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Hu Yaobang dies while recovering from a heart attack. Students begin to gather on Chinese campuses to pay tribute to Yaobang.
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The memorial gatherings to honor Yaobang grew more emotional and political. In Beijing, students move their gathering into that of Tiananmen Square
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Beijing University students lead a very large march through the city and into the square. Once there, they read off 7 demands for the government. As many as several hundred students begin to sit in front of the Great Hall of the People.
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Students begin to have a "sit-in" at the Xinhua Gate entrance into the city of Zhongnanhai. Beijing police are sent in order to maintain peace in both Xinhua Gate and Tiananmen Square.
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Confrontations begin between both the police and demonstrators at Xinhua Gate. In response, some students return to the campuses and announce to crowds that the soldiers had abused them. They began organizing more boycotts and protests. The organizations, Beida Solidarity Student Union Preparatory Committee and the Autonomous Federation of Students are formed.
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In support for a rally, fifty thousand Beijing students gather on Tiananmen Square. Thousands of students begin to arrive in Beijing from other neighboring Chinese cities.
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At the Great Hall of the People, Hu Yaobang's funeral is held. After this event, student leaders kneel on the steps of the hall to read off their list of demands to Li Peng. In return, Li Peng refuses to appear. This incident proves sympathy from surrounding Beijing citizens.
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Zhao Ziyang takes leave for a visit to North Korea. Li Peng takes leadership of governmental affairs and about the student movement.
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Li Peng and other CCP officials convince Deng Xiaping that the student's protests are more likely an anti-governmental movement.
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Party leadership publishes "turmoil," an editorial in the "People's Daily." Citizens and students react violently and angrily.
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At Tiananmen Square, fifty thousand students rally. They are soon joined by that of other students protesting in other major Chinese cities
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Li Peng's new editorial believes a group of "black hands" (anti-government troublemakers) are leading students astray. The CCP encourages schools and University officials to increase pro-communist mentality to the campuses.
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In response to government official, Yuan Mu's dialogue with the students, students blast the dialogue session as rigged.
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To Zhao's surprise, he finds that almost 70 percent of Beijing university students are boycotting classes. (Pro-communism classes) International coverage on the student movements is increased.
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Zhao has a confrontation with Li Peng over how to handle the demonstrations. (over the student's actions) Zhao defends the students but agrees that public security has become a public issue.
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From forty schools, students meet at Beijing University to form a Beijing Student Dialogue Delegation. They create and finalize a second list of demands and this is then sent to the Politburo Standing Committee.
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Yuan Mu publicly rejects this list of demands and declares it illegal. Zhao, in response, praises the students but asks them to return to class. In an attempt to compromise, students retaliate another demonstration and then return to class.
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Students celebrate the anniversary of the 1919 student movement; this led them to march on Tiananmen Square. Student leaders propose a May Fourth Declaration to establish a commitment to democratic reforms. Zhao Ziyang informs investors from the Asian Development Bank about the student movement are not opposing thee CCP. Student demonstrations begin to decrease.
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Mistrust was speculated by the student leaders in response to the government's intention to continue reform. The need to reenergize the student movement began. A hunger strike is created.
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Student leader, Chai Ling, demonstrates an emotional speech at Beijing University. This recruits more students for the hunger strike.
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News of the Hunger Strike nears towards the Chinese government. Yan Mingfu, a partner of Zhao Ziyang, confronts the students. He advises them to stop embarrassing China, especially upon arrival of Russian leader, Mikhail Gorbachev. Students agree to leave Tiananmen Square before Gorbachev's visit, but on the square, they start the hunger strike.
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As the news of the Hunger Strike grow larger, supporters from all over, some to support. CCP hard-liners confront Deng about Zhao Ziyang possibly creating the party leadership as a joke. Yan Mingfu confronts the student leaders once more, but the meeting quickly diminishes. The hunger strike participants will not leave the square.
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Gorbachev, (the Russian leader) arrives. Foreign media in Beijing focuses their attention towards the hunger strike, (rather than Gorbachev.)
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Zhao conducts a meeting with Gorbachev and tells of Deng Xiaoping's continuing influence on the CCP.
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Forming the largest demonstration in PRC history, a Beijing crowd (two-million strong) enters the protest. Demonstrations are also seen in twenty other Chinese cities. Protestors encourage Deng to step down and Li Peng to resign. Li Peng has advised Deng that Zhao has allowed the student- protestors to grow into a serious public security threat. (At a Politburo meeting.) Deng agrees to enable martial law in Beijing. Zhao attempts to resign, but he is rejected.
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Zhao visits the hunger strikers in the square and provides a warning and even begs them not to endanger their lives. Before pleading illness, he attends his last Politburo meeting.
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The People's Liberation Army (PLA) begin moving troops in response to creating martial law. Beijing factory workers go on strike to provide further support for Beijing students. Students from other Chinese cities begin to flourish Beijing. Student leadership becomes divided as news reach of the new martial law(s).
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The government declares martial law in central Beijing. Troops begin entering the city from the suburban areas.
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A new leadership group emerges, Defend Tiananmen Square Headquarters; students outside of Beijing begin to support this organization. A vote is made to continue the hunger strike (in repsonse to the gradual increase of martial law.) On the streets, a prevention of the troops is made by Beijing residents.
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Martial Law troops retreat back into the suburbs. A rumor is heard that the soldiers are entering the city in street clothes. In reaction to the martial law declaration, international leaders urge China to find a peaceful compromise. On Tiananmen square, 3 protestors deface the portrait of Chairman Mao.
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Jiang Zemin is appointed CCP general secretary. Activists and supporters hold the Concert for Democracy in China, raising millions of Hong Kong dollars for the movement of the Beijing students.
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Beijing police arrest the leaders of the Autonomous Federation of Workers. Students erect the Goddess of Democracy statue on Tiananmen Square.
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Students begin to clean-up the square. The CCP creates pro-government rallies in Beijing. Thousands of students rally in favor of arrested workers.
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Writer Liu Xiaobo and three others organize their own hunger strike; drawing in large crowds to Tiananmen Square. The government orders martial law back into Tiananmen Square to maintain peace.
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PLA troops begin to move into Beijing clash wounding many who were unarmed (which filled the hospitals.) Residents and soldiers are killed as this clash grows more violently.
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PLA troops invade and infest Tiananmen Square. Liu Xiaobo leads a delegation to compromise a student withdrawal. As students retreat, military vehicles infest the square. Outside Tiananmen, tanks are firing at retreating students. Across China and in many other countries, protestors denounce what had happened and the deaths in Beijing.
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World leaders react shockingly to the forceful nature of Tiananmen Square. Student leaders prepare to flee China. On Chang'an Blvd., foreign photographers snap pictures of a lone protestor confronting the tanks. Images of Tank Man appear in publications and on television around the world.
