Timeline: The Expanded Version

Updated on August 23, 2012

Note: It won't be any time soon that I am going to have this completed. A more complete but much thinner version is available here: Timeline: The First Of Its Kind Events in Hong Kong.

A timeline of first of its kind events in Hong Kong.

	Hong Kong's First...
5000 BCE	Inhabitants (5000 BCE) The first human beings arrive Hong Kong in the 5th millennium BCE, from the mainland I suppose, and settle in the out-lying islands. (They are, without question, indigenous inhabitants 原居民 and therefore shall be given the right to inherit rural land, under the New Territories Ordinance 1910. Additionally, they shall be entitled to apply for the construction and ownership of small houses 丁屋, under the “Small House Policy 小型屋宇政策 of 1972. They, however, shall not be entitled to add illegal structures to their houses 僭建村屋, but it will be done nonetheless.)
1278	Imperial Sojourners (1278) Zhao Shi 趙昰 and his younger brother Zhao Bing 趙昺, the 17th and 18th (last) emperors of Song Dynasty 宋朝 seek refuge in Hong Kong from the Mongolian invaders. Sadly, the 11-year-old Zhao Shi never leaves, he dies on May 8, 1278 in Gangzhou 碙州 (Lantau 大嶼山) having suffered from near-drowning when fell off a boat a few months earlier. Zhao Bing is crowned emperor two days later in Meiyu 梅蔚 (Mui Wo 梅窩). On March 19, 1279 prime minister Lu Xiu-fu 陸秀夫, on hearing news that Song has collapsed completely, carries the 8-year-old boy king on his back and jumps off a cliff at Mount Ya 崖山 in Guangdong. Additional note: A part of a rock on which the brothers were said to have rested is displayed at the Sung Wong Toi Garden 宋王台花園 in Ma Tau Wai.
1700s	Religious Building (1700s) Built in the 1700s at Stanley, the Temple of Water Immortal 水僊古廟 is the oldest surviving religious building structure on Hong Kong Island.
1841	Survey of Harbor (1841) The first survey of the Hong Kong Harbor (later Victoria Harbor) is made by Commander Edward Belcher of the British Royal Navy aboard HMS Sulphur. He is appointed the first Harbor Master of Hong Kong in the latter half of 1841. Belcher will embark on the task of surveying the China sea in 1844, which no one has done before. Belcher will later be promoted to the rank of Admiral.
	Newspaper (May 1, 1941 - March 24, 1842) John Robert Morrison 馬儒翰, son of Scottish missionary Robert Morrison 馬禮遜 founds the first newspaper in Hong Kong -- the Hong Kong Gazette 香港公報. The newspaper is the quasi-official mouthpiece of its bankroller, the office of the British Superintendent of Trade in China, for which the Morrisons work as translators. It is published in Macau for circulation in Hong Kong, the inaugural issue is dated May 1. The paper will be discontinued on March 24, 1842; offical notices will in future br made in the Friend of China.
	Census (May 15, 1841) The first Hong Kong census publishes today claims a (land based) population of 3,650, an additional 2,000 persons are reported to live on boats.
	Land Sale (June 14, 1841) 34 lots of land are sold today though bidding processes. The sale brings in GBP3,238 per year in quit rents. The successful bidders are: D & M Rustomjee & Co., Dent & Co., Dirom & Co., Fox, MacVicar & Turner, Gemmell & Co., Gribble Hughes & Co., R. Gully, Hart (Capt.), Heerjeebhoy Rustomjee, Holliday Wise & Co., Hooker & Lane, Jardine, Matheson & Co., Jamieson & How, Framjee Jamsetjee, T. Larkins, Lindsay & Co., H. Leighton, MacVicar & Co., Morgan (Capt.), John Smith (Seriously...), Turner & Co., and R. Webster. The land sale is arranged by Alexander Robert Johnston 莊士敦, Deputy Superintendent of Trade, who will become Administrator of Hong Kong from June 22 through the end of 1941 and again in the second half of 1842. Although the British forces in China, acting under the Convention of Chuenpee 穿鼻草約, has occupied Hong Kong on January 20, 1841, Britain has no sovereign rights over the island because neither Britain nor Qing China has ever ratified the agreement. The Johnston land sale is, therefore, illegitimate.
