battle of Hakata Bay): A second Mongol invasion of Japan is foiled, as a large typhoon, famously called a kamikaze, or 'divine wind', destroys much of the combined Mongol and Chinese fleet and forces, numbering over 140,000 men and 4,000 ships. Later, Kublai Khan begins to gather forces to prepare for a third invasion attempt, but is distracted by events in Southeast and Central Asia.source

16th century

1511August 15 – (21 Jumada I 917 AH) Capture of Malacca: Afonso de Albuquerque of Portugal conquers Malacca, the capital of the Sultanate of Malacca, giving Portugal control over the Strait of Malacca, through which all sea-going trade between China and India is concentrated. The Sultanate then establishes rule from Johor, starting decades of skirmishes against the Portuguese to regain the fallen city. While taking the city, the Portuguese slaughter a large community of Chinese merchants living there. Malacca is the first city in Southeast Asia to be taken by a Western nation, gaining home rule only in 1957, when it becomes part of Malaysia.source

19th century

1828Unknown date – Guangdong Pharmacy Store, as predecessor of Watsons a cosmetics and pharmacy retailer around Southeast Asia, was founded.source

20th century

1966May 25 – No. 9 Squadron RAAF becomes part of the 4,500 strong Australian Task Force assigned to duties in Vietnam, leaving for Southeast Asia aboard the aircraft carrier HMAS Sydney.source
19687 June – Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS) is established as a think-tank to research on trends and politics in Southeast Asia and beyond.source
1974July 19 – Miss Universe 1974, the 23rd Miss Universe pageant, is held in Manila. Outgoing Miss Universe Margarita Moran, of the Philippines crowned the tearful pageant winner, Amparo Muñoz of Spain. It is the first time that pageant history is held in the Philippines and Southeast Asia.source
1976January 5 - The government of Democratic Kampuchea was proclaimed and constituted as a Communist People's Republic, and a 250-member Assembly of the Representatives of the People of Kampuchea (PRA) was selected in March to choose the collective leadership of a State Presidium, the chairman of which became the head of state within the CPK, the Paris-educated leadership of Saloth Sâr (Pol Pot) was in control over Cambodia which had become Southeast Asia's secretive and most isolated totalitarian country from the rest of the world after North Korea which proceeded to implement the policy of Year Zero led by Angkar and its Khmer Rouge cadres, with these relationships were based on shared Marxist-Leninist and Maoist ideology, Democratic Kampuchea had very close ties with North Korea and China, while Burma (Myanmar) recognized the government.source
1984January 13: In Amsterdam and Utrecht a large number of people are infected with dysentery, after eating shrimps from Southeast Asia. 14 people in total don't survive the ordeal due to causes of the infection. So called 'home peeling' of shrimps, that guarantees too little hygiene becomes prohibited after this incident.source
199526 March – Walt Disney Television's Satellite Facility officially opened, marking Disney's first international centre. The facility broadcast Disney programmes to Southeast Asia.source
199824 July – The Ministry of Finance announced the acquisition of POSBank by DBS Bank in a push to consolidate Singapore's banks into stronger banks, as well as cater to changing consumer profiles. The acquisition will make DBS Bank the largest Southeast Asian bank and largest retail bank in Singapore with S$93 billion in assets. The POSBank brand will be retained too. The acquisition is completed on 16 November 1998.source

21st century

2023July 19 – Typhoon Doksuri forms in the eastern Pacific Ocean, going on to kill 137 people in Southeast Asia.source
2023October 17 – Whoosh, the first high speed rail in Indonesia, Southeast Asia, and the Southern Hemisphere, opens.source
2025January 23 – Thailand becomes the 38th country and the first in Southeastern Asia to legalize same-sex marriage.source