History of Hong Kong in Timeline
Hong Kong is a densely populated special administrative region of China, home to 7.4 million residents of diverse nationalities within a relatively small territory of 1,104 square kilometers. It is known for its high population density, ranking as the fourth most densely populated region globally. Its status as a special administrative region highlights its unique political and economic relationship with mainland China.
1911: The University of Hong Kong was established
In 1911, The University of Hong Kong was established as the territory's first institution of higher education.
1911: University of Hong Kong founded
In 1911, the University of Hong Kong (HKU) was founded as the city's first institute of higher education.
1924: Kai Tak Airport began operation
In 1924, Kai Tak Airport began operation.
1925: The colony avoided a prolonged economic downturn
The colony avoided a prolonged economic downturn after the 1925 Canton–Hong Kong strike.
1926: Government officially adopted the two-word name
In 1926, the Hong Kong government officially adopted the two-word name for "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, evacuating all British women and children.
December 1941: Imperial Japanese Army attacked Hong Kong
On December 8, 1941, the Imperial Japanese Army attacked Hong Kong, coinciding with the attack on Pearl Harbor.
August 1945: British resumed control of Hong Kong
On August 30, 1945, the British resumed control of Hong Kong.
1945: End of Japanese occupation
In 1945, the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong ended.
1949: Influx of refugees after Chinese Communist Party took control
In 1949, more refugees crossed the border into Hong Kong when the Chinese Communist Party took control of mainland China.
1952: Summer Olympics participation
Since 1952, Hong Kong has participated in almost every Summer Olympics.
1963: Chinese University of Hong Kong established
In 1963, the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) was established.
1967: Hong Kong riots
In 1967, the Hong Kong riots took place where pro-PRC protestors clashed with the British colonial government, resulting in 51 deaths and 802 injuries.
1972: Release of The Way of the Dragon
In 1972, Bruce Lee's "The Way of the Dragon" was released, popularising local productions outside of Hong Kong.
1975: Last reported instance of snowfall
In 1975, the last reported instance of snowfall in Hong Kong was on Tai Mo Shan.
1976: First Modern Dragon Boat Competition
In 1976, the first modern dragon boat competition was organised as part of the Tourism Board's efforts.
1979: MacLehose raised the question of Hong Kong's status with Deng Xiaoping
In 1979, Governor Murray MacLehose raised the question of Hong Kong's status with Deng Xiaoping.
1979: Resumption of Cross-Boundary Train Service
In 1979, cross-boundary train service between Hong Kong and mainland China resumed, leading to improved rail and road links.
1984: Sino-British Joint Declaration
In 1984, the Sino-British Joint Declaration was signed, in which the United Kingdom agreed to the handover of the colony in 1997 and China would guarantee Hong Kong's economic and political systems for 50 years after the handover.
1987: Start of peak migration period
1987 marked the beginning of a peak migration period from Hong Kong which lasted until 1996.
1989: Tiananmen Square protests and massacre commemorations cancelled
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
On 18 August 1990, Hong Kong Observatory reached a record highest daily minimum temperature of 30.1 °C (86.2 °F).
1991: Hong Kong University of Science and Technology established
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.
1994: Last appearance in Commonwealth Games
In 1994, Hong Kong made its last appearance in the Commonwealth Games.
1994: University Status Granted to PolyU and CityU
In 1994, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) and City University of Hong Kong (CityU) were both granted university status. Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) was also granted university status in 1994.
1995: Legislative Council became a fully elected legislature
In 1995, the Legislative Council became a fully elected legislature for the first time and extensively expanded its functions.
1996: Lee Lai-shan wins first Olympic gold
In 1996, Lee Lai-shan won Hong Kong's first Olympic gold medal at the Atlanta Olympics.
1996: End of peak migration period
The peak migration period from Hong Kong ended in 1996.
July 1997: Handover of Hong Kong to China
On July 1, 1997, the handover of Hong Kong to China occurred after 156 years of British rule.
1997: Hong Kong Metropolitan University attaining university status
In 1997, Hong Kong Metropolitan University attained full university status.
1997: Handover to China
In 1997, Hong Kong was handed over from the United Kingdom to China, establishing the "one country, two systems" principle.
1997: Asian financial crisis
In 1997, Hong Kong was severely affected by the Asian financial crisis.
1997: Hang Seng Index Value
In 1997, Mainland firms represented 5% of the Hang Seng Index value.
1997: China Trade Goods Routed Through Hong Kong
In 1997, half of China's trade goods were routed through Hong Kong.
1998: Kai Tak International Airport Ended Operation
In 1998, Kai Tak International Airport ended its operation, being replaced by Hong Kong International Airport.
1999: Lingnan University attaining university status
In 1999, Lingnan University attained full university status.
2003: Archaeological investigation in Wong Tei Tung
In 2003, an archaeological investigation in Wong Tei Tung, Sai Kung revealed knapped stone tools from deposits dated using optical luminescence dating.
2003: SARS epidemic
In 2003, the SARS epidemic caused Hong Kong's most serious economic downturn.
2006: Hong Kong Shue Yan University attaining university status
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, protests known as the Umbrella Revolution were triggered by the central government's decision to implement nominee pre-screening before allowing chief executive elections.
2015: China Trade Goods Routed Through Hong Kong
In 2015, approximately 13% of China's trade goods were routed through Hong Kong, dropping from half in 1997.
January 2016: Lowest recorded temperatures
On 24 January 2016, the lowest recorded temperatures in all of Hong Kong was −6.0 °C (21.2 °F) at Tai Mo Shan.
2016: Discrepancies in the electoral registry
After the 2016 Legislative Council elections, discrepancies in the electoral registry and disqualification of elected legislators raised concerns about the region's autonomy.