	Post Office (November 12, 1841) Hong Kong’s first post office opens today, three months after the Postal Department was established. It is situated where the Central Government Offices 中區政府合署 stand today. It will continue to provide postal services until replace in 1846 by a new post office  located on Queen’s Road Central near Pedder Street.
1842	Cross-Harbor Ferry (1842) The first ferry to run across the Hong Kong Harbor, between Tsimshatsui and Central, is provided by Indian trading house Abdoolally Ebrahim & Co 鴨都喇利. Left photo: Seth Ebrahim, founder of Abdoolally Ebrahim & Co.
	Fish Market (1842) A fresh-fish market is built this year by the order of governor Henry Pottinger.
	Legal Tender (March 23, 1842) The following currencies are proclaimed today by the government as the legal tender of Hong Kong: Spanish, Mexican and other dollars, their component parts, Company Rupees and their component parts and Chinese copper cash. All dollars are valued at par. The following exchange rates are fixed: 2.25 Company Rupees to 1 dollar, 533 cash to 1 Company Rupee, 1,200 cash to 1 dollar. Company Rupees are coinages issued by the British East India Company.
	Newspaper Advertisements (March 24, 1842) The first newspaper advertisements in Hong Kong appear in the Friend of China today. They are for wines and timber for ship- and house-building.
	Government (March 31, 1842) Henry Pottinger announces today the officers charged with the first government of Hong Kong: Pottinger - Plenipotentiary, Minister Extraordinary , Alexander Robert Johnstone - deputy Superintendent of British Trade, John Robert Morrison - acting Secretary and Treasurer, Charles Edward Stewart - asst Secretary and Treasurer,  Alexander Anderson – Surgeon, Henry Holgate - acting Surgeon, William Caine – Magistrate, Samuel Fearon - Coroner, clerk of the court, interpreter, George F. Mylius - Land Officer and Surveyor, William Pedder - Marine magistrate and Harbor Master, Mr Alexander Lena - asst Marine magistrate and Harbor Master, Mullaly (given names unknown) – Postmaster. Since Hong Kong has as yet to become a British colony, the nature of this government could only be considered as the British occupation government.
	Protestant Church (July 17, 1842) The Queen's Road Chapel is formally dedicated today.  The service of the first Protestant church in Hong Kong is conducted by the Revs. Jehu Lewis Shuck 淑士人, Dan, and Elijah Coleman Bridgman 裨治文. They are all Americans.
	Murder Case (August 10, 1842) The first recorded murder case in Hong Kong takes place today. The case reveals that Ah Nam visited Ho Wai this morning, the two were decorators working out of Canton Bazaar. Ah Nam demanded arrears of wages Ho Wai owed him, which was refused. An argument ensued, the two went into an empty house to have the matter sorted out, except that the 40-yeas-old Ho Wai came out bleeding copiously from the neck and said before he died that he has been struck by Ah Nam. Dr Lunn identified the wound as the cause of death and opined it was done with a knife or chopper. The jury reached a verdict of “willful murder”. By that time, Ah Nam were long gone and no arrested were ever made.
	Autopsy (August 15, 1842) Hong Kong's first autopsy is performed today by Dr. Lunn, the pathologist. The subject is Nga Lok-po, a Chinese woman who died suddenly causing her families to suspect she has been poisoned. The inquest identifies cause of death as a “visitation of God”.
	Curfew (October 4, 1842 to June 21, 1897) Chief Magistrate William Caine 威廉堅, acting as the head of Hong Kong's quasi police force, today orders the city's first curfew under the pretext of fighting crime at night. The curfew regulates the Chinese inhabitants only (and nobody else) and denies them the freedom to walk the street after 11pm. A later version prohibits the Chinese inhabitants from the street between 8pm and 10pm unless they carry a lantern, and they must carry passes after 10pm. The curfew will be temporarily suspended between 1847 and 1850, and will only be lifted completely after 55 years on June 21, 1897, in consideration of Queen Victoria's diamond jubilee celebrations. This will set the record as the longest curfew imposed during peacetime anywhere in the world.
