History of Hong Kong in Timeline
Hong Kong is a densely populated special administrative region of China, located on the southern coast of the country near Shenzhen. It comprises Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, and the New Territories. Home to approximately 7.5 million residents within its 1,114-square-kilometre area, Hong Kong ranks as the fourth-most densely populated region globally.
23 hours ago : Art Basel Hong Kong 2026: Slower, Smarter Buying and Standout Artworks Emerge.
Art Basel Hong Kong 2026 emphasized slower, smarter art buying. Standout artworks and top booths were highlighted, drawing attention to the evolving art market trends in Hong Kong.
1904: Beginning of Hong Kong Tramways Service
Hong Kong Tramways began servicing Hong Kong since 1904.
1911: Founding 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 during the early colonial period.
1911: The 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 Began Operation
In 1924, Kai Tak Airport began operation in Hong Kong.
1925: Colony Avoided Economic Downturn
In 1925, the colony avoided a prolonged economic downturn after the 1925–26 Canton–Hong Kong strike.
1926: Government Adopts Two-Word Name
In 1926, the government officially adopted the two-word name "Hong Kong", after it was commonly written as the single word "Hongkong".
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 by 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
On August 30, 1945, the British resumed control of Hong Kong after almost four years of Japanese occupation.
1949: Influx of Refugees
In 1949, more refugees crossed the border when the Chinese Communist Party took control of mainland China.
1952: Hong Kong participates in Summer Olympics
Hong Kong participated in the Summer Olympics in 1952.
1953: Founding of the Hong Kong Rugby Football Union
The Hong Kong Rugby Football Union was founded in 1953.
1959: Hong Kong Open hosted by Hong Kong Golf Club
The Hong Kong Golf Club has hosted the Hong Kong Open every year since 1959.
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 was established to fill the need for a university that taught using Chinese as its primary language of instruction.
1967: Hong Kong Riots
In 1967, pro-PRC protestors clashed with the British colonial government in the Hong Kong riots, resulting in 51 deaths and 802 injuries.
1969: Hong Kong Cricket Association joins ICC
In 1969, the Hong Kong Cricket Association was granted associate membership of the International Cricket Council (ICC).
1972: Release of Bruce Lee's 'The Way of the Dragon'
In 1972, 'The Way of the Dragon' starring Bruce Lee was released, which helped make local Hong Kong productions popular outside of Hong Kong.
1973: Release of Bruce Lee's 'Enter the Dragon'
In 1973, 'Enter the Dragon' starring Bruce Lee was released, which helped make local Hong Kong productions popular outside of Hong Kong.
1975: Last Reported Snowfall
The last reported instance of snowfall in Hong Kong was in 1975 on Tai Mo Shan.
1976: First modern dragon boat competition
In 1976, the first modern dragon boat competition was organized as part of the Tourism Board's efforts to promote Hong Kong.
1976: HKIR starting the modern era of the dragon boat sport
Since 1976, the HKIR have been held and are acknowledged as starting the modern era of the dragon boatsport.
1978: Start of Reform and Opening Up on the Mainland
Since the 1978 start of the reform and opening up on the mainland, economic and infrastructure integration with China has increased significantly.
1979: MacLehose Raised 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
Since resumption of cross-boundary train service in 1979, many rail and road links have been improved and constructed, facilitating trade between regions.
1980: Hong Kong supports Summer Olympics boycott
Hong Kong supported the boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics.
1983: Hong Kong hosts Asian Basketball Championship
Hong Kong hosted the official 1983 Asian Basketball Championship.
1984: Sino-British Joint Declaration
In 1984, diplomatic negotiations with China resulted in the Sino-British Joint Declaration, in which the United Kingdom agreed to the handover of the colony in 1997.
1987: Peak Migration Period
In 1987, over half a million people left the territory during the peak migration period, from 1987 to 1996, triggered by the impending handover.
1989: Annual Commemorations Cancelled
In 1989, 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, the record highest daily minimum temperature at the Hong Kong Observatory was 30.1 °C (86.2 °F).
1990: Establishment of Hospital Authority
The Hospital Authority was established in 1990 to manage public hospitals in Hong Kong.
1991: Establishment of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
In 1991, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology was established.
1993: Peak of GDP Relative to Mainland China
In 1993, Hong Kong's GDP relative to mainland China's peaked at 27%.
