History of Taiwan in Timeline
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia situated between the East and South China Seas. Its main island, Formosa, is located northwest of the Philippines, northeast of Japan, and southeast of mainland China. Taiwan has a land area of approximately 35,808 square kilometers, characterized by mountainous terrain in the east and plains in the west. The population of around 23.9 million is highly urbanized, with the largest metropolitan area encompassing Taipei, New Taipei City, and Keelung. It is one of the most densely populated countries in the world.
1902: End of Bandit-Rebel Killings
By 1902, 12,000 bandit-rebels were killed by the Japanese.
1905: Tongmenghui manifesto
In 1905, the Tongmenghui's manifesto established the goals of the Chinese revolution.
1907: Beipu Uprising
In 1907, the Beipu uprising occurred against Japanese rule.
January 1912: Founding of the Republic of China
On January 1, 1912, the Republic of China was founded on mainland China following the Xinhai Revolution.
1912: Overthrow of the Qing Dynasty
In 1912, the Republic of China overthrew the Qing Dynasty under the leadership of Sun Yat-sen.
1912: Establishment of the Republic of China
In 1912, the Republic of China was established and used "China" as its short form name.
1912: Start of Minguo era
The Minguo era system started in 1912, the year the ROC was founded.
1915: Tapani Incident
In 1915, the Tapani incident occurred, demonstrating opposition to Japanese rule.
1924: Establishment of the National Revolutionary Army
In 1924, Sun Yat-sen established the National Revolutionary Army in Guangdong with the goal of reunifying China under the Kuomintang.
1928: KMT Unifies China
In 1928, the defeat of the Peiyang Government by the Kuomintang (KMT) led to widespread diplomatic recognition of the Republic of China.
1929: Calendar standardization
Prior to standardization in 1929, the Chinese calendar was officially used in Taiwan.
1930: Musha Incident Against Indigenous People
In 1930, Japanese authorities engaged in campaigns against the Indigenous people, culminating in the Musha Incident.
1930: Musha Incident
In 1930, the Musha Incident took place, showing resistance to Japanese rule.
1935: Assimilation project begins
Around 1935, the Japanese began an island-wide assimilation project, abolishing Chinese-language newspapers and curriculums.
1937: Start of Japanese Invasion
In 1937, the Japanese invasion of China started.
1938: Japanese Residents in Taiwan
By 1938, 309,000 Japanese were residing in Taiwan.
1939: Taiwan as Sugar Producer
By 1939, Taiwan was the seventh-greatest sugar producer in the world.
1940: Japanese surnames adoption
Starting from 1940, families were required to adopt Japanese surnames.
1943: 2% adopted Japanese surnames
By 1943, 2% of the population had adopted Japanese surnames.
1943: Cairo Declaration
In 1943, the Cairo Declaration specified the return of Formosa and the Pescadores by Japan to the ROC.
October 1944: Formosa Air Battle
In October 1944, the Formosa Air Battle was fought between American carriers and Japanese forces in Taiwan.
October 1945: Japan Surrenders Taiwan to the ROC
On October 25, 1945, Japan surrendered Taiwan to the ROC.
1945: Sino-Soviet Treaty of Friendship and Alliance
In 1945, the ROC signed the Sino-Soviet Treaty of Friendship and Alliance.
1945: Postponement of Local Elections
In 1945, there was the start of hyperinflation.
1946: Recognition of Mongolia
In 1946, the ROC recognized Mongolia as an independent country after signing the 1945 Sino-Soviet Treaty of Friendship and Alliance.
1946: Constitution of 1946
The ROC reaffirmed its recognition of Mongolia (formerly known as Outer Mongolia in Taiwan) in 2002, as stipulated in the 1946 constitution.
February 1947: February 28 Incident
On February 28, 1947, the shooting of a civilian triggered island-wide unrest, leading to the February 28 Incident.
1947: ROC Constitution defined territory
According to the 1947 constitution, the territory of the ROC is according to its "existing national boundaries".
1947: Constitution Boundaries Undefined
In 1947, national boundaries were not explicitly prescribed by the Constitution.
1947: ROC Armed Forces Reformed
In 1947, the Constitution of the ROC reformed the National Revolutionary Army into the Republic of China Armed Forces.
