History of Hong Kong in Timeline

Hong Kong is a densely populated special administrative region of China, located on the southern coast. It comprises Hong Kong Island, the Kowloon Peninsula, the New Territories, and smaller islands. Home to 7.5 million residents within its 1,114-square-kilometre area, it is the fourth most densely populated region globally.

1904: Hong Kong Tramways began servicing Hong Kong

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.

1924: Kai Tak Airport begins operation

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

1925: The colony avoided a prolonged economic downturn after the Canton–Hong Kong strike

The colony avoided a prolonged economic downturn after the 1925–26 Canton–Hong Kong strike.

1926: Government officially adopts the 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 to safeguard its status as a free port.

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 attack on Hong Kong

On December 1941, the Imperial Japanese Army attacked Hong Kong, coinciding with the attack on Pearl Harbor. Hong Kong was then occupied by Japan for almost four years.

August 1945: British resumption of control

On August 1945, the British resumed control of Hong Kong after nearly four years of Japanese occupation.

1949: Influx of refugees due to Chinese Civil War

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

1952: Hong Kong at the Summer Olympics

In 1952, Hong Kong first participated in the Summer Olympics.

1961: Hong Kong's gross domestic product increased

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 to teach using Chinese as its primary language of instruction.

1967: Hong Kong riots

In the 1967 Hong Kong riots, 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, the release of Bruce Lee's "The Way of the Dragon" led to local Hong Kong productions becoming popular outside of Hong Kong.

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1975: Snowfall on Tai Mo Shan

In 1975, snowfall was reported on Tai Mo Shan.

1976: First Modern Dragon Boat Race

In 1976, the first modern dragon boat competition was organized in Hong Kong.

1978: Start of market liberalisation on the mainland

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

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 as the end of the New Territories lease approached.

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, the Sino-British Joint Declaration was signed, in which the United Kingdom agreed to the handover of the colony in 1997 and China guaranteed Hong Kong's economic and political systems for 50 years after the handover.

1987: Peak migration period

From 1987 to 1996, the impending handover triggered a wave of mass emigration as residents feared an erosion of civil rights, the rule of law, and quality of life.

1989: Cancellation of Tiananmen Square protests commemoration

In 2020, annual commemorations of the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre were cancelled amidst fears of violating the national security law.

August 1990: Record highest daily minimum temperature at Hong Kong Observatory

On 18 August 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: Hong Kong's GDP relative to mainland China's peaked

In 1993, Hong Kong's GDP relative to mainland China peaked at 27%.

1993: First International Dragon Boat Race

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

1994: Hong Kong's Last Commonwealth Games Appearance

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

1994: University Status Granted to PolyU and CityU

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

1995: Hong Kong ranked at the top of the Heritage Foundation's economic freedom index

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

1995: 1995 Dynasty Cup

In 1995, Hong Kong hosted the Dynasty Cup.

1995: Legislative Council becomes fully elected

In 1995, the Legislative Council became a fully elected legislature for the first time and extensively expanded its functions and organizations throughout the last years of colonial rule.

1996: Peak migration period

From 1987 to 1996, the impending handover triggered a wave of mass emigration as residents feared an erosion of civil rights, the rule of law, and quality of life.

1996: Lee Lai-shan Wins Olympic Gold

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

July 1997: Handover of Hong Kong to China

On July 1997, Hong Kong was handed over to China at midnight, marking the end of 156 years of British rule.

1997: Hong Kong's GDP relative to mainland China's peaked

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: Half of China's trade goods were routed through Hong Kong

In 1997, Half of China's trade goods were routed through Hong Kong.

1997: Hong Kong Metropolitan University attains university status

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

1997: Asian financial crisis

In 1997, immediately after the handover, Hong Kong was severely affected by the Asian financial crisis, forcing the government to use substantial foreign exchange reserves to maintain the Hong Kong dollar's currency peg.

1998: Closure of Kai Tak International Airport

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

1999: Lingnan University attains university status

In 1999, Lingnan University attained full university status.

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, Sai Kung, revealed knapped stone tools from deposits dated using optical luminescence dating, suggesting human traces dating back 35,000 to 39,000 years ago.

2006: Hong Kong Shue Yan University attains 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, the central government's decision to implement nominee pre-screening before allowing chief executive elections triggered a series of protests, which became known as the Umbrella Revolution.

2015: Percentage of China's trade goods routed through Hong Kong

By 2015, about 13% of China's trade goods were routed through Hong Kong.

January 2016: Record low 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: Visitor Contribution to Hong Kong

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

2016: Education University of Hong Kong attains university status

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 after the Legislative Council elections, along with the enforcement of national law in the West Kowloon high-speed railway station, raised further concerns about the region's autonomy.