1843	Map of Hong Kong (1843) Lieutenant Thomas Bernard Collinson  哥連臣 of the British Royal Engineers produces the first map of Hong Kong, which is an ordnance map commissioned by the British Army.
	Stanley Ferry (February 14, 1843) A ferry service to run between Hong Kong Harbor and Stanley commences today. The service is provided by P. Townsend & Co., which also engages itself as an auctioneer. Two boats are in use: Witch, which sails from the Harbor Master's jetty at 10am on Tuesdays and Fridays; and Rory o'More, which leaves Stanley to return at 4pm on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Passage each way costs 4 Rupees.
	Market (1843) The Canton Bazaar 廣州市場 opens as the first market in Hong Kong and becomes known as the Middle Bazaar from 1843. In time it will evolve into the Central Market 中環街市. Left photo: Central Market, ca.1905.
	Colonial Governor (June 26, 1843) Henry Pottinger  砵甸乍, who has been administrator of Hong Kong (1841-1843) is appointed the first colonial governor of Hong Kong today. He will hold the office until May 8, 1844. After departing Hong Kong, he will assume the positions as governor of Cape Colony, and later governor of Madras.
	Law-making Body (June 26, 1843) The Legislative Council is established today under the “Charter of the Colony of Hong Kong”. The Governor, in consultation with the Legislative Council, which is nothing more than an advisory body, is empowered to make and enact laws in Hong Kong.
	Shark Sighting (August 17, 1843) The first recorded sighing of sharks in Hong Kong waters takes place today. Sharks are sighted in the Victoria Harbor; sea bathers are warned (not sure by what means).
	Official Legislative Council Members (August 21, 1843) Alexander Robert Johnston, former Administrator of Hong Kong; John Robert Morrison, Chinese Secretary for the Hong Kong Government, and Interpreter to the Superintendent of Trade; and William Caine, Chief Magistrate are appointed official members of the Legislative Council today. Unofficial members will not be appointed until 1850.
	Legislative Council Member to Die in Office (August 29, 1843) John Robert Morrison dies today from sudden sickness, he was appointed to the Legislative Council only days ago. He is the first Legislative Council member to die in office.
1844	Legislative Council Meeting (January 11, 1884) The Legislative Council convenes today for the first time since its inauguration in June the previous year, owing to J.R. Morrison's death and A.R. Johnston's return to England. By now the council, in addition to its chairman, who is the Governor, only has two members: William Caine and Major-general George Charles D'Aguilar 德忌笠, commander of British forces in Hong Kong and China.
	Lieutenant Governor (January 13, 1844) Major-general G.C. D'Aguilar is appointed today the newly created position of Lieutenant Governor. The position will always be held by the commander of British forces in Hong Kong and China until it will be made redundant in 1902.
	Superintendent of Police (February 24, 1844) Captain George Thomas Haly of the 41st Madras Native Infantry is appointed today Superintendent of Police. He was also sworn-in as a Justice of the Peace on February 22. Haly will return to the army on March 3 and be replaced by Captain John Bruce of 18th Royal Irish.
	Court of Law (February 24, 1844) Hong Kong's first court of law is opened today, without judges. Henry Pottinger, the Governor, is the presiding judge. Since he has no legal training, he is assisted by his close friend and Government Legal Adviser (position has never been confirmed by Whitehall) Richard Burgass.
	Law (February 28, 1844) The first law in Hong Kong is enacted today – Ordinance No.1 of 1844, titled “An Ordinance to define the law relating to slavery in Hong Kong”. The law will, on August 12, be disallowed by London (per C.O.D., No.26) since the existing British anti-slavery law already has a blanket coverage for the entire empire domain.
