British naval Capt. Charles Elliot seizes Hong Kong, also known as Pirate Island, from the Celestial Empire and declares himself governor. .

The first opium war ends in the Treaty of Nanking, ceding Hong Kong Island to Britain.

Chinese officials searching for pirates arrest the crew of the British ship Arrow, prompting the second opium war.

Victorious in the Opium Wars and seeking a foothold on the mainland, Britain forces China to cede the Kowloon Peninsula to Hong Kong.

China’s imperial court cedes more land to the British in Hong Kong, this time in a 99-year “lease” on the New Territories, for which Britain pays nothing.

Sun Yat-sen’s Nationalist revolution topples the Ching dynasty and spills over to Hong Kong.

Japanese soldiers attack and occupy Hong Kong. They hold Gov. Mark Young captive in the Peninsula Hotel, round up British civilians and deport 20,000 Chinese per month.

Japan surrenders in Hong Kong: a BBC report says that as a Royal Marine band played the national anthem, “pandemonium broke loose in the harbor as every warship thundered a 21 gun salute.”

Mao declares the founding of the People’s Republic in Tiananmen Square, and the subsequent flood of refugees to Hong Kong forces the authorities to impose new controls along the borders.

Anti-colonial riots break out after local Chinese clash with the police over fare increase on the popular cross-harbor Star Ferry.

BRITISH Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher visits Beijing and quarrels about imperialism with Deng Xiaoping.

Signing of the Sino-British Joint Declaration, which establishes the “one country, two systems” principle: China will take control of Hong Kong on July1,1997,but will leave its freewheeling capitalist system in place for 50 years more.

Beijing troops attack the students occupying Tiananmen Square, killing hundreds. A brain drain ensues as wealthy Chinese flee the colony.

The last British governor, Chris Patten, announces new democratic reforms; Beijing calls him “irresponsible.”

C.H. Tung,appointed future chief executive by a Beijing-backed committee, declares: “We are finally masters of ou own house.”

As the midnight handover approaches, Patten will sail off on the royal yacht. China has agreed not to launch the fireworks until his ship is out of sight.