1993: First international dragon boat race
Overseas teams began competing in the first international dragon boat race in 1993.
1994: Hong Kong's last appearance in Commonwealth Games
1994 marked Hong Kong's last appearance in the Commonwealth Games.
1994: PolyU and CityU granted university status
In 1994, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) and City University of Hong Kong (CityU) were granted university status.
1995: Legislative Council Became Fully Elected
In 1995, the Legislative Council became a fully elected legislature for the first time.
1996: Lee Lai-shan wins Olympic gold medal
In 1996, Lee Lai-shan won Hong Kong's first Olympic gold medal at the Atlanta Olympics.
1996: Peak Migration Period
In 1996, over half a million people left the territory during the peak migration period, from 1987 to 1996, triggered by the impending handover.
July 1997: Handover of Hong Kong to China
On July 1, 1997, Hong Kong was handed over to China after 156 years of British rule.
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: Hong Kong Metropolitan University attains status
Hong Kong Metropolitan University (formerly as Open University of Hong Kong before 2021) attained status in 1997.
1997: Shipping Industry Decline
In 1997, Half of China's trade goods were routed through Hong Kong.
1997: Hong Kong hosts Rugby World Cup Sevens
In 1997, Hong Kong hosted the Rugby World Cup Sevens.
1997: Handover to China
In 1997, Hong Kong was handed over from the United Kingdom to China.
1997: Asian Financial Crisis
In 1997, Hong Kong was severely affected by the Asian financial crisis.
1997: Regal wins ABC Champions Cup
In 1997, Hong Kong's basketball team Regal won the ABC Champions Cup.
1998: Closure of Kai Tak International Airport
Kai Tak International Airport ended operations in 1998 and was replaced by Hong Kong International Airport.
1999: Lingnan University attains status
Lingnan University attained university status in 1999.
2003: SARS Epidemic
In 2003, Hong Kong experienced its most serious economic downturn during the SARS epidemic.
2003: Archaeological Investigation in Wong Tei Tung
In 2003, an archaeological investigation in Wong Tei Tung in the Sai Kung Peninsula revealed knapped stone tools from deposits dated by optical luminescence dating.
2005: Hong Kong hosts Rugby World Cup Sevens
In 2005, Hong Kong hosted the Rugby World Cup Sevens.
2006: Hong Kong Shue Yan University attains status
Hong Kong Shue Yan University attained university status in 2006.
2008: Hong Kong hosts equestrian events at Summer Olympics
In 2008, Hong Kong hosted the equestrian events for the Summer Olympics.
2009: Hong Kong hosts East Asian Games
In 2009, Hong Kong hosted the East Asian Games.
2009: Horse race gambling turnover
In 2009, betting on horse races generated an average US$12.7 million in gambling turnover per race.
2012: Hong Kong Cricket Sixes held annually until 2012
Hong Kong hosted the Hong Kong Cricket Sixes, an ICC sanctioned event annually until 2012.
2014: Hong Kong defeats Bangladesh at ICC World Twenty20
In 2014, the Hong Kong Cricket Team qualified for ICC World Twenty20 and defeated hosts Bangladesh.
2014: Umbrella Revolution
In 2014, the central government decision to implement nominee pre-screening before allowing chief executive elections triggered a series of protests which became known as the Umbrella Revolution.
2015: Shipping Industry Decline
In 2015, about 13% of China's trade goods were routed through Hong Kong.
January 2016: Lowest Recorded Temperature at Tai Mo Shan
On 24 January 2016, the lowest recorded temperature in all of Hong Kong was −6.0 °C (21.2 °F) at Tai Mo Shan.
2016: Education University of Hong Kong attains status
Education University of Hong Kong attained university status in 2016.
2016: Tourism Contribution
In 2016, 26.6 million visitors contributed HK$258 billion (US$32.9 billion) to Hong Kong's economy.
2016: Legislative Council Elections
In 2016, discrepancies in the electoral registry and disqualification of elected legislators after the Legislative Council elections raised concerns about the region's autonomy.
August 2017: Record High Temperature
On 22 August 2017, the historic temperature extreme at the Hong Kong Observatory was 36.6 °C (97.9 °F), and the highest recorded temperature in all of Hong Kong was 39.0 °C (102 °F) at Wetland Park.
2017: GDP Relative to Mainland China
In 2017, Hong Kong's GDP relative to mainland China's fell to less than 3%.
