Snow Flower and the Secret Fan

  • Book: Lilly's birth

    Book: Lilly's birth

    Lilly was born on "the fifth day of the sixth month of the third year of the Daoguang Emperor's reign" (See 9)
  • World: The first photograph

    World: The first photograph

    The world's first photograph ever taken by Joseph Nicéphore Niépce. It was titled "View from the Window at Le Gras"
  • Book: Lilly and her sisters get their feet bound

    Book: Lilly and her sisters get their feet bound

  • Book: Lilly learns she will have a Lautong relationship

    Book: Lilly learns she will have a Lautong relationship

    Lilly will have a friend, Snow Flower, who she will be friends with her whole life. A few days later she would meet Snow Flower
  • World: Queen Victoria ascends throne

    World: Queen Victoria ascends throne

    Queen Victoria becomes queen of England at 18
  • China: The destruction of opium at Humen

    China: The destruction of opium at Humen

    China destroyed illegal opium that the British tried to trade
  • China: First Opium war

    China: First Opium war

    A number of fights between Britain and the Qing dynasty
  • Book: Lilly gets married

    Book: Lilly gets married

  • Book: Lilly has a son

    Book: Lilly has a son

    Snow Flower has a still-born daughter
  • Book: Lilly and Snow Flower have sons

    Book: Lilly and Snow Flower have sons

  • Book: Lilly and Snow Flower give birth to daughters

    Book: Lilly and Snow Flower give birth to daughters

  • Book: Snow flower has second son

    Book: Snow flower has second son

  • China: Emperor Daoguang dies

    China: Emperor Daoguang dies

    Emperor Daoguang dies and his son takes over
  • China: The Taiping Rebellion

    China: The Taiping Rebellion

    A massive rebellion that waged in China. The fight was between the Qing dynasty and foreigners in the country
  • Book: A disease breaks out

    Book: A disease breaks out

    Much of Lilly's husband's family die.
    Lilly and her husband become Master and Lady Lu
  • Book: Taiping rebellion fight moves to Lilly and Snow Flower

    Book: Taiping rebellion fight moves to Lilly and Snow Flower

    Lilly is forced to flee up the mountains along with other villagers for 3 months. During that time she haven't seen her husband or children
  • China: Tongzhi reign

    China: Tongzhi reign

    Tongzhi reign lasted from 27 April 1856 to 12 January 1875
  • China: The Second Opium war

    China: The Second Opium war

    In 1860 the war ended and China had 11 more foreign trading ports
  • Book: Lilly misunderstand's Snow Flower's writing

    Book: Lilly misunderstand's Snow Flower's writing

    Lilly and Snow Flower break apart and don't speak to each other for years
  • China: The Treaty of Aigun

    China: The Treaty of Aigun

    China signed the Treaty of Aigun which gave Russia land
  • World: American Civil War

    World: American Civil War

    America fights in a civil war over the status of slavery
  • China: The Xianfeng Emperor dies

    China: The Xianfeng Emperor dies

    His son takes over and the Quig dynasty is created
  • Book: Snow Flower dies

    Book: Snow Flower dies

    Snow Flower had a tumor in her uterus
  • China: Tientsin Massacre

    China: Tientsin Massacre

    An attack on Christian missionaries
  • World: Blue Jeans were invented

    World: Blue Jeans were invented

    Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis invented the blue jeans
  • Book: Lilly's husband dies

    Book: Lilly's husband dies

    Lilly is deeply saddened
  • China: Yellow River flood

    China: Yellow River flood

    The Yellow River flood was the deadliest flood in China's history, 930,000 people died
  • World: Paris built Eiffel Tower

    World: Paris built Eiffel Tower

    The effiel tower was built for the World's Fair set in Paris, France that year.
  • Book: Lilly looks back on her life

    Book: Lilly looks back on her life

    The book starts with Lilly when she is 80 and continues as she relives her life.