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