	Court Session (May 2, 1844) The first ever session of the court is held today. Two murder cases are tried. A Filipino seaman is found guilty of murdering his second mate of the Harlequin, the death sentence is passed. An artillery marine of HMS Driver charged for murdering a Chinese boatman is acquitted. The court decided that the wrong man was arrested, because the color of the coat he wore on the day of the muder was of a different color than one worn by the supposed slayer. The Governor and Lieutenant Governor sit as judges. Richard Burgass, the Governor's legal adviser is clerk and Charles Batten Hillier, Assistant Magistrate, is registrar. A jury is sworn-in with Patrick Stewart as foreman. The 16-member jury, made up of government officials and merchants, includes: David Jardine, John Dent, T.A. Gibb, John Holliday, Christopher Augustus Fearon, Charles Edward Stewart (Colonial Treasurer, the position, however, has never been confirmed by Whitehall), Charles St. George Cleverley (Surveyor-General), etc.
	Colonial Treasurer (May 9, 1844) Robert Montgomery Martin is appointed Hong Kong's first Colonial Treasurer (position renamed Financial Secretary in 1937) today. He is a vocal advocate of giving up Hong Kong as a colony, saying there is no future in this territory. He also openly opposes Governor John Davis' policy to legalize the opium trade (as means to increase government revenue). In July 1845, he will quit, after the denial of a six-month vacation request he is to make. Martin is a prolific writer and a founding member of the Statistical Society of London, the Colonial Society, and the East India Association. Martin has three predecessors, however none of these appointments were confirmed by Whitehall. On April 1, 1842, John Robert Morrison was appointed acting Secretary and Treasurer, and Charles Edward Stewart the assistant Secretary and Treasurer. Edward Elmslie was appointed Treasurer after Morrison died. Elmslie was previously secretary and treasurer to the British Superintendent of Trade in China. Stewart was promoted to Treasurer in 1843.
	Waterboat A waterboat is a boat fitted with a tanks and a force pump that supplies fresh water to ships in the harbor at where they anchored. The first water boat service is supplied by N Duus commencing in May. Nicolia Duus is a Danish merchant.
	Gambling Prohibition (June 10, 1844) Public gambling is banned with today's enactment of Ordinance No.14 of 1844, titled “An Ordinance for the suppression of public gaming in the Colony of Hong Kong". The ordinance is the first law to deal with gambling. Additional note: The ban on public gambling remains today (with the exception to monopolies granted to the Hong Kong Jockey Club) although the original ordinance has long been repealed and replaced by newer laws.
	Legitimate Drug Dealing (November 26, 1844) The selling and retailing of opium in an amount smaller than one chest for consumption becomes legal today with the enactment of Ordinance #21 of 1844. The provisions of licensing opium retailing is purposely (and clumsily in my view) bundled with other miscellaneous matters, as it is clearly demonstrated in the title of the ordinance, that reads, “An Ordinance for licensing the Sale of Salt Opium Bhang Ganja Paan Betel and Betel-leaf within the Colony of Hongkong and for the licensing of Pawnbrokers and Auctioneers with a Table of Fees on Official License and Signatures.” What a mouthful. The opium license(s) is granted through bidding processes. People carrying on opium retail business without a license is subject to a fine of 500 dollars. The ordinance further empowers the Governor to make further rules and regulations in matters relating to the farming, selling and retailing of opium. Essentially, anything he wishes to do with opium will become legal.
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Timeline: The First Of Its Kind Events

