History of Hong Kong in Timeline

Hong Kong is a densely populated special administrative region of China, home to approximately 7.5 million people within a 1,114-square-kilometre territory. It ranks as the fourth most densely populated region globally.

1904: Beginning of Servicing

Hong Kong Tramways began servicing Hong Kong since 1904.

1911: Establishment of the University of Hong Kong

In 1911, the University of Hong Kong (HKU) was founded as the city's first institute of higher education.

1911: University of Hong Kong established

In 1911, the University of Hong Kong was established as the territory's first institution of higher education.

1924: Kai Tak Airport begins operation

In 1924, Kai Tak Airport began operation in Hong Kong.

1925: Colony avoids economic downturn

In 1925, the colony avoided a prolonged economic downturn after the Canton-Hong Kong strike.

1926: Government adopts two-word name

In 1926, the government officially adopted the two-word name 'Hong Kong'.

1937: Hong Kong declared a neutral zone

In 1937, at the start of the Second Sino-Japanese War, Governor Geoffry Northcote declared Hong Kong a neutral zone.

1940: Evacuation of British women and children

In 1940, the colonial government prepared for a possible attack and evacuated all British women and children.

December 1941: Imperial Japanese Army attacked Hong Kong

In December 1941, the Imperial Japanese Army attacked Hong Kong.

1941: Hong Kong occupied by Japan

In 1941, Hong Kong was occupied by Japan during World War II.

August 1945: British resumed control

In August 1945, the British resumed control of Hong Kong.

1945: British resumed control

In 1945, the British resumed control of Hong Kong after Japan's occupation during World War II.

1949: Influx of refugees

In 1949, more refugees crossed the border when the Chinese Communist Party took control of mainland China.

1952: First Summer Olympics Participation

Hong Kong participated in the Summer Olympics for the first time in 1952.

1961: GDP Increase

Between 1961 and 1997 Hong Kong's gross domestic product increased by a factor of 180, and per capita GDP increased by a factor of 87.

1963: Establishment of The Chinese University of Hong Kong

In 1963, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) was established.

1967: 1967 Hong Kong riots

In 1967, the Hong Kong riots occurred, with pro-PRC protestors clashing with the British colonial government.

1972: Release of The Way of the Dragon

In 1972, the release of Bruce Lee's film, The Way of the Dragon, led to local Hong Kong productions becoming popular outside of Hong Kong.

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1975: Last Reported Snowfall

The last reported instance of snowfall in Hong Kong was on Tai Mo Shan in 1975.

1976: First Modern Dragon Boat Race

The first modern dragon boat race was organized in 1976 as part of the Tourism Board's efforts.

1978: Start of Market Liberalisation

Since the 1978 start of market liberalisation on the mainland. Economic and infrastructure integration with China has increased significantly.

1979: MacLehose raises question of Hong Kong's status

In 1979, Governor Murray MacLehose raised the question of Hong Kong's status with Deng Xiaoping.

1979: Resumption of Cross-Boundary Train Service

Since resumption of cross-boundary train service in 1979, many rail and road links have been improved and constructed, facilitating trade between regions.

1984: Sino-British Joint Declaration

In 1984, diplomatic negotiations with China resulted in the Sino-British Joint Declaration.

1987: Mass emigration begins

In 1987, the peak migration period started.

1989: Tiananmen Square

Annual commemorations of the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre were also cancelled amidst fears of violating the national security law.

August 1990: Record Highest Daily Minimum Temperature at Hong Kong Observatory

On August 18, 1990, the record highest daily minimum temperature at the Hong Kong Observatory was 30.1 °C (86.2 °F).

1991: Establishment of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

In 1991, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) was established.

1993: First International Dragon Boat Race

In 1993, overseas teams began competing in the first international dragon boat race in Hong Kong.

1993: Peak GDP Relative to Mainland China

In 1993, the territory's GDP relative to mainland China's peaked at 27%.

1994: Last Appearance in the Commonwealth Games

In 1994, Hong Kong made its last appearance in the Commonwealth Games.

1994: University Status for PolyU and CityU

In 1994, both The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) and City University of Hong Kong (CityU) were granted university status.

1995: 1995 Dynasty Cup

Hong Kong hosted the Dynasty Cup in 1995.

1995: Economic Freedom Index Ranking

Hong Kong's economy ranked at the top of the Heritage Foundation's economic freedom index between 1995.

1995: Legislative Council fully elected

In 1995, the Legislative Council became a fully elected legislature for the first time.