1947: ROC Constitution Founded
The government of the Republic of China was founded on the 1947 Constitution of the ROC.
May 1949: Martial Law Declared
In May 1949, martial law was declared on Taiwan.
December 1949: Nationalist Government Evacuates to Taiwan
On December 7, 1949, Chiang Kai-Shek evacuated his Nationalist government to Taiwan, making Taipei the temporary capital of the ROC.
1949: Retreat to Taiwan and Reneging Recognition
After retreating to Taiwan in 1949, the ROC reneged on its recognition of Mongolia to preserve its claim over mainland China.
1949: Hyperinflation
From 1945-1949, hyperinflation occurred on the island.
1949: Mission to Retake Mainland China
From 1949 to the 1970s, the primary mission of the Taiwanese military was to "retake mainland China" through Project National Glory.
1949: ROC Retains Control of Taiwan
In 1949, after losing control of mainland China, the ROC retained control of Taiwan and Penghu.
1949: PRC Claims to Replace ROC
In 1949, the People's Republic of China (PRC) claims that it replaced the ROC government, becoming the sole legal government of China.
1949: ROC Government Flees to Taiwan
In 1949, the ROC central government fled to Taiwan after losing the Chinese mainland to Communist forces.
1951: US aid
Between 1951 and 1965, the US granted substantial foreign aid to the KMT regime.
1951: Agriculture share of GDP
Since 2001, agriculture constituted less than 2 percent of GDP, down from 32 percent in 1951.
1952: Price stabilization
In 1952, the US foreign aid stabilized prices in Taiwan.
1954: Sino-American Mutual Defense Treaty
In 1954, the ROC and the United States signed the Sino-American Mutual Defense Treaty, establishing the United States Taiwan Defense Command.
1954: Mutual Defense Treaty with US
In 1954, the United States partnered with Taiwan in a mutual defense treaty.
1955: First Taiwan Strait Crisis
In 1955, during the First Taiwan Strait Crisis, the Dachen and Yijiangshan Islands were captured by the Communists.
1955: Formosa Resolution
In 1955, the United States also passed the Sino-American Mutual Defense Treaty and the Formosa Resolution.
1958: Defeat of ROC Revolts
In 1958, ROC revolts in Northwest China were defeated.
1958: Second Taiwan Strait Crisis
In 1958, during the Second Taiwan Strait Crisis, Nike Hercules missiles were added to missile batteries throughout Taiwan.
1959: Agricultural Production Increase
From 1952 to 1959, agricultural production increased at an average annual rate of 4 percent.
1961: ROC Forces Defeated in Burma and Thailand
In 1961, ROC forces were defeated by Communists in Burma and Thailand.
1962: Golden Horse Film Festival and Awards
Taiwan has hosted the Golden Horse Film Festival and Awards since 1962.
1965: End of US aid
Between 1951 and 1965, the US granted substantial foreign aid to the KMT regime.
1966: Taekwondo introduced
Taekwondo was introduced to Taiwan in 1966 for military training.
October 1971: UN Resolution 2758
On October 25, 1971, UN Resolution 2758 was adopted, recognizing the PRC as China's sole representative in the United Nations.
1971: UN Recognition of the PRC
In 1971, UN members voted to recognize the People's Republic of China (PRC) instead of the Republic of China (ROC).
1971: ROC Expelled from United Nations
In 1971, the ROC was expelled from the United Nations and replaced with the PRC.
1972: Chiang Ching-kuo as Premier
In 1972, Chiang Ching-kuo, Chiang Kai-shek's son, served as premier.
1978: Chiang Ching-kuo's Presidency
In 1978, Chiang Ching-kuo rose to the presidency.
1978: Overseas Investment
In 1978, Taiwan attracted over $1.9 billion in investments from overseas Chinese, the United States, and Japan due to tax incentives and a cheap labor force.
1979: Kaohsiung Incident
In 1979, the Kaohsiung Incident occurred in Kaohsiung on Human Rights Day, uniting Taiwan's opposition.
1979: Nagoya Resolution
In 1979, the Nagoya Resolution approved by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) allowed the ROC to use the name "Chinese Taipei" in international events.