2017: Decline in film production
In 2017, the number of films produced annually in Hong Kong had declined to about 60, marking a shift in industry momentum towards mainland China.
2018: Hang Seng University of Hong Kong attains status
Hang Seng University of Hong Kong attained university status in 2018.
2018: Hong Kong wins Asia Rugby Championship
In 2018, Hong Kong finished first place in the Asia Rugby Championship.
2018: Peak rating of Hong Kong national rugby union team
The Hong Kong national rugby union team peaked at a rating of 21st between 2018 and 2022.
June 2019: Mass Protests Erupted
In June 2019, mass protests erupted in response to a proposed extradition amendment bill.
2019: Hong Kong wins Asia Rugby Championship
In 2019, Hong Kong finished first place in the Asia Rugby Championship.
2019: Large-Scale Protests
In response to large-scale protests in 2019 and 2020, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress passed the controversial Hong Kong national security law.
June 2020: National Anthem Ordinance Passed
In June 2020, the Legislative Council passed the National Anthem Ordinance, which criminalized "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: End of Preferential Economic and Trade Treatment
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 26 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 Cryptocurrency Trading Law
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: Cheung Ka Long wins Olympic gold medal
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 due to tight COVID-19 travel restrictions.
March 2021: Electoral System Amendments Introduced
In March 2021, the Chinese central government introduced amendments to Hong Kong's electoral system.
March 2021: Electoral System Changed
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 held the Guinness World Record as the "Largest double-decker tram fleet in service", with a fleet of 165 double-decker trams.
October 2021: Hong Kong women's lacrosse team won bronze Dalmatia Cup
In October 2021, Hong Kong's women's lacrosse team won bronze Dalmatia Cup in Split, Croatia. Daphne Li won the tournament MVP award.
2021: Income Inequality
Although median household income steadily increased during the decade to 2021, the wage gap remained high; the 90th percentile of earners receive 41% of all income.
2021: Loss of Representation
By 2021, the pro-democracy camp and the localist groups lost all representation in the Legislative Council as a result of the 2021 electoral changes imposed by the National People's Congress.
2021: Hong Kong Metropolitan University formerly known as Open University of Hong Kong
Hong Kong Metropolitan University was formerly known as Open University of Hong Kong before 2021.
2021: Coa ranked Asia's Best Bar
In 2021, Coa was ranked Asia's Best Bar.
2021: Trade Statistics
In 2021, Hong Kong was the ninth largest trading entity in exports and eighth largest in imports.
December 2022: Polling results on Hong Kong identity
In December 2022, polling data indicated that 32% of respondents identified as "Hongkongers," 34.1% as "Hongkongers in China," 45.9% claimed a "Mixed Identity," 20.5% identified as "Chinese," and 11.9% identified as "Chinese in Hong Kong."
2022: Airline Cease Operations
Following the closure of Russian airspace in 2022, multiple airlines ceased operations in Hong Kong.
2022: Coa ranked Asia's Best Bar
In 2022, Coa was ranked Asia's Best Bar.
2022: Hong Kong Tramways Ridership
In 2022, Hong Kong Tramways had a ridership of 42,558.
2022: Hong Kong wins Asia Rugby Championship
In 2022, Hong Kong finished first place in the Asia Rugby Championship.
2022: PISA results for Hong Kong
In PISA 2022, Hong Kong ranked in the top tier worldwide, placing 4th in mathematics and in the top 10 for reading and science.
2022: Peak rating of Hong Kong national rugby union team
The Hong Kong national rugby union team peaked at a rating of 21st between 2018 and 2022.
May 2023: Legislation 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
In May 2023, the government proposed reforms to the District Council electoral system which significantly cut the number of directly elected seats.
July 2023: Legislative Council Approved the Reforms
In July 2023, the Legislative Council approved the reforms proposed in May 2023.
2023: Coa ranked Asia's Best Bar
In 2023, Coa was ranked Asia's Best Bar.
2023: Hong Kong wins Asia Rugby Championship
In 2023, Hong Kong finished first place in the Asia Rugby Championship.
2023: Free Airline Tickets
In an attempt to attract tourists back to Hong Kong, the Hong Kong government announced plans to give away 500,000 free airline tickets in 2023. Additionally, Hong Kong was the most visited city internationally in the Asia-Pacific region in 2023.