1996: First Olympic Gold Medal

In 1996, Lee Lai-shan won Hong Kong's first Olympic gold medal at the Atlanta Olympics.

1996: Mass emigration ends

In 1996, the peak migration period ended.

July 1997: Handover to China

In July 1997, Hong Kong was handed over to China.

1997: GDP Increase

Between 1961 and 1997 Hong Kong's gross domestic product increased by a factor of 180, and per capita GDP increased by a factor of 87.

1997: Trade Goods Routed Through Hong Kong

Half of China's trade goods were routed through Hong Kong in 1997, dropping to about 13% by 2015.

1997: University Status for Hong Kong Metropolitan University

In 1997, Hong Kong Metropolitan University (formerly as Open University of Hong Kong) attained university status.

1997: Asian financial crisis

In 1997, Hong Kong was severely affected by the Asian financial crisis.

1997: Handover to China

In 1997, the territory of Hong Kong was handed over from the United Kingdom to China.

1998: End of Kai Tak International Airport Operation

Kai Tak International Airport ended its operation in 1998 and was replaced by Hong Kong International Airport.

1999: University Status for Lingnan University

In 1999, Lingnan University attained full university status.

2003: Archaeological investigation

In 2003, an archaeological investigation in Wong Tei Tung, Sai Kung, revealed knapped stone tools from deposits that were dated using optical luminescence dating.

2003: SARS epidemic

In 2003, the territory experienced its most serious economic downturn during the SARS epidemic.

2006: University Status for Hong Kong Shue Yan University

In 2006, Hong Kong Shue Yan University attained full university status.

2007: 2007 Premier League Asia Trophy

In 2007, Hong Kong hosted the Premier League Asia Trophy.

2008: 2008 Summer Olympics equestrian events

In 2008, Hong Kong hosted the equestrian events for the Summer Olympics.

2009: 2009 East Asian Games

In 2009, Hong Kong hosted the East Asian Games.

2014: Umbrella Revolution

In 2014, the central government's decision to implement nominee pre-screening triggered a series of protests known as the Umbrella Revolution.

2015: Decline in Trade Goods Routed Through Hong Kong

By 2015, half of China's trade goods were routed through Hong Kong in 1997, dropping to about 13%.

January 2016: Lowest Recorded Temperature at Tai Mo Shan

On January 24, 2016, the lowest recorded temperature in all of Hong Kong was −6.0 °C (21.2 °F) at Tai Mo Shan.

2016: Visitor Contribution to Territory

In 2016, 26.6 million visitors contributed HK$258 billion (US$32.9 billion) to the territory.

2016: University Status for Education University of Hong Kong

In 2016, Education University of Hong Kong attained full university status.

2016: Discrepancies in the electoral registry

In 2016, discrepancies in the electoral registry and disqualification of elected legislators raised concerns about the region's autonomy.

2016: Legislative Council election

In 2016, twenty-two political parties had representatives elected to the Legislative Council.

August 2017: Historic Temperature Extremes at the Hong Kong Observatory and Wetland Park

On August 22, 2017, the historic temperature extreme at the Hong Kong Observatory was 36.6 °C (97.9 °F) and 39.0 °C (102 °F) at Wetland Park.

2017: GDP Relative to Mainland China

In 2017, Hong Kong's GDP relative to mainland China fell to less than 3%.

2017: Decline in Film Production

In 2017, the number of films produced annually in Hong Kong declined to about 60, reflecting a shift in industry momentum towards mainland China.

December 2018: Market Capitalisation of Hong Kong Stock Exchange

As of December 2018, the market capitalisation of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange was HK$30.4 trillion (US$3.87 trillion).

2018: University Status for Hang Seng University of Hong Kong

In 2018, Hang Seng University of Hong Kong attained full university status.

June 2019: Mass protests against extradition bill

In June 2019, mass protests erupted in response to a proposed extradition amendment bill.

2019: Large-scale protests

In 2019, there were large-scale protests.

June 2020: Hong Kong national security law imposed

In June 2020, the Hong Kong national security law was imposed by the central government in Beijing.

June 2020: National Anthem Ordinance passed

In June 2020, the Legislative Council passed the National Anthem Ordinance, criminalizing "insults to the national anthem of China".

July 2020: US ends preferential treatment of Hong Kong

In July 2020, the United States ended its preferential economic and trade treatment of Hong Kong.

September 2020: Waterspout at Hong Kong International Airport

In September 2020, a waterspout occurred at Hong Kong International Airport.

October 2020: Arrest of pro-democracy politicians

In October 2020, the Hong Kong Police arrested seven pro-democracy politicians over tussles with pro-Beijing politicians in the Legislative Council in May.