1979: US Diplomatic Relations with PRC
In 1979, the United States established diplomatic relations with the PRC, and about 30,000 US troops stationed in Taiwan were withdrawn.
1979: Taiwan Relations Act
In 1979, the United States passed the Taiwan Relations Act, continuing arms sales and military training to Taiwan.
1980: Foreign Trade
By 1980, Taiwan's foreign trade reached $39 billion per year, generating a surplus of $46.5 million.
1984: Lee Teng-hui Selected as Vice-President
In 1984, Chiang Ching-kuo selected Lee Teng-hui as his vice-president.
1986: Formation of New Parties Allowed
In 1986, Chiang announced that he would allow the formation of new parties after the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) was founded as the first opposition party.
July 1987: Martial Law Lifted
On 15 July 1987, Chiang lifted martial law on the main island of Taiwan.
1988: Lee Teng-hui Becomes President
In 1988, after Chiang Ching-kuo's death, Lee Teng-hui became the first president of the ROC born in Taiwan.
1989: Chinese Professional Baseball League founded
In 1989, professional baseball in Taiwan started with the founding of the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL).
1991: Taiwanese Investment in China
From 1991 to 2022, more than US$200 billion have been invested in China by Taiwanese companies.
1991: ROC Acknowledges PRC Control of Mainland China
In 1991, the ROC ceased regarding the Chinese Communist Party as a rebellious group and acknowledged its control over mainland China.
1991: Establishment of Cross-Strait Organizations
In 1991, the Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) of Taiwan and the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS) of the PRC were founded.
1991: APEC Participation
Since 1991, the ROC participates in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum (APEC) under the name "Chinese Taipei".
1991: Membership in UNPO
Since the foundation of the organization in 1991, the Republic of China has been a member of the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO).
November 1992: 1992 Consensus Meeting
In November 1992, the ARATS and SEF held a meeting which would later become known as the 1992 Consensus.
1992: Taiwanese vs. Chinese Identification
In 1992, a survey showed that 17.6 percent of respondents identified as Taiwanese, 25.5 percent as Chinese, 46.4 percent as both, and 10.5 percent non-response.
1992: The 1992 Consensus
In 1992, the Pan-Blue Coalition generally supported the spirit of the 1992 Consensus, where the KMT claimed that there is one China, but that the ROC and PRC have different interpretations of what "China" means. They favor eventual unification with China.
1993: Constitutional Court Boundary Interpretation
In 1993, the Constitutional Court declined to define national boundaries.
1993: ROC Petitions UN for Entry
Since 1993, the ROC has petitioned the UN for entry, but its applications have not made it past committee stage.
1993: Constitutional Court Established
The Constitutional Court was established in 1993 to resolve constitutional disputes, regulate political parties, and accelerate democratization.
1994: Rise of Pro-Independence Sentiment
Since 1994, pro-independence sentiment has steadily risen in Taiwan.
1995: National Health Insurance instituted
The current healthcare system, known as National Health Insurance (NHI), was instituted in 1995.
1996: Lee Re-elected in Direct Election
In 1996, Lee was re-elected in the first direct presidential election in Taiwan.
1996: Democratically Elected Presidents
In 1996, Taiwan began having democratically elected presidents.
1996: US and Japan Joint Declaration on Security
The joint declaration on security between the US and Japan signed in 1996 may imply that Japan would be involved in any response.
1996: University acceptance rate
The university acceptance rate in Taiwan increased to 49 percent in 1996.
1997: ROC Seeks WHO Participation
Since 1997, the ROC government sought to participate in the World Health Organization (WHO), but their efforts were rejected until 2009.
1997: Force Reduction Plans
The ROC began a series of force reduction plans since the 1990s to scale down its military from a level of 450,000 in 1997.
September 1999: 921 Earthquake
On 21 September 1999, a 7.3 quake known as the "921 earthquake" killed more than 2,400 people.
1999: Defense Spending Falls Below 3% of GDP
Taiwan's defense spending as a percentage of its GDP fell below three percent in 1999.
2000: Chen Shui-bian Elected President
In 2000, Chen Shui-bian of the DPP was elected as the first non-KMT president of Taiwan.
