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Taiwan

country in East Asia

68 dated entries naming Taiwan, drawn from 44 separate years between 239 CE and 2024 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 Republic of China, Republic of China (Taiwan) in the source articles; Wikipedia redirects those to the same subject, so their entries are on this page.

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3rd century

  • 239A Chinese expeditionary force from the Eastern Wu state discovers the island of Taiwan.source

16th century

  • 1544Portuguese explorers encounter the island of Taiwan, and call it Ilha Formosa ("Beautiful Island").source

17th century

  • 1624August 4 – The Dutch East India Company agrees to Chinese demands to withdraw its operations from the Penghu islands, and relocates its trading post to Fort Zeelandia and the Dutch-controlled island of Formosa, now Tainan on Taiwan.source
  • 1629Fort Santo Domingo is built in Formosa by the Spanish East Indies.source
  • 1642August 3 – A Dutch Navy fleet of 14 warships, led by Hendric Harouse, begins a campaign to drive Spaniards from the island of Formosa (modern-day Taiwan) off of the coast of mainland China. After disembarking at Tamsui, the Dutch begin a siege of Fort Domingo, which falls on Saint Bartolomeo Day (August 24).source
  • 164617 October — Fuzhou falls to the Qing, Zheng Zhilong surrendered to the Qing and his son Koxinga fled to the island of Taiwan with his fleet.source
  • 1652September 11 – The Guo Huaiyi Rebellion, a peasant revolt on the island of Taiwan against colonial rule in Dutch Formosa, is suppressed after four days.source
  • 1661March 23 – General Zheng Chenggong of China, known as "Koxinga" leads an invasion of the island of Taiwan, at the time under the control of the Dutch East India Company (VOC), bringing 25,000 soldiers and sailors on hundreds of boats to claim the territory.source
  • 1661April 7 – The siege of Fort Zeelandia, the Dutch East India Company (VOC) headquarters on the Chinese island of Taiwan (near modern Taoyuan City) is started by Koxinga and his invading force from China.source
  • 1661June 14 – General Zheng Chenggong of China takes control of most of the island of Taiwan from the Dutch East India Company and proclaims the Kingdom of Tungning, with himself as the ruler.source
  • 1662Spring — the regents ordered a Great Clearance in southern China that evacuated the entire population from the seacoast to counter a resistance movement started by Ming loyalists under the leadership of Taiwan-based Ming general Koxinga, also known as Zheng Chenggongsource
  • 1662February 1 — Siege of Fort Zeelandia concludes with Dutch forces in Taiwan surrendering to Zheng Chenggong (Koxinga)source
  • 1662February 1 – Chinese general Koxinga (Zheng Chenggong) captures the Dutch East India Company's settlement at Fort Zeelandia (now Tainan) on the island of Taiwan after a nine-month siege, ending the company's rule on the island, then establishes the Kingdom of Tungning. In response, the Kangxi Emperor of the mainland Qing dynasty relocates all residents along the southern coast, by 50 miles.source
  • 1662June 23 – Koxinga, who had founded the Kingdom of Tungning on the island of Taiwan a year earlier, names his successor while on his deathbed. He appoints his son, Zheng Jing, whom he had earlier ordered unsuccessfully to be executed, as the new King.source
  • 1662June 23 — Koxinga dies in Anping, Taiwan of Malaria, his son Zheng Jing takes over the Zheng regime, later leading the remaining 7,000 Ming loyalist troops to Taiwansource
  • 1663Koxinga Ancestral Shrine built by Zheng Jing in modern-day Tainan, Taiwan to worship his father Koxingasource
  • 1668Tianhou Temple (Anping) built in Taiwansource
  • 1671September 6 – The Court of King Charles II of England dispatches a letter to the "King of Formosa" (Zheng Jing, ruler of the Kingdom of Tungning) confirming that English ships will be welcome to trade at the "City of Tywan", referring to Taipei on the island of Taiwan.source
  • 16716 September – The Royal Court dispatches a letter to the "King of Formosa" (Zheng Jing, ruler of the Kingdom of Tungning) confirming that English ships will be welcome to trade at the "City of Tywan" (Taipei on the island of Taiwan).source
  • 1683July 8 – Admiral Shi Lang of Qing dynasty China leads 300 ships with 20,000 troops out of Tongshan, Fujian, and sails towards the Kingdom of Tungning, in modern-day Taiwan and Penghu, in order to quell the kingdom in the name of the Qing.source
  • 1683October 3 – Shi Lang reaches Taiwan and occupies modern-day Kaohsiung.source