2023: Birth Rate
The birth rate in Hong Kong in 2023 was 0.751 per woman of child-bearing age.
February 2024: "One Country, Two Systems" Principle to be Kept Permanently
In February 2024, Xia Baolong, the head of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, said that the "one country, two systems" principle would be kept permanently.
July 2024: Closure of Train Service to Shenzhen
Train service to Shenzhen was officially closed by the State Council on 31 July 2024, as announced by the General Administration of Customs.
September 2024: Tornado at Victoria Harbour
On 28 September 2024, a tornado occurred at Victoria Harbour.
2024: Classified as an "Alpha+" City
As of 2024, Hong Kong was one of eight worldwide that was classified as an "Alpha+" city by the Globalization and World Cities Research Network.
2024: Total District Council Seats
As of 2024, there are a total of 470 district council seats, 88 of which are directly elected.
2024: Hong Kong wins Asia Rugby Championship
In 2024, Hong Kong finished first place in the Asia Rugby Championship.
2024: Government Investigation of Legalizing Ride-Hailing Services
In 2024, the Hong Kong government looked into legalizing unlicensed ride-hailing services such as Uber.
2024: Safeguarding National Security Ordinance Passed
In 2024, the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance was passed by the Legislative Council.
2024: Life Expectancy
In 2024, the life expectancy in Hong Kong was 82.8 years for males and 88.4 years for females at birth.
2024: Saint Francis University attains status
Saint Francis University attained university status in 2024.
December 2025: Hong Kong Stock Exchange Capitalisation
As of December 2025, the Hong Kong Stock Exchange has a market capitalisation of HK$48.2 trillion (US$6.17 trillion), making it the fifth-largest in the world.
2025: Michelin Guide awards starred restaurants
As of 2025, the Michelin Guide listed a total of 76 starred restaurants in Hong Kong, including 7 with 3 Michelin Stars, 11 with 2 Michelin Stars, and 58 with 1 Michelin Star. Additionally, it awarded 4 Green Stars for sustainability to Amber, Feuille, Mora, and Roganic, and 65 restaurants received Bib Gourmand status.
2025: Hong Kong wins the Asia Rugby Championship
Hong Kong qualified for the 2027 Rugby World Cup for the first time by winning the 2025 Asia Rugby Championship.
2025: AP results at Hong Kong International School
In 2025, 80% of students at Hong Kong International School earned scores of 4 or 5 on their AP exams.
2025: Bar Leone ranked No. 1 on The World's 50 Best Bars
In 2025, Bar Leone was ranked No. 1 on The World's 50 Best Bars.
2025: Hong Kong to host World Grand Prix (snooker)
In 2025, Hong Kong will host the World Grand Prix (snooker).
2025: Ranking of schools
In 2025, St Paul's Co-educational College ranked 2nd in Global Top IB Schools with a 42.4 average score.
2025: Pro-Beijing Camp
Since 2025, all 90 members of the Legislative Council have been from the pro-Beijing camp.
March 2026: Expiration of One-for-One Replacement Scheme
Hong Kong's EV policy includes the One-for-One Replacement Scheme, which expires on 31 March 2026.
2026: Number of hospitals in Hong Kong
As of 2026, Hong Kong has 42 public hospitals and 11 private hospitals.
2026: No Direct Elections
As of 2026, the government has not introduced direct elections for the chief executive and all members of the Legislative Council.
2026: Hong Kong ranked 17th best city for university students by QS
In 2026, QS Best Student Cities ranked Hong Kong as the 17th best city for university students and 7th in Asia.
2026: University of Hong Kong medical school rankings
In 2026, The University of Hong Kong (HKU) Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine ranked 18th worldwide in the Times Higher Education Rankings for Clinical and Health and 24th in the QS World University Rankings Medicine.
2027: Hong Kong qualifies for Rugby World Cup
Hong Kong qualified for the 2027 Rugby World Cup for the first time by winning the 2025 Asia Rugby Championship.
2035: Planned Ban on Fuel-Propelled Cars
Hong Kong's EV policy includes banning new registration of fuel-propelled private cars, including hybrids, by 2035 or earlier.
2047: Future System of Government
In 2047, the Joint Declaration guarantees the Basic Law of Hong Kong for 50 years after the handover.
2050: Target of Zero Vehicular Emissions
Hong Kong's EV policy aims to achieve zero vehicular emissions before 2050.
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