2001: Military Scaled Down
In 2001, the ROC scaled down its military to 380,000.
2001: Agriculture share of GDP
Since 2001, agriculture constituted less than 2 percent of GDP.
2002: "One Country on Each Side"
In 2002, Chen's reference to "One Country on Each Side" of the Taiwan Strait undercut cross-Strait relations.
2002: China becomes Taiwan's largest export market
In 2002, China surpassed the United States to become Taiwan's largest export market for the first time.
2002: NHI payment system changed
In 2002, the NHI (National Health Insurance) changed the payment system from fee-for-service to a global budget due to increasing losses and the need for cost containment.
2002: Acceptance of Mongolian Passport
In 2002, the ROC began to accept the Mongolian passport and removed clauses referring to Outer Mongolia from the Act Governing Relations between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area.
2002: ROC reaffirmed recognition of Mongolia
In 2002, the ROC reaffirmed its recognition of Mongolia (formerly known as Outer Mongolia in Taiwan), as stipulated in the 1946 constitution.
2002: WTO Participation
Since 2002, the ROC participates in the World Trade Organization (WTO) under the name "Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu".
March 2003: SARS Outbreak
In March 2003, Taiwan experienced a SARS outbreak with 347 confirmed cases, prompting the CDC and local governments to set up monitoring stations in public areas.
July 2003: SARS Contained
In July 2003, Taiwan achieved full containment of SARS, and there have been no cases since.
2003: Super Basketball League established
A semi-professional Super Basketball League (SBL) has been in play in Taiwan since 2003.
2003: US De Facto Ally
Since at least 2003, the United States has de facto treated Taiwan as a major non-NATO ally.
2004: NHI population coverage
By the end of 2004, NHI population coverage had reached 99 percent.
2004: National Health Command Center established
In 2004, Taiwan established a National Health Command Center, including the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC), following lessons learned from the SARS outbreak.
2004: Olympic gold medals in taekwondo
In the 2004 Olympics, Chen Shih-hsin and Chu Mu-yen won gold medals in taekwondo.
January 2005: Direction of writing in official documents changed
On 1 January 2005, the Executive Yuan also changed its long-standing convention on the direction of writing in official documents from vertical to horizontal.
2005: Base Year for Carbon Emission Comparison
2005 is the base year for comparing carbon emissions, with goals to reduce them by 20 percent in 2030 and 50 percent in 2050.
2005: National Assembly Abolished
In 2005, the National Assembly was abolished, with the power of constitutional amendments handed over to the Legislative Yuan and voters via referendums.
2005: Taiwan Included in Official Name
In 2005, the ROC government in Taiwan began to include "Taiwan" next to its official name to avoid confusion.
2005: Census reported largest religions
In 2005, the census reported that the five largest religions were: Buddhism, Taoism, Yiguandao, Protestantism, and Roman Catholicism.
2006: Abolishment of Mongol banners
Mongol banners for China's Inner Mongolia were abolished in 2006.
September 2007: DPP Resolution on Separate Identity
In September 2007, the then ruling DPP approved a resolution asserting separate identity from China and called for a new constitution.
2008: Referendums on UN Membership
In 2008, referendums asked whether Taiwan should join the UN, which created tension with the mainland and disagreements with the United States.
2008: Ma Ying-jeou Wins Election
In 2008, the KMT's nominee Ma Ying-jeou won the presidential election on a platform of increased economic growth and better ties with the PRC.
2008: University acceptance rate
The university acceptance rate in Taiwan has been over 95 percent since 2008, among the highest in Asia.
July 2009: ROC and PRC as Separate Countries
In July 2009, a survey showed that 82.8 percent of respondents consider the ROC and the PRC two separate countries, but 80.2 percent think they are members of the Chinese.
2009: World Games and Summer Deaflympics hosted
In 2009, Taiwan hosted the World Games in Kaohsiung and the Summer Deaflympics.
2009: Taiwan Participates in WHO as Observer
In 2009, Taiwan participated in the World Health Organization (WHO) as an observer under the name "Chinese Taipei" after reaching an agreement with Beijing.