2016: Tourism in Hong Kong
In 2016, 26.6 million visitors contributed HK$258 billion (US$32.9 billion) to Hong Kong's economy.
2016: Education University of Hong Kong attaining university status
In 2016, Education University of Hong Kong attained full university status.
2016: Legislative Council election
In 2016, twenty-two political parties had representatives elected to the Legislative Council.
August 2017: Historic temperature extremes
On 22 August 2017, Hong Kong Observatory reached a historic temperature extreme of 36.6 °C (97.9 °F).
2017: Hong Kong's GDP Relative to Mainland China
In 2017, Hong Kong's GDP relative to mainland China fell to less than 3%, as the mainland developed and liberalised its economy.
2017: Decline in Film Production
In 2017, the number of films produced annually in Hong Kong declined to about 60, shifting from its peak in the early 1990s when over 400 films were produced each year.
2018: Hang Seng University of Hong Kong attaining university status
In 2018, Hang Seng University of Hong Kong attained full university status.
June 2019: Mass protests erupted
In June 2019, mass protests erupted in response to a proposed extradition amendment bill.
2019: Large-scale protests
In 2019 and 2020, large-scale protests took place, leading to the passage of the Hong Kong national security law.
June 2020: National Anthem Ordinance passed
In June 2020, the Legislative Council passed the National Anthem Ordinance, criminalising "insults to the national anthem of China".
June 2020: Suspension of bilateral extradition treaties
In June 2020, the imposition of the Hong Kong national security law by the central government in Beijing resulted in the suspension of bilateral extradition treaties by several countries.
July 2020: United States ended its preferential economic and trade 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
On September 26, 2020, a waterspout occurred at Hong Kong International Airport.
October 2020: Pro-democracy politicians arrested
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 on Cryptocurrency Trading
In November 2020, Hong Kong's Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau proposed a new law to restrict cryptocurrency trading to professional investors only.
2020: Cheung Ka Long wins Olympic gold
In 2020, Cheung Ka Long won Hong Kong's second Olympic gold medal in Tokyo.
2020: Decline in Incoming Visitors
Since 2020, there has been a sharp decline in incoming visitors to Hong Kong 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, including the reduction of directly elected seats in the Legislative Council.
March 2021: Chinese central government unilaterally changed 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
On 30 July 2021, Hong Kong Tramways holds the Guinness World Record as the "Largest double-decker tram fleet in service".
2021: Hong Kong Trade
In 2021, Hong Kong was the ninth largest trading entity in exports and eighth largest in imports, with trade exceeding its gross domestic product.
2021: Income Inequality in Hong Kong
In 2021, income inequality remained high in Hong Kong, with the top 10% of earners receiving 41% of all income despite a steady increase in median household income.
2021: Hong Kong Population Estimate
In 2021, the Census and Statistics Department estimated Hong Kong's population at 7,413,070, with Han Chinese comprising the majority (91.6%) and non-ethnic Chinese minorities making up 8.4%.
2021: Heritage Foundation Removes Hong Kong From Economic Freedom Index
In 2021, the Heritage Foundation removed Hong Kong from its economic freedom index, citing a "loss of political freedom and autonomy".
2021: Hong Kong Metropolitan University Name Change
Prior to 2021, Hong Kong Metropolitan University was known as Open University of Hong Kong.
December 2022: Polling of Hong Kong Residents
In December 2022, polling in Hong Kong showed 32% of respondents identified as "Hongkongers", 34.1% identifying as "Hongkongers in China" 45.9% purporting a "Mixed Identity", 20.5% identifying as "Chinese" and 11.9% identifying as "Chinese in Hong Kong".
2022: Hong Kong Tramways' Rideship
In 2022, Hong Kong Tramways’ had a rideship of 42,558.
2022: Life Expectancy in Hong Kong
In 2022, life expectancy in Hong Kong reached 81.3 years for males and 87.2 years for females, ranking among the highest globally.
2022: Airline Cease Operations
In 2022, multiple airlines decided to cease their operations in Hong Kong due to the closure of the Russian airspace.
May 2023: Legislation introduced to reduce directly elected seats
In May 2023, the Legislative Council introduced legislation 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: Legislative Council approved District Council electoral system reforms
In July 2023, the Legislative Council approved the reforms to the District Council electoral system.
2023: Free Airline Tickets
In 2023, the Hong Kong government announced plans to give away 500,000 free airline tickets to attract tourists back to Hong Kong.
2023: Hong Kong Birth Rate
In 2023, the birth rate in Hong Kong was recorded at 0.751 per woman of child-bearing age.
July 2024: Cross-Boundary Train Service Closed
On 31 July 2024, cross-boundary train service was officially closed by the State Council.
September 2024: Tornado at Victoria Harbour
On 28 September 2024, a tornado occurred at Victoria Harbour.
2024: Government hasn't introduced direct elections
As of 2024, the government has been repeatedly petitioned to introduce direct elections for these positions, but has not introduced these direct elections.
2024: District council seats
As of 2024, there are a total of 470 district council seats, 88 of which are directly elected.
2024: Hong Kong Global Innovation Ranking
In 2024, Hong Kong was ranked as the 18th most innovative territory in the Global Innovation Index.
2024: Saint Francis University attaining university status
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 to grant officials "even more powers to crack down on opposition to Beijing and the Hong Kong government".
2024: Government To Legalise Ride-Hailing Services
In 2024, the government has looked into legalising unlicensed ride-hailing services.
2047: Future of Hong Kong after 2047
The Joint Declaration does not specify how Hong Kong will be governed after 2047.
