A calendar of Chinese history
25 events
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Death of Zhao Ziyang
Death
Zhao Ziyang, Premier of China from 1980 to 1987 and General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party from 1987 to 1989, dies in Beijing. Backed by Deng Xiaoping after the Cultural Revolution, he had pioneered market reforms, first in Sichuan and then nationwide.
Source : Zhao Ziyang · On chine.in
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Death of Qi Jiguang
Death
Qi Jiguang, Ming dynasty general and military writer born in 1528, dies. He led the defence of the coast against wokou pirates, reinforced the Great Wall and wrote military manuals including the Jixiao Xinshu.
Source : Qi Jiguang
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Birth of Coco Lee
Birth
Coco Lee, Chinese-American singer, songwriter and actress, is born in Hong Kong. The first Chinese singer signed by a US record label, she performed songs for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Mulan, and died in her home city in 2023.
Source : Coco Lee · On chine.in
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Birth of Chen Qimei
Birth
Chen Qimei, Chinese revolutionary, close ally of Sun Yat-sen and early mentor of Chiang Kai-shek, is born. One of the founders of the Republic of China and uncle of Chen Guofu and Chen Lifu, he died in 1916.
Source : Chen Qimei
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Death of Yang Changji
Death
Yang Changji, philosopher and teacher born in Hunan in 1871, dies in Beijing. A professor at Peking University, he taught Mao Zedong, Cai Hesen and Xiao Zisheng, and his daughter Yang Kaihui became Mao's second wife.
Source : Yang Changji
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Birth of Tang Jiaxuan
Birth
Chinese diplomat and politician Tang Jiaxuan is born in Zhenjiang. A graduate in Japanese who served at the Chinese embassy in Japan, he sat on the State Council from 2003 to 2008.
Source : Tang Jiaxuan
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Death of Qian Xuantong
Death
Qian Xuantong, Chinese phonetician born in Zhejiang in 1887, dies. From 1922 he championed vernacular Chinese and simplified characters.
Source : Qian Xuantong
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Birth of Anson Chan
Birth
Anson Chan, Hong Kong civil servant and pro-democracy politician who served as Chief Secretary of the Hong Kong government under British rule, is born.
Source : Anson Chan
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Birth of Zhang Guoli
Birth
Zhang Guoli, Chinese actor and director who began as a xiangsheng performer, is born. Known for playing emperors in Qing dynasty dramas, he became in 2009 the second Chinese actor to win all three major Chinese-language television awards, and hosted the CCTV New Year's Gala in 2014.
Source : Zhang Guoli
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Birth of Pu Zhiqiang
Birth
Pu Zhiqiang, Chinese human rights lawyer and prominent member of the Weiquan movement who defended Ai Weiwei, is born in Tangshan.
Source : Pu Zhiqiang
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Deadly avalanche in Nyingchi
Disaster
An avalanche strikes a road in Medog County, Nyingchi, Tibet, between Pei and the exit of the Doxong La tunnel in 2023. Twenty-eight people trapped in the tunnel and in their vehicles are killed and 53 are rescued, most of them travellers on the move ahead of Chinese New Year.
Source : 2023 Nyingchi avalanche
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Launch of the Tianzhou 7 cargo spacecraft
Science
The uncrewed cargo spacecraft Tianzhou 7 lifts off in 2024 from the Wenchang launch centre in Hainan on a Long March 7 rocket. It is the seventh Tianzhou mission and the sixth resupply flight to the Tiangong space station.
Source : Tianzhou 7
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Death of Zhou Yanru
Death
Zhou Yanru, Ming dynasty politician born in 1593, dies.
Source : Zhou Yanru — Wikidata
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Birth of Chu Minyi
Birth
Chu Minyi, a leading figure in the Chinese republican movement and the early Nationalist government, is born. He later served as foreign minister of the collaborationist Wang Jingwei regime during the Second World War and died in 1946.
Source : Chu Minyi
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Death of Wei Lihuang
Death
Wei Lihuang, Chinese military officer born in 1897, dies.
Source : Wei Lihuang
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Birth of Zhao Dayu
Birth
Zhao Dayu, China international striker nicknamed the Dwarf Tiger, is born. He spent his whole playing career with Guangzhou and played at the 1984 Asian Cup, then retired injured in 1986, moved to Japan, became a naturalised citizen and took up coaching there.
Source : Zhao Dayu
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Birth of Mao Xinyu
Birth
Mao Xinyu, Chinese military officer and grandson of Mao Zedong, is born.
Source : Mao Xinyu
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Birth of Yang Chen
Birth
Chinese footballer and later manager Yang Chen, who played for Eintracht Frankfurt and FC St Pauli, is born in Beijing.
Source : Yang Chen
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Birth of Sharon Chan
Birth
Hong Kong actress and model Sharon Chan, under contract with broadcaster TVB, is born.
Source : Sharon Chan
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Death of Gu Zhutong
Death
Gu Zhutong, Kuomintang general born in 1893 who became a politician in Taiwan, dies.
Source : Gu Zhutong
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Birth of Zhang Rui
Birth
Zhang Rui, Chinese footballer and midfielder for the national women's team since 2009, is born in Yantai.
Source : Zhang Rui
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Birth of Jiang Haiqi
Birth
Chinese freestyle swimmer Jiang Haiqi is born in Shanghai.
Source : Jiang Haiqi
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Opening of Matsu Beigan Airport
Economy
Matsu Beigan Airport opens in 1994 on Beigan Island in the Matsu Islands. Also used as a heliport, it links the archipelago with Taipei Songshan Airport.
Source : Aéroport de Beigan
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Birth of Wang Chunyu
Birth
Wang Chunyu, Chinese 800 metres runner and 2013 Asian champion, is born in Suzhou, Anhui.
Source : Wang Chunyu