2011: Yani Tseng ranked number 1
From 2011 to 2013, Yani Tseng was ranked number 1 in the Women's World Golf Rankings for 109 consecutive weeks.
2012: Clarification on Outer Mongolia
In 2012, the Mainland Affairs Council clarified that Outer Mongolia was not part of the ROC's national territory in 1947.
2013: Yani Tseng ranked number 1
From 2011 to 2013, Yani Tseng was ranked number 1 in the Women's World Golf Rankings for 109 consecutive weeks.
2013: Compulsory Military Service Cut
Taiwan cut compulsory military service to four months in 2013.
2014: Taiwanese night markets
In 2014, The Guardian called Taiwanese night markets the "best street food markets in the world".
2014: Sunflower Student Movement
In 2014, university students occupied the Legislative Yuan and prevented the ratification of the Cross-Strait Service Trade Agreement in what became known as the Sunflower Student Movement.
2015: PISA test results
In 2015, Taiwanese students achieved one of the world's best results in mathematics, science and literacy, as tested by the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), with the average student scoring 519, compared with the OECD average of 493, placing it seventh in the world.
2015: Made in China 2025
Since Made in China 2025 was announced in 2015, aggressive campaigns to recruit Taiwanese chip industry talent to support its mandates resulted in the loss of more than 3,000 chip engineers to mainland China, and raised concerns of a "brain drain" in Taiwan.
2016: Carbon Emission Increase
Between 2005 and 2016, carbon emissions in Taiwan increased by 0.92 percent.
2016: DPP Legislative Majority
In 2016, the DPP achieved its first legislative majority in Taiwanese history following the presidential and legislative elections.
2016: New Southbound Policy
Since 2016, Taiwan, under the Tsai administration's New Southbound Policy, has pursued closer economic relations with South and Southeast Asian countries.
May 2017: Constitutional Court ruling on same-sex marriage
In May 2017, the Constitutional Court ruled that the current marriage laws violated the Constitution by denying same-sex couples the right to marry, mandating legislative amendments within two years or automatic legalization.
2017: Taiwan Excluded from WHO
In 2017, Taiwan again began to be excluded from the WHO even in an observer capacity.
2017: Summer Universiade hosted
In 2017, Taiwan hosted the Summer Universiade in Taipei.
2017: Premier Advocates Taiwan Independence
In 2017, Taiwanese Premier William Lai said that he was a "political worker who advocates Taiwan independence", but that as Taiwan was already an independent country called the Republic of China, it had no need to declare independence.
2017: Abolition of Mongolian and Tibetan Affairs Commission
In 2017, the Mongolian and Tibetan Affairs Commission in the Executive Yuan was abolished.
2018: Hong Kong immigrants
In 2018, Taiwan had 4,000 Hong Kong immigrants.
2018: Referendum on Taiwan's Olympic Name
In 2018, a referendum question on whether Taiwan's athletes should compete under "Taiwan" in the 2020 Summer Olympics did not pass.
2018: Referendum on same-sex marriage and homosexuality in education
In 2018, voters expressed overwhelming opposition to same-sex marriage and supported the removal of content about homosexuality from primary school textbooks.
2018: Freedom of Thought Report
Taiwan earned a joint #1 ranking in the 2018 Freedom of Thought Report.
2018: Michelin Guide reviews Taiwan
The Michelin Guide began reviewing restaurants in Taiwan in 2018.
March 2019: Scooter registrations
In March 2019, 13.86 million scooters were registered in Taiwan, twice that of cars.
March 2019: Population estimates
The figures below are the March 2019 estimates for the twenty most populous administrative divisions; a different ranking exists when considering the total metropolitan area populations.
May 2019: Legalization of same-sex marriage
On 17 May 2019, Taiwan's parliament approved a bill legalizing same-sex marriage, making it the first country in Asia to do so.
2019: Religious buildings in Taiwan
As of 2019, there were 15,175 religious buildings in Taiwan, approximately one place of worship per 1,572 residents.
2019: Forest Landscape Integrity Index
In 2019, Taiwan had a Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 6.38/10, ranking it 76th globally out of 172 countries.