18th century

  • 1705Taichung City, Taiwan is founded as the village of Dadun.source

19th century

  • 1895March 4 – Japanese troops capture Liaoyang and land in Taiwan.source
  • 1895May 24 – Anti-Japanese officials, led by Tang Jingsong in Taiwan, declare independence from the Qing dynasty, forming the short-lived Republic of Formosa.source

20th century

  • 192315 January – Lee Teng-hui, President of the Republic of China (1988–2000)source
  • 19393 January – Vincent Siew, Vice President of the Republic of China (2008–2012)source
  • 194518 August – Subhas Chandra Bose, one of the Indian Freedom movement leaders, presumed dead in a plane crash in Taiwansource
  • 19461 May – The establishment of Taiwan Power Company in Taiwan.source
  • 1947February 28 – In Taiwan, civil disorder is put down, with large loss of civilian lives.source
  • 1948November 1 – A boiler and ammunition explosion aboard merchant ship Xuan Huai evacuating troops of the Republic of China Army from Yingkou, China for Taiwan causes thousands of deaths.source
  • 1949May 20 – The Kuomintang regime declares martial law in Taiwan, which lasts until 1987.source
  • 1949October 27 – Battle of Kuningtou: Chinese communist troops fail to take Quemoy; their advance towards Taiwan is halted.source
  • 1950January 6 – The United Kingdom recognizes the People's Republic of China; the Republic of China severs diplomatic relations with Britain in response.source
  • 19501 March – Chiang Kai-shek resumes his duties as Chinese president after moving his government to Taipei, Taiwan.source
  • 1950July 13 – Ma Ying-jeou, President of the Republic of China (Taiwan)source
  • 1952April 11 – Battle of Nanri Island: The Republic of China seizes the island from the People's Republic of China.source
  • 1952August 5 – The Treaty of Taipei between Japan and the Republic of China goes into effect, officially ending the Second Sino-Japanese War.source
  • 1955January 18–20 – Battle of Yijiangshan Islands: The Chinese Communist People's Liberation Army seizes the islands from the Republic of China (Taiwan).source
  • 1955February 10 – The United States Seventh Fleet helps the Republic of China evacuate the Chinese Nationalist army and residents from the Tachen Islands to Taiwan.source
  • 1955April 11 – The Taiwanese Kuomintang put a bomb on the airplane Kashmir Princess, killing 16 but failing to assassinate the People's Republic of China leader, Zhou Enlai.source
  • 1958August 23 – The Second Taiwan Strait Crisis begins with the People's Republic of China's People's Liberation Army shelling the island of Kinmen (Quemoy) which is controlled by the Republic of China (Taiwan)'s Kuomintang forces.source
  • 1959August 8 – A flood in Taiwan kills 2,000.source
  • 1971October 25 – The United Nations General Assembly admits the People's Republic of China and expels the Republic of China (or Taiwan).source
  • 1971November 23 – The People's Republic of China takes the Republic of China's seat on the United Nations Security Council (see China and the United Nations).source
  • 1972April 13 – The Universal Postal Union decides to recognize the People's Republic of China as the only legitimate Chinese representative, effectively expelling the Republic of China administering Taiwan.source
  • 1972September 29 – China–Japan relations: The Joint Communiqué of the Government of Japan and the Government of the People's Republic of China is signed in Beijing, which normalizes Japanese diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China after breaking official ties with the Republic of China (Taiwan).source
  • 1979November 6 – At Montevideo, Uruguay, the International Olympic Committee adopts a resolution, whereby Taiwan Olympic and sports teams will participate with the name Chinese Taipei in future Olympic Games and international sports tournaments and championships.source
  • 1988January 13 – Vice-president Lee Teng-hui takes over as President of the Republic of China and Chairman of the Kuomintang following the death of Chiang Ching-kuo.source
  • 198824 May – Miss Thailand Phonthip Nakhirankanok won the crown title of the Miss Universe 1988 held in Taipei, Taiwan.source
  • 1995July 21–26 – Third Taiwan Strait Crisis: The Chinese People's Liberation Army fires missiles into the waters north of Taiwan.source
  • 1996March 8 – Third Taiwan Strait Crisis: China begins surface-to-surface missile testing and military exercises off Taiwanese coastal areas. The United States government condemns the act as provocation, and the Taiwanese government warns of retaliation.source

