The Chronology of Beijing

700,000 B.C. Peking Man
 

1045 B.C. Ji city founded in Beijing
 

226 B.C. Emperor Qin Shihuang occupied Ji
 

581-618 Called Zhuojun
 

618-907 Called Youzhou
 

916-1125 Called Nanjing, capital of Liao
 

1153 Called Zhongdu, capital of Kin
 

1215 Occupied by Genghis Khan and called Yanjing
 

1272 Called Dadu, capital of Yuan
 

1368 Called Beiping under the Ming empire
 

1403 Renamed Beijing
 

1406 Forbidden City--construction began
 

1421 Became the Ming Capital
 

1564 Expanded further south to form the present-day city size
 

1644 Became the Qing Capital
 

1860 British-French Allied Forces invaded the city and burned down Yuanmingyuan Gardens
 

1900 Eignt-Power Allied Forces invaded the city to suppress Boxer Movement
 

1911 Sun Yat-sen's revolution put an end to the rule of the Qing
 

1912 Founding of the Republic of China (then renamed Beiping)
 

1937 Japan invaded Beijing
 

1945 Surrender of Japan
 

1949 Founding of the People's Republic of China, resumed the name Beijing