Timeline of Events

1927- 1936-  Chinese Civil War-- The Communists, under Mao Zedong, fought with the previous ruling Nationalists, under Chiang Kai- Shek, for power over China
1931
-  Japanese invasion of Manchuria, China-- Japan takes over Manchuria in order to take control of the land's natural resources and to ensure that China would not pose a threat towards Japanese imperialism
1933
-  Mei Lang is born in Canton, China
1937-  Huang Wong is born in Canton, China
1937-  Japan invades China (again) to try and gain more land after the invasion of Manchuria-- The Communists and Nationalists temporarily end their fighting/ civil war such that they could work together for the greater good to fight off the Japanese

China could not win a war against Japan when China itself was divided among the Communists and Nationalists.  (Image courtesy of Flickr)

1937-  The Soviet Union sends aid to China, therefore ending China's previous relations with Germany and adding China as one of the Allies
1939-  World War II begins with Germany's invasion of Poland
1941-  Pearl Harbor-- Japan attacks the United States Navy's battleships at Pearl Harbor due to the United States' effort to stop Japan's aggression and imperialism by not selling oil to Japan, therefore making Japan attack the U.S.; Pearl Harbor officially pulled the United States into WWII



1945-  The United States drops the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, bringing an end to WWII after Japan surrenders

These are the desolate remains of Hiroshima after the United States drops the atomic bomb.  Prior to dropping the bombs, the United States warned Japan that if they did not surrender, they would face imminent destruction. The bomb was dropped after Japan did not heed the United States' warnings. (Image courtesy of Flickr)

1949-  The People's Republic of China is founded after the Communists won the Chinese Civil War; Nationalists retreat to Taiwan
1958-  Great Leap Forward-- Mao Zedong attempts to boost China's economy by organizing people into communes where they are forced to produce large quotas of crops; the plan backfired with over 23 million people dead from starvation
1966-  Cultural Revolution-- Mao Zedong attempts to revive China by new laws/ rules enforced by his violent Red Guards.  The Cultural Revolution fails after receiving revolts against the government by angered Chinese citizens
1983-  Huang Wong immigrates from China to the United States
1989
-  Tiananmen Square Massacre-- People protest against the government after the death of Hu Yaobang, who was a political leader that supported democracy and a free market.  The government uses military force to kill protesters
1989-  Mei Lang immigrates from China to the United States
1989-  The first Chinese stock markets open in Shanghai and Shenzhen, China, under Deng Xiaoping, who supports changing China's rigid economic reforms from Mao and allowing some Western influence in China



2001-  September 11 Terrorist Attacks--Al- Qaeda (Osama bin-Laden) commits terrorist attacks against the United States by hijacking airplanes and flying them into the World Trade Centers and the Pentagon

Tensions between the United States and Iraq arise after the United States assumes Saddam Hussein, President of Iraq, to be behind the September 11 terrorist attacks.  (Image courtesy of Flickr)


2003-  Iraq War--President Bush deploys troops into Iraq after receiving intelligence reports of Iraq possessing weapons of mass destruction