21st century

  • 2005March 14 – China ratifies an anti-secession law, aimed at preventing Taiwan from declaring independence.source
  • 2009August 7 – Typhoon Morakot hits Taiwan, killing 673 and stranding more than 1,000 via the worst flooding on the island in half a century.source
  • 2013April 7 — Taiwan plans to expand a pier on one of the disputed Spratly Islands, parts of which are also claimed by Vietnam, Brunei, China, Malaysia, and the Philippines, as the other claimants strengthen military deployment in the South China Sea.source
  • 2016January 16 – In the general election of the Republic of China (Taiwan), the Democratic Progressive Party, led by Tsai Ing-wen, secured a majority in the Legislative Yuan, resulting in the first majority by a non-KMT party and the first majority won by the DPP. Tsai became the 14th President for Taiwan, and also became the first female leader in China.source
  • 2016February 6 – An earthquake of magnitude 6.6 strikes southern Taiwan, killing 117 people.source
  • 2016May 20 – Tsai Ing-wen is sworn in as the first female President of the Republic of China (Taiwan).source
  • 201816 August – The Central Government announces residents of Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan who work and live in mainland China can apply for identity cards beginning 1 September, which will enable them to access public services similar to mainland residents.source
  • 2018September 14–16 – Typhoon Mangkhut impacts the Philippines, Taiwan, Hong Kong and China, resulting in more than 60 fatalities.source
  • 2019March 31 – Taiwan scrambles its fighter aircraft after two Chinese jets crossed the maritime border between the two nations. Just the day before, Japan had similarly scrambled its jets after Chinese jets flew between Miyako and Okinawa.source
  • 2019October 1 – The Nanfang'ao Bridge, the only steel single-arch bridge in Taiwan, collapses, killing six people and injuring more than twenty others.source
  • 2020January 11 – Presidential and legislative elections are held in Taiwan. Incumbent president Tsai Ing-wen is reelected, and the Democratic Progressive Party wins a majority of 67 out of 113 seats in the Legislative Yuan.source
  • 2020August 5 – U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar travels to Taiwan, the highest U.S. official visit to the country in 40 years. The PRC condemns the visit.source
  • 2021February 3 – Taiwan establishes a trade office in Guyana, much to the chagrin of China.source
  • 2021April 2 – 2021 Hualien train derailment: In Taiwan, a Taroko Express train collided with a truck that rolled down a slope and derailed, resulting in 49 deaths and 202 injuries.source
  • 20221 June – Taiwan imposes an export ban of all modern computer chips to Russia and Belarus, as well as any technology and equipment used to manufacture them.source
  • 2023March 26 – Honduras switches its formal diplomatic recognition of "China" from the Republic of China to the People's Republic of China.source
  • 2024April 3 – A powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 7.4 strikes off the eastern coast of Taiwan, with small tsunamis reaching heights of 20 – 30 cm hitting Okinawa Prefecture, Japan.source

Named in the same entries