2019: Tsai Ing-wen Rejects 1992 Consensus
In 2019, Tsai Ing-wen rejected the 1992 Consensus, stating that it has been defined by Beijing as "one country, two systems."
2019: Downsizing of the Examination Yuan
In 2019, the Examination Yuan was downsized, and there have been calls for its abolition.
2019: Infant mortality rate
In 2019, the infant mortality rate in Taiwan was 4.2 deaths per 1,000 live births.
2020: Pew Research on religious composition
According to Pew Research, the religious composition of Taiwan in 2020 is estimated to be 43.8 percent Folk religions, 21.2 percent Buddhist, 15.5 Others (including Taoism), 13.7 percent Unaffiliated, 5.8 percent Christian and 1% Muslim.
2020: Literacy rate
As of 2020, the literacy rate in Taiwan was 99.03 percent.
2020: Referendum on Taiwan's Olympic Name Failed
In 2020, Taiwan's athletes did not compete under "Taiwan" in the Summer Olympics because the referendum in 2018 failed.
June 2021: Increased Taiwanese Identification
In June 2021, a survey indicated that 63.3 percent of respondents identified as Taiwanese, 2.6 percent as Chinese, 31.4 percent as both, and 2.7 percent non-response.
June 2021: Public Opinion on Taiwan's Status
In June 2021, an annual poll found that 28.2 percent supported the status quo and postponing a decision, 27.5 percent supported maintaining the status quo indefinitely, 25.8 percent supported the status quo with a move toward independence, 5.9 percent supported the status quo with a move toward unification, 5.7 percent gave no response, 5.6 percent supported independence as soon as possible, and 1.5 percent supported unification as soon as possible.
December 2021: TSMC market capitalization
As of December 2021 TSMC's market capitalization equated to roughly 90% of Taiwan's GDP.
2021: Armed Forces Capped
As of 2021, the total strength of the Armed Forces is capped at 215,000 with 90 percent manning ratio for volunteer military.
2021: Biden on US Intervention
In 2021, U.S. President Joe Biden stated that the United States will intervene if the PRC attempts to invade Taiwan.
2021: Cargo volume at the Port of Kaohsiung
In 2021, the Port of Kaohsiung handled the largest volume of cargo in Taiwan, with about 440 million shipping tonnes.
October 2022: Taiwan's economy
As of October 2022, Taiwan is the 21st largest economy in the world by nominal GDP.
2022: Taiwanese Investment in China
From 1991 to 2022, more than US$200 billion have been invested in China by Taiwanese companies.
2022: Proposed Defense Spending for the Following Year
In 2022, Taiwan proposed 2.4 percent of projected GDP in defense spending for the following year, continued to remain below three percent.
2022: Democracy Index Ranking
In 2022, Taiwan was ranked as having the second highest democracy score in Asia and Australasia by the Economist Intelligence Unit's Democracy Index.
2022: Biden on US Intervention
In 2022, U.S. President Joe Biden stated that the United States will intervene if the PRC attempts to invade Taiwan.
2022: Baseball medals won
In 2022, the men's baseball team won medals across all levels of baseball.
2022: Taiwan's total trade
Taiwan's total trade in 2022 reached US$907 billion with both exports and imports reaching record levels.
January 2024: William Lai Ching-te Wins Presidential Election
In January 2024, William Lai Ching-te of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party won Taiwan's presidential elections, while no party won a majority in the legislative election.
2024: Military Service Extended
Taiwan will extend military service to one year in 2024.
2025: Made in China 2025
Since Made in China 2025 was announced in 2015, aggressive campaigns to recruit Taiwanese chip industry talent to support its mandates resulted in the loss of more than 3,000 chip engineers to mainland China, and raised concerns of a "brain drain" in Taiwan.
2025: Summer World Masters Games
Taipei and New Taipei City will host the 2025 Summer World Masters Games.
2026: International Children's Games
Hualien will host the 2026 International Children's Games.
2030: Carbon Emission Reduction Target
The Taiwanese government's goal is to cut carbon emissions by 20 percent in 2030, compared to 2005 levels.
2050: Carbon Emission Reduction Target
The Taiwanese government's goal is to cut carbon emissions by 50 percent in 2050, compared to 2005 levels.