November 2020: Proposed Law Restricting Cryptocurrency Trading

In November 2020, Hong Kong's Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau proposed a new law that will restrict cryptocurrency trading to professional investors only.

2020: Second Olympic Gold Medal

Cheung Ka Long won Hong Kong's second Olympic gold medal in Tokyo in 2020.

2020: Sharp Decline in Incoming Visitors

Since 2020, there has been a sharp decline in incoming visitors due to tight COVID-19 travel restrictions.

March 2021: Amendments to Hong Kong's electoral system introduced

In March 2021, the Chinese central government introduced amendments to Hong Kong's electoral system.

March 2021: Changes to Hong Kong's electoral system

In March 2021, the Chinese central government unilaterally changed Hong Kong's electoral system and established the Candidate Eligibility Review Committee.

July 2021: Guinness World Record

Hong Kong Tramways currently holds the Guinness World Record as the "Largest double-decker tram fleet in service", certified on 30 July 2021, with a fleet of 165 double-decker trams.

2021: Trading Entity Ranking

In 2021, Hong Kong is the ninth largest trading entity in exports and eighth largest in imports.

2021: Hong Kong Removed from Heritage Foundation's Economic Freedom Index

In 2021, Hong Kong was removed from the Heritage Foundation's economic freedom index, citing a loss of political freedom and autonomy.

2021: Median Household Income and Wage Gap

In 2021, although median household income steadily increased, the wage gap remained high, with the 90th percentile of earners receiving 41% of all income.

2021: Population Estimate by Census and Statistics Department

In 2021, the Census and Statistics Department estimated Hong Kong's population at 7,413,070, with the majority being Han Chinese.

2021: Hong Kong Metropolitan University Name Change

In 2021, the Open University of Hong Kong was renamed Hong Kong Metropolitan University.

December 2022: Polling on Hong Kong Identity

In December 2022, polling data revealed that 32% of respondents identified as "Hongkongers", 34.1% identified as "Hongkongers in China," 45.9% purported a "Mixed Identity", 20.5% identified as "Chinese," and 11.9% identified as "Chinese in Hong Kong".

2022: Cease of airline operations in Hong Kong

Due to the closure of the Russian airspace in 2022, multiple airlines decided to cease their operations in Hong Kong.

2022: Hong Kong Tramways Rideship

Hong Kong Tramways’ tram network has had a rideship of 42,558 in 2022.

2022: Life Expectancy

In 2022, life expectancy in Hong Kong was 81.3 years for males and 87.2 years for females.

May 2023: Legislation introduced to reduce directly elected seats

In May 2023, legislation was introduced to reduce the number of directly elected seats in the district councils.

May 2023: Government proposed reforms to the District Council electoral system

In May 2023, the government proposed reforms to the District Council electoral system which further cut the number of directly elected seats.

July 2023: Reforms approved

In July 2023, the Legislative Council approved the reforms.

2023: Plans to Give Away Free Airline Tickets

In 2023, the Hong Kong government announced plans to give away 500,000 free airline tickets in an attempt to attract tourists back to Hong Kong.

2023: Birth Rate

In 2023, the birth rate in Hong Kong was 0.751 per woman of child-bearing age.

February 2024: "One country, two systems" principle would be kept permanently.

In February 2024, Xia Baolong said that the "one country, two systems" principle would be kept permanently.

July 2024: Closure of Cross-Boundary Train Service

The State Council announced the official closure of the cross-boundary train service on July 31, 2024, as announced by the General Administration of Customs.

September 2024: Tornado at Victoria Harbour

In September 2024, a tornado occurred at Victoria Harbour.

2024: Hong Kong's governance

As of 2024, Hong Kong is governed by a hybrid regime that is not fully representative of the population.

2024: District council seats

As of 2024, there are a total of 470 district council seats, 88 of which are directly elected.

2024: Global Innovation Index Ranking

In 2024, Hong Kong is ranked as the 18th most innovative territory in the Global Innovation Index.

2024: University Status for Saint Francis University

In 2024, Saint Francis University attained full university status.

2024: Safeguarding National Security Ordinance passed

In 2024, the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance was passed by the Legislative Council.

2024: Government to Legalise Ride-hailing Services

In 2024, the government looked into legalising ride-hailing services such as Uber.

2047: Hong Kong after 2047

The Joint Declaration does not specify how Hong Kong will be governed after 2047, and the central government's role in determining the territory's future system of government is the subject of political debate and speculation.