Updated on February 21, 2013

A timeline of first of its kind events in Hong Kong (not to be mistaken as a general timeline of historical events), the skinny version. Selected world and regional events are added as references in context. This list by is by no means exhaustive, in fact far from it. New entries will be added; when? Well, you'll know when you see them.

5000BCE
￭ The first human beings arrive and settle in Hong Kong
1278
￭ Imperial sojourners: The last 2 Emperors of Sung Dynasty, Zhao Shi and brother Zhao Bing are the first and only Chinese Imperial sojourners in Hong Kong who seek refuge here from Mongolian invaders. Zhao Shi dies in Hong Kong
1644
￭ Daicing gurun overruns Ming Dynasty and begins its reign in China, naming their empire Da Qing, or simply Qing
1700s
￭ The Temple of Water Immortal in Stanley is the oldest surviving religious building in Hong Kong [the temple remains open today]
1800s
￭ The Po Yuen Pawn Shop in Yuen Long is the oldest surviving pawn shop in Hong Kong [it is no longer in business today]
1839
￭ The First Opium War begins
1840s
￭ Kwan Yuen-cheong is the first Chinese dentistry practitioner in Hong Kong; he apprenticed under an American dentist named Collins in Canton
1841
￭ The Convention of Chuenpee (between Qing and UK) is signed as an attempt to end the First Opium War; no ratification will ever be made by either government
￭ Under the Convention of Chuenpee Hong Kong is ceded to UK; British authorities in China act unilateral on a treaty pending for ratification and landed at Possession Point, Hong Kong was taken by force
￭ Hong Kong's first census returns a population of 5,650
￭ William Caine is appointed Hong Kong's first Chief Magistrate
￭ 34 lots are sold through bidding processes in Hong Kong's first land sale
￭ The Naval and military hospital is the first hospital in Hong Kong; it closes forever after its meshed structure is destroyed by typhoon only 6 months after completion
￭ The Hong Kong Gazette is Hong Kong's first newspaper; it is founded by John R. Morrison and funded by the British Trade Commission
￭ Hong Kong's first post office opens
￭ Hong Kong's provisional Police Force is established; headed by Chief Magistrate William Caine, the force is composed of 35 infantry soldiers seconded from the British army
￭ Cdr. Edward Belcher, RN, conducts the first survey of the Hong Kong harbor
1842