2016: Legislative Council election

In the 2016 election, twenty-two political parties had representatives elected to the Legislative Council, aligning themselves into three ideological groups: the pro-Beijing camp, the pro-democracy camp, and localist groups.

August 2017: Record high temperature at Hong Kong Observatory and Wetland Park

On 22 August 2017, the temperature at the Hong Kong Observatory reached 36.6 °C (97.9 °F). On the same day, a temperature of 39.0 °C (102 °F) was recorded at Wetland Park, which is the highest recorded temperature in Hong Kong.

2017: Decline in Hong Kong Film Production

By 2017, the number of films produced annually in Hong Kong had declined to about 60, marking a shift in industry momentum to mainland China.

2017: Hong Kong's GDP relative to mainland China

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

December 2018: Market capitalization of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange

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

2018: Hang Seng University of Hong Kong attains university status

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

June 2019: Mass protests erupt in response to extradition bill

In June 2019, mass protests erupted in response to a proposed extradition amendment bill permitting the extradition of fugitives to mainland China. Organizers claimed the protests attracted more than three million Hong Kong residents.

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: United States ends preferential economic and trade treatment of Hong Kong

In July 2020, the United States ended its preferential economic and trade treatment of Hong Kong because it was no longer able to distinguish Hong Kong as a separate entity from the People's Republic of China.

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. They were charged with contempt and interfering with members of the council.

November 2020: New law proposed to restrict 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: Cheung Ka Long Wins Olympic Gold

In 2020, Cheung Ka Long won Hong Kong's second Olympic gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics.

2020: Sharp decline in incoming visitors due to COVID-19 travel restrictions

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, including the reduction of directly elected seats in the Legislative Council and the requirement that all candidates be vetted and approved by a Beijing-appointed Candidate Eligibility Review Committee.

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, which would be tasked with screening and evaluating political candidates for their "patriotism", effectively crushing the remainder of the pro-democracy camp.

July 2021: Guinness World Record for Hong Kong Tramways

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

2021: Hong Kong removed from the Heritage Foundation's economic freedom index

In 2021, Hong Kong was removed from the Heritage Foundation's economic freedom index.

2021: Hong Kong's Trade Volume in Exports and Imports

In 2021, Hong Kong was the ninth largest trading entity in exports and eighth largest in imports, trading more goods in value than its gross domestic product.

2021: Hong Kong Metropolitan University Name Change

In 2021, Open University of Hong Kong changed its name to Hong Kong Metropolitan University.

2021: Median household income steadily increased

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 of Hong Kong estimated at 7,413,070

In 2021, the Census and Statistics Department estimated Hong Kong's population at 7,413,070.

December 2022: Polling on Hong Kong Identity

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

2022: Closure of Russian airspace impacts airlines 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

In 2022, Hong Kong Tramways had a rideship of 42,558.

2022: Life expectancy in Hong Kong

In 2022, the 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, the Legislative Council introduced legislation to reduce the number of directly elected seats in the district councils, and a District Council Eligibility Review Committee was similarly established to vet candidates.

May 2023: Reforms proposed for 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 from 452 to 88, and total seats from 479 to 470. A requirement that district council candidates be vetted and approved by the District Council Eligibility Review Committee was also proposed.

July 2023: Reforms approved for the District Council electoral system

In July 2023, the Legislative Council approved the reforms to the District Council electoral system.

2023: Birth rate in Hong Kong

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

2023: Plans to give away 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.

February 2024: "One country, two systems" principle will 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 cross-boundary train service to Shenzhen

On 31 July 2024, the cross-boundary train service to Shenzhen was officially closed by the State Council.

September 2024: Tornado at Victoria Harbour

On 28 September 2024, a tornado occurred at Victoria Harbour.

2024: Hybrid Regime

As of 2024, Hong Kong is governed by a hybrid regime that is not fully representative of the population. The government has been repeatedly petitioned to introduce direct elections for these positions, but has not introduced these direct elections as of 2024.

2024: Classification as an "Alpha+" city

As of 2024, Hong Kong was classified as an "Alpha+" city by the Globalization and World Cities Research Network, making it one of eight cities worldwide with this classification.

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 ranked as the 18th most innovative territory in the Global Innovation Index

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

2024: Saint Francis University attains 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, granting officials the power to prosecute crimes such as treason and insurrection.

2024: Government looking into legalising ride-hailing services

In 2024, the government has looked into legalising ride-hailing services.

2047: Future of Hong Kong

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.