| Timeline of Events in Hong Kong from 1840 to 1997 | |
| 1840 | First Opium War |
| 1842 | Treaty of Nanking -- Chinese authorities enter the unequal Nanking treaty which cedes Hong Kong Island to Britain in perpetuity. The treaty also forced the Chinese to open up five more ports for trade. |
| 1843 | Royal Charter proclaims Hong Kong as a separate colony. First Governor appointed |
| 1852 | Taiping Refugees arrive from China |
| 1856 | Ginger and Coffee farms promoted |
| 1872 | Arrow War with China. 500 Europeans poisoned by Arsenic from a bakery. |
| 1858 | Treaty of Tientsin legalises Opium sales in China (Treaty of Tientsin created after Second Opium War prompted by continued British annoyance at China's resistance to foreign presence. The Treaty of Tientsin granted Kowloon peninsula and Stone Cutters Island to Britain in perpetuity.) |
| 1862 | Battle of Tsim-Sha-Tsui between local Punti and Hakka tribes. |
| 1863 | Jardine, Matheson lay first telegraph lines within colony. Silver dollars issued. |
| 1865 | Hong Kong and Shangai Bank founded |
| 1867 | Chinese blockade Hong Kong. |
| 1884 | Riots in response to Sino-French War. |
| 1898 | New Territories leased to Britain for 99 years (Britain seeks to entrench its influence and pre-eminence in South-eastern Asia via a 99-year lease on the New Territories.) |
| 1899 | Local Chinese oppose British take over. Chinese magistrate and militia expelled from Kowloon. |
| 1900 | Boxer Rebellion. Hong Kong serves as base for Allied forces. |
| 1910 | All opium divans closed. First car arrives in Hong Kong. |
| 1922 | Royal visit of HRH Edward. |
| 1925 | Guangzhou-Hong Kong strike until 1926 First commercial flights. |
| 1931 | Anti-Japanese riots |
| 1936 | Imperial Airways flying boat carries airmail from Britain to Hong Kong. |
| 1937 | Japanese land in New Territories en route to Shenzhen. |
| 1938 | Fall of Shenzhen. Japanese cruiser Myoko visits Hong Kong. |
| 1939 | More Anti-Japanese riots. Conscription for British subjects. Volunteer forces strengthened |
| 1940 | General Norton takes control from civilians. |
| 1941 | Japanese invade Hong Kong (World War II -- In 1941, the British surrender Hong Kong to Japan without assistance from the American forces. During the Japanese occupancy, there are food shortages and the Japanese rule is harsh. In 1945, the British reoccupy Hong Kong upon the unconditional surrender of Japan.) |
| 1942 | Lt General Rensuke Isogai becomes Japanese Governor. |
| 1943 | Japanese rebuild government house. |
| 1945 | Japanese surrender |
| 1946 | Civilian government restored. |
| 1948 | UK ends control over Hong Kong finances |
| 1949 | Establishment of the People's Republic of China |
| 1950 | Immigration controls on Chinese (Hong Kong's economy booms -- Because of the expulsion of westerners in China, hundreds of thousands of Chinese flee to Hong Kong. Large intakes of refugees from China brings in substantial capital and manpower to Hong Kong. The economy of Hong Kong takes off.) |
| 1952 | British abandon political reform. |
| 1965 | Large influx of American service personnel due to Vietnam War. |
| 1972 | Vietnamese boat people begin to arrive. |
| 1974 | Anti-Corruption Commission formed. Hong Kong Dollar floated. |
| 1978 | One Country, Two Systems -- "One Country Two Systems" surfaces in regards to the status of Taiwan. The slogan is later applied to Hong Kong's status as a capitalist region under sovereignty of a socialist country. |
| 1980 | Touch Base' policy of allowing illegal Chinese to remain in Hong Kong ends. |
| 1982 | Thatcher visits Beijing to discuss Hong Kong's future. Negotiations of futures of Hong Kong -- On September 24, 1982, Sino-UK negotiations begin in regards to the status of Hong Kong after 1997. |
| 1984 | Futures of Hong Kong finalized -- Mrs. Margart Thatcher (UK Prime Minister) and Mr. Zhao Zi-Yang (PRC Prime Minister) sign the Sino-British Joint Declaration on December 19, 1984. Under the Joint Declarations, China will recover Hong Kong areas on 1st July, 1997. |
| 1986 | Queen visits colony. |
| 1987 | British National (Overseas) Passport introduced. |
| 1989 | Tiannemen Square massacre. |
| 1990 | China promulgates Basic Law -- National People's Congress of China promulgates Basic Law, a mini constitution for Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) during the transition years of 1997 - 2047. The drafting of Basic Law begins in 1985 when the National People's Congress appointed the Basic Law Drafting Committee, comprising of more than 50 mainland and Hong Kong members. |
| 1992 | Mr. Chris Pattern appointed as the 28th, and last, Governor of Hong Kong. |
| 1997 | On the 1st July, 1997, People's Republic of China reclaimed the sovereignty of Hong Kong. |