A calendar of Chinese history
23 events
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Death of Zhou Youguang
Death
Zhou Youguang, linguist, economist and writer, dies in Beijing in 2017 as a supercentenarian. He is remembered as the creator of pinyin, the romanisation system for Mandarin officially adopted by China.
Source : Zhou Youguang
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Death of King Hu
Death
Film director King Hu dies in Taipei in 1997. Born in Beijing in 1931 and active in Hong Kong and Taiwan, he raised the wuxia swordplay film to new technical and artistic heights and ranks among the most important Chinese filmmakers.
Source : King Hu · On chine.in
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Death of Admiral Liu Huaqing
Death
Admiral Liu Huaqing dies in Beijing in 2011. Commander of the Chinese navy from 1982 to 1988, he drove its modernisation and in 1985 set out the doctrine of active defence of the near seas; he was also put in charge of the military crackdown on Tiananmen Square in 1989.
Source : Liu Huaqing
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Death of Emperor Xuanzong of Jin
Death
Emperor Xuanzong of the Jurchen Jin dynasty dies in 1224. Born in 1163, he had reigned since 1213.
Source : Jin Xuanzong
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Birth of Mao Yushi
Birth
Economist Mao Yushi is born in Nanjing in 1929. The author of some fifteen books on free trade and privatisation and a sharp critic of Mao Zedong, he receives the Cato Institute's Freedom Prize in 2012.
Source : Mao Yushi
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Birth of José Lai Hung-seng
Birth
José Lai Hung-seng is born in Macau in 1946. He later serves as the Roman Catholic bishop of Macau, the first native of the diocese and the second Chinese bishop to lead it.
Source : José Lai Hung-Seng
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Death of Verda Majo
Death
Teru Hasegawa, the Japanese Esperantist and pacifist known by her pen name Verda Majo, dies in 1947. She had gone to China during the Sino-Japanese War to fight her own country's imperialism, urging Japanese soldiers over the radio to lay down their arms.
Source : Verda Majo
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Birth of Anchee Min
Birth
Chinese-American author Anchee Min is born in 1957. She writes two memoirs, including Red Azalea, and six historical novels built around strong women such as Jiang Qing, Mao Zedong's wife, and Empress Dowager Cixi.
Source : Anchee Min
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Birth of Wu Bai
Birth
Taiwanese rock singer-songwriter Wu Chun-lin, better known as Wu Bai, is born in 1968. Frontman of Wu Bai & China Blue and nicknamed the king of live music, he is one of the biggest pop stars in East and Southeast Asia.
Source : Wu Bai
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Birth of Zhang Liang
Birth
Rower Zhang Liang is born in 1987. He represents China at the 2008, 2012 and 2020 Olympics, winning bronze at the last of them.
Source : Zhang Liang (aviron)
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Birth of Mirahmetjan Muzepper
Birth
Footballer Mirahmetjan Muzepper is born in 1991. A midfielder, he becomes in 2018 the first Uyghur to play for the China national team.
Source : Mirahmetjan Muzepper
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Birth of Wang Qiang
Birth
Tennis player Wang Qiang is born in 1992. A professional since 2007, she is one of the few players with a level record against Serena Williams, whom she beats at the 2020 Australian Open.
Source : Wang Qiang
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Presidential election in Taiwan
Politics
Taiwan votes for its president and vice president in 2012, on the same day as its legislative election.
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Death of General Zhang Wannian
Death
Zhang Wannian, a general of the People's Liberation Army, dies in 2015; he was born in 1928.
Source : Zhang Wannian
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Death of Bruce Leung
Death
Hong Kong martial arts actor Bruce Leung, known in Cantonese as Leung Siu-lung, dies in 2026. Born in 1948, he was one of the Bruce Lee imitators of 1970s bruceploitation cinema, sometimes credited as Bruce Liang or Bruce Leong.
Source : Bruce Leung
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Death of Nie Weiping
Death
Professional go player Nie Weiping dies in Beijing in 2026; he was born in Shenzhou, Hebei, in 1952.
Source : Nie Weiping
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Execution of Zhang Yanlang
Death
Zhang Yanlang, an official of the Later Liang and Later Tang, is put to death in 937. Chancellor and head of the three financial agencies under Li Congke, the last Later Tang emperor, he is executed on the orders of Shi Jingtang, founder of the Later Jin.
Source : Zhang Yanlang
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Birth of Wang Fang
Birth
Basketball player Wang Fang, an Olympic medallist with China, is born in Anshan in 1967.
Source : Wang Fang (basket-ball)
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Birth of Peng Ping
Birth
Basketball player Peng Ping is born in Shanghai in 1967.
Source : Peng Ping
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Death of painter Lü Sibai
Death
Painter Lü Sibai, born in Jiangsu province in 1905, dies in 1973.
Source : Lü Sibai
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Birth of Chen Qian
Birth
Modern pentathlete Chen Qian is born in 1987.
Source : Chen Qian (pentathlon moderne)
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Birth of Hsu Chieh-yu
Birth
Tennis player Hsu Chieh-yu is born in 1992. She wins six singles and 27 doubles titles on the ITF circuit, peaks at No. 114 in doubles in 2015 and represents Chinese Taipei in women's doubles at the Tokyo Olympics.
Source : Hsu Chieh-yu
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Birth of Xia Xinyi
Birth
Beach volleyball player Xia Xinyi is born in 1997; she competes at the 2020 and 2024 Olympics.
Source : Xia Xinyi