The CPC's first National Congress opens in Shanghai on July 23, 1921 and closes on a boat in Jiaxing, Zhejiang.

The CPC's Second National Congress adopts the Party's first Constitution.

At the CPC's Third National Congress in June 1923, a decision is made to set up a united front with the Kuomintang.

The First National Congress of the Kuomintang, held in January 1924, adopts a manifesto on fighting imperialism and feudalism in China that the CPC helped draft.

The proletariat's leadership in China's democratic revolution and an alliance between the working class and the peasants are discussed at the CPC' s Fourth National Congress.

The Northern Expedition military campaign against warlords begins in Guangzhou, Guangdong.

The Nanchang Uprising on Aug 1, 1927 marks the first military resistance against Kuomintang counterrevolutionaries.

Troops from the Nanchang Uprising and the CPC-led Autumn Harvest Uprising join forces in the Jinggang Mountains in Jiangxi in April 1928.

The Sixth National Congress of the CPC, held in Moscow, affirms the "semi-colonial and semi-feudal" nature of China.

The CPC's leadership of the Red Army is affirmed at the Gutian Conference in Fujian.

The imperial Japanese Army blows up a section of a Japanese-built railway in Shenyang and frames China for it, marking the beginning of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression.

The CPC-led Shaanxi-Gansu guerilla force reforms itself into a Red Army troop in 1932.

The general headquarters of the Red Army is established.

To escape an encirclement by Kuomintang troops, the core force of the Red Army begins a strategic breakaway move westward from Ruijin, Jiangxi, which later becomes known as the Long March.

Mao Zedong begins to gain leadership of the CPC and the Red Army at the Zunyi Conference during the Long March.

The Second and Fourth Red Armies join forces with the core First Red Army in Gansu.

The Xi'an Incident takes place.

Japanese troops attack Lugou Bridge on the outskirts of Beijing, marking the nationwide expansion of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression.

The 6th Plenary Session of the 6th CPC Central Committee affirms Mao Zedong's leadership of the CPC.

The CPC leads a campaign to enhance agricultural and industrial supplies in CPC-controlled regions.

The CPC-led Eighth Route Army initiates the Hundred Regime Offensive.

The CPC-led New Fourth Army is ambushed by Kuomintang troops after being accused of "betrayal".

A CPC retification movement led by Mao Zedong begins.

An 11-month-long meeting elects a presidium led by Mao Zedong as the core of the CPC.

The seventh CPC National Congress sets Mao Zedong Thought as the leading ideology of the Party and passed a revised CPC Constitution.

Japanese emperor Hirohito announces acceptance of the Potsdam Declaration via a radio broadcast.

The Kuomintang breaks an armistice and an agreement on a national political consultative system negotiated with the CPC.

A battle in southwest Shandong marks the beginning of a strategic offensive by the CPC-led People's Liberation Army.

The PLA successfully wages three decisive large-scale campaigns against the main Kuomintang force.

The People's Republic of China is founded on Oct 1, 1949, with a grand ceremony held at the Tian'anmen Square in Beijing.

China's first atomic bomb is exploded at Lop Nor.

An inscription by Mao Zedong calling for people to learn from Lei Feng, an altruistic PLA soldier who died in an accident , is published in People's Daily.

A work meeting on the economy summarizes lessons learned from the "Great Leap Forward" (1958-60).

Before and during the Ninth Plenary Session of the Eighth CPC Central Committee, Mao Zedong urges Party members to conduct more grassroots research and studies.

China and Burma (now Myanmar) reach an agreement on their mutual border.

China's First National Games are held in Beijing.

Mao Zedong leads a delegation to Moscow to attend the 50th anniversary of the October Revolution.

The Eighth CPC National Congress vows to quickly transform China from a backward agricultural country into an advanced industrial country.

More than 200,000 people in Beijing celebrate the socialist transformation of agriculture and the handicraft industry.

Premier Zhou Enlai leads a delegation to the Asian-African Conference in Bandung, Indonesia.

The First National People's Congress is held, marking the start of the people's congress system nationwide.

Premier Zhou Enlai leads a delegation to the Geneva Conference.

The First Five-Year Plan is put into place to guide the development of the national economy.

An outline on autonomy in ethnic regions is put into effect.

Tibet is liberated peacefully as local leaders sign an agreement with the central government.

The Chinese People's Volunteer Army enters Korea at the request of the DPRK to fight in the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea.

Mao Zedong calls for the priority in Health work to be shifted to rural areas.

Two Party meetings mark the beginning of the "cultural revolution".

Dongfanghong 1, China's first space satellite, is launched.

United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758 recognizes the People's Republic of China as the only legitimate representative of China.

US president Richard Nixon visits China.

A team of agricultural scientists led by Yuan Longpiing successfully cultivates a species of high-yield hybrid rice suitable for mass planting.

Senior CPC leader Deng Xiaoping heads a delegation to a UN meeting, where he introduces China's foreign affairs policies and the "Three Worlds Theory" proposed by Mao Zedong.

China successfully launches and recovers a remote-sensing satellite.

The Gang of Four is smashed by the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee.

The State Council resumes the national college entrance exam.

The Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee of the CPC announces that China is shifting its focus to economic development and adopting the policy of reform and opening-up.

China announces the setting up of pilot special export zones in Shenzhen, Zhuhai and Shantou in Guangdong and Xiamen in Fujian.

The State Council orders all State-run industrial enterprises to adopt reforms that expand their autonomy.

The 6th Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China summarizes major historical events of the Party since the founding of the PRC in 1949.

During the 12th CPC National Congress, Deng Xiaoping says China should integrate the universal truth of Marxism with the reality of China and vows to build a socialist society with Chinese characteristics.

The CPC approves a new rural economic system that allows families to rent village land and claim remaining yields after turning in the village's collective share.

Fourteen coastal port cities become new locations for opening-up policies.

Deng Xiaoping gives instructions on a proposal by four prominent scientists on following and studying foreign high-tech achievements.

The 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of China maps out the Party's basic path during the primary stage of socialism.

The province of Hainan and the Hainan Special Economic Zone are established.

The Shanghai Stock Exchange is established.

The Qinshan Nuclear Power Plant is connected to the power grid and begins operation.

During inspection tours of economic development in southern China, Deng Xiaoping says that being more plan- or market-oriented is not the essential difference between socialism and capitalism.

A plan to build 100 key universities and a group of key disciplines for the 21st century - known as Project 211 - is drafted.

A State Council meeting on poverty alleviation vows to solve the problems of insufficient food or clothing faced by 80 million impoverished people by 2000.

A national strategy for invigorating China through science and education is put forward by the central authorities.

A key Party meeting underlines the importance of coordinated development of the material and cultural-ethical aspects of China's socialist modernization process.

China resumes exercising its sovereignty over Hong Kong.

Deng Xiaoping Theory is added to the Party Constitution at the 15th CPC National Congress.

Severe floods hit the Yangtze River in the south and the Nenjiang and Songhua rivers in the northeast in the summer and autumn of 1998.

China resumes exercising its sovereignty over Macao.

China's entry to the World Trade Organization is approved at a meeting in Doha, Qatar.

The 16th CPC National Congress vows to build China into a moderately prosperous society in all respects.

The severe actue respiratory syndrome epidemic hits China in the spring of 2003.

A key CPC meeting underlines the importance of enhancing the Party's governance ability and sets building a harmonious socialist society as an important strategic mission.

The 3rd session of the 10th NPC adopts the Anti-secession Law.

Agricultural taxation is abolished, ending a practic with some 2,600 years of history.

The 17th CPC National Congress includes ecological civilization as goal of a moderately prosperous society.