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