| 1940 |
|
Japan occupies Indo-China |
| 1946 |
|
Start of First Indochina War for independence from French rule |
| 1948 |
|
Korea divided into North and South Republics |
| 1949 |
|
Indonesia under Sukarno gains independence from Netherlands |
| 1950 |
|
Korean War starts - Communist North vs Capitalist South |
| 1953 |
|
Korean War ends after involving China, US and several other countries |
| 1954 |
|
End of First Indochina War - Vietnam partitioned |
| 1954 |
|
Laos and Cambodia recognized as independent |
| 1959 |
|
Communist North Vietnam starts war against Capitalist South |
| 1964 |
|
US becomes involved in Vietnam War |
| 1965 |
|
Ferdinand Marcos becomes President of Philippines |
| 1967 |
|
General Suharto of Indonesia wrests power from President Sukarno |
| 1969 |
|
US involvement in Vietnam peaks |
| 1975 |
|
Communists finally triumph in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia |
| 1978 |
|
Radical reorganization of Cambodia by cruel Pol-Pot regime |
| 1979 |
|
"Boat People" start to flee Communist regime in Vietnam |
| 1979 |
|
President Park Chung Hee of South Korea assassinated |
| 1983 |
|
Philippino opposition leader Benigno Aquino assassinated |
| 1986 |
|
Marcos flees country and Corazon Aquino takes power in Philippines |
| 1997 |
|
Asian financial crisis |
| 1998 |
|
Indonesian dictator Suharto steps down after 32 years in power |
