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

For further info., please visit http://www.bjta.gov.cn