The Treaty of Nanking

￭ The Treaty of Nanking (between Qing and UK) ends the First Opium War; ratification and exchange will be completed in 9 months; Hong Kong formally ceded to Britain
￭ F. Langer is the first architect to work in Hong Kong; he is hired by Jardine, Matheson to build warehouses but dies 2 months after arriving Hong Kong
￭ Henry Pottinger, Administrator of Hong Kong, summary disband the entire provisional police force due to its uselessness, and replace it with soldiers
￭ Ho Wai is the victim of Hong Kong's first murder case; the slayer is Ah Nam, Ho's business partner
￭ Hong Kong's first British rule government is a pre-colonial provisional government established and headed by Henry Pottinger, Plenipotentiary, Minister Extraordinary
￭ Hong Kong's first Christian church is the Queen's Road Chapel, which is a Baptist church
￭ Hong Kong's first cross-harbor ferry is owned and run by Abdoolally Ebrahim & Co.
￭ Hong Kong's first fish market opens
￭ Hong Kong's first legal tender include Spanish, Mexican and other dollars, Company Rupees and Chinese copper cash
￭ Pathologist Dr. [ ] Lunn performs Hong Kong's first autopsy; the subject is Chinese woman Nga Lok-po; the cause of death he determines is “visitation of God”
￭ William Caine imposes Hong Kong's first curfew, which regulates Chinese inhabitants only; the curfew will remain in force for the next 55 years
￭ Wine, timber for ship- and house-building are the products promoted in Hong Kong's first newspaper advertisements
ca.1842
￭ Charles A. Winchester is appointed Hong Kong's first Assistant Surgeon in the provisional government
1843
￭ A British Royal Charter, titled "Charter of the Colony of Hong Kong" of April 5, 1843 is issued, officially constitutes Hong Kong as a colony of the British Crown
￭ 44 government officials and merchants, all Britons, are appointed Justices of the Peace
￭ Alexander Anderson is appointed Hong Kong's first Colonial Surgeon
￭ Alexander R. Johnston, John R. Morrison and William Canie are appointed the first 3 Official Members of the Legislative Council
￭ Ferry between Hong Kong Harbor and Stanley commences service
￭ Henry Pottinger is appointed Hong Kong's first Colonial Governor
￭ HMS Minden is the first British Royal Naval ship to serve as a hospital ship in Hong Kong
￭ John R. Morrison is the first Legislative Council Member who dies in office
￭ Shark sightings are reported at the Hong Kong Harbor
￭ The Canton Bazaar is Hong Kong's first market of a substantial scale
￭ The first Hong Kong map drawn by a Briton is an ordnance map made by Lt. Thomas B. Collinson, RE
￭ The Hong Kong Seamen's Hospital, built with public subscriptions, is Hong Kong's first private hospital
￭ The Hospital of the Medical Missionary Society, established by the London Missionary Society, is Hong Kong's first missionary hospital
￭ The Legislative Council, Hong Kong's law making body, is established under the “Charter of the Colony of Hong Kong”
￭ Thomas W. Waldron is the first United States Consul at Hong Kong
1844
￭ Capt. George T. Haly of the 41st Madras Native Infantry is appointed Hong Kong's first Superintendent of Police
￭ Edward Farncomb is the first solicitor to practice in Hong Kong ; he has been Coroner, and Sheriff of Hong Kong since 1842
￭ Fresh water supply to ships anchored in the harbor is made avilable by N. Duus & Co.
￭ Hong Kong's first 2 murder trial cases are heard; in the first one, a Filipino seaman is found guilty of murdering his second mate - a Briton, he is given a death sentence; in the second one a RM gunner charged with slaying a Chinese boatman is acquitted
￭ Hong Kong's first court of law is opened by Henry Pottinger who, in the absence of a judge, appoints himself as one
￭ John H. Cook, Master of the Royal Sussex Lodge, is the first Masonic master in Hong Kong; he is purser of HMS Minden, Hong Kong's first hospital ship
￭ John W. Hulme is appointed the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court
￭ Maj Gen George C. D'Aguilar, commander of British forces in Hong Kong and China, is appointed Hong Kong's first Lieutenant Governor
￭ Ordinance No.1 of 1844, titled “An Ordinance to define the law relating to slavery in Hong Kong” is the first law enacted in Hong Kong
￭ Ordinance No.14 of 1844, titled “An Ordinance for the suppression of public gaming in the Colony of Hong Kong" outlaws public gambling
￭ Ordinance #21 of 1844, titled “An Ordinance for licensing the Sale of Salt Opium Bhang Ganja Paan Betel and Betel-leaf within the Colony of Hongkong and for the licensing of Pawnbrokers and Auctioneers with a Table of Fees on Official License and Signatures.” makes retailing opium lawful
￭ Robert M. Martin is appointed Hong Kong's first Colonial Treasurer
￭ The first meeting of the Legislative Council is convened; the meeting is attended by Pottinger (chair), William Caine and George C. D'Aguilar
￭ The Royal Sussex Lodge, #501 is Hong Kong's first Masonic Lodge; it moves to Canton in 1845, and then to Shanghai in 1867
1845

George Duddell

￭ An ice house [located between present day Duddell Street and Ice House Street] is constructed for storage of ice
￭ China Medico-Chirurgical Society is the first medical society established in Hong Kong; Dr. Alfred Tucker is elected its first president
￭ Frederic Tudor (nicknamed Ice King of the World) ships to Hong Kong the first supplies of ice cut from Wenham Lake in Massachusetts; his agent in Hong Kong is Sandwith Drinker
￭ George Duddell and Alexander M. Matheson are the first holders of opium monopoly; unable to enforce the monopoly, they surrender it after 3 months, which in turn is resold to Lo Aqui and Fung Attai
￭ James Adnams, who is also a harness maker and coach trimmer, is the first saddler to set up shop in Hong Kong; his shop is in the Canton Bazaar
￭ John Burd, a Scottish sea captain and merchant, is appointed the first Danish Consul at Hong Kong
￭ John W. Hulme, Chief Justice, is appointed Official Member of the Legislative Council [this is contrary to the principle of maintaining an independent judiciary free from influence of legislative]
￭ Lo Aqui and Fung Attai are the first Chinese holders of the opium monopoly
￭ Nicolia Duus, a Danish merchant, imports Hong Kong's first water closets
￭ "Queen City" is the chosen name for Hong Kong, which is changed to "City of Victoria" a few months later
1846

Chinese sailing ship Keying

￭ Dr. Francis Dill is the first Colonial Surgeon to die in office; he suffers from liver complication
￭ John Rickett of the Hong Kong Club is the first full time club secretary in Hong Kong
￭ Keying is the first Hong Kong Chinese sailing ship to sail to USA and England [the ship never made it back to Hong Kong; she was broken up and sold in England]
￭ The Hong Kong Club is the first social club established in Hong Kong; the club quarters is located on the corner of D'Aguilar Street and Queen's Road
￭ The marine police, known as the Marine Region, is established under the purview of the Captain Superintendent of Police
￭ Wm. Pustau & Co. is the first German company established in Hong Kong
1847
￭ Dr. William Morrison is the first Colonial Surgeon appointed by the Home Government
￭ John W. Hulme is the first (and only) judge suspended from office on a charge of drunkenness; he is reinstated in 1848
￭ The Hong Kong Theatrical Company is Hong Kong's first theatrical group; the copmany is composed of these key members: John Cairns, Robert Strachan and Edward Fancomb, they are all amateur performers
1848

Children in the Asile de la Sainte Enfance

￭ George Duddell owns Hong Kong's first farriery, which is located at the corner of Welliongton Street and Wyndham Street
￭ Hong Kong's first surgical operation with the use of chloroform anesthesia is performed by Dr. William A. Harland
￭ Hong Kong's first theatrical performance is performed by the Hong Kong Theatrical Company at the Victoria Theater
￭ The Asile de la Sainte Enfance in Wanchai is Hong Kong's first orphanage; it is run by the Sisters of St Paul de Chartres from France
￭ The Victoria Theater, situated around Wyndham Street and Wellington Street behind the old Hong Kong Club, is Hong Kong's first theatre; it is erected and owned by the Hong Kong Theatrical Company
ca.1848
￭ The Victoria Library and Reading Room, home of Hong Kong's first reading club, is also the city's first library; a catalog of books kept in the library is printed in 1852
1849

Kuan Huang

￭ Hong Kong's first boat race is organized by the Victoria Regatta Club
￭ Kuan Huang is the first Hong Kong Chinese to study abroad, he enrolls in the University of Edinburgh; he is also the first Chinese ever to study abroad in a university
￭ Norcott d'E. Parker and his elder brother William d'E. Parker are the first (and only) siblings to fill the position of Crown Prosecutor in succession
￭ Norcott d'E Parker is the first (and only) Crown Prosecutor arraigned in the Police Court on a charge of piracy; the case is instantaneously dismissed
￭ The Government Civil Hospital is Hong Kong's first public (government) hospital
￭ Victoria Regatta Club, later Victoria Recreation Club, is Hong Kong's first sporting club
1850
￭ Jane Tregarthen Winniberg, nee Curnow, is Hong Kong's first milliner
￭ George Smith is the first Anglican Church Bishop in Hong Kong
1850s
￭ Eli Boggs, boss of a pirate society in command of 30-40 armed junks, is Hong Kong's first (probably the only) American pirate [he was captured in 1857, tried and sentenced to be transported for life]
1851
￭ Hong Kong's first Hakka church is founded by Swedish Protestant missionary Theodore Humberg; proceedings of church service are carried on by using the Hakka dialect
￭ The Hong Kong Cricket Club is Hong Kong's first cricket club
1852
￭ The Chinese Serial is Hong Kong's first periodical in the Chinese language; it is published by the Ying Wa College run by the London Missionary Society
1853
1854
￭ Yung Wing is the first Hong Kong Chinese who graduates from the Yale University; he is also Yale's first Chinese graduate
1855
￭ Kuan Huang is the first Hong Kong Chinse to hold a bachelor of medicine degree (from the University of Edinburgh); he is also China's first M.B. holder
1856
￭ The Second Opium War begins
￭ Kuan Huang carries on with post-graduate work and obtains a doctor of medicine degree from the University of Edinburgh; he is also China's first M.D.
1857
￭ Ordinance No.12 of 1857, titled "The Ordinance for Checking the Spread of Venereal Diseases