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Chairman Mao dies
Mao Zedong led China into a Communist revolution, which coincided with the deaths of over 75 million Chinese citizens who succumbed to starvation brought on by extreme poverty. -
Deng Xiaoping comes into power
Deng Jiaoping's slogan, "hide your strength and bide your time", is exemplified by his policy; he shuttled the country into a massive economic boom which it continues to ride -
Western ideas and liberalism begin to spread
Due to Xiaoping's more open policy regarding other non-China nations, the Chinese youth were exposed to a greater volume of foreign ideas and politics -
Unrest
College students begin to display dissent towards traditional Chinese politics, sparked by the introduction to Western ideals -
Hu Yaobang is forced to resign
Hu Yaobang, a liberal politician who the Chinese government accused of allowing rebellious ideas to proliferate and spread, is forced to resign -
Student protests
Students protest the forced resignation of Yaobang, accusing the government of censorship -
Hu Yaobang dies
Yaoban dies suddenly of a heart attack -
Student protests pick up speed
The death of Yaobang inspires a renewed vigor in the protesters; shrines are created to the dead politician and he is labeled a martyr -
Government issues warnings
Xiaoping issues a series of stern warnings to protesters, threatening violence if they continue their campaign -
Students gather in Tiananmen Square to protest the death of Hu
Students gather in Tiananmen Square and other major cities across the country to stage vigils for Hu Yaobang -
Government implements force
Chinese soldiers storm Tiananmen Square and the sites of other protests across the nation, firing indiscriminately into the crowds of protesters -
Protesters resist
Protesters throw rocks at the soldiers, wounding and stunning them as they continue their merciless crusade -
Final death toll rests between 1 and 10,000 people and 10 soldiers
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The U.S. places sanctions on China
The U.S. is shocked by the attack and sanctions China -
Gorbachev
Mikhail Gorbachev, who was on a visit to China at the time of the massacre, denounces the actions of the government -
Chinese government continues to censor information
To this day, certain keywords are blocked from Chinese search engines, and Tiananmen Square is brought up rarely, if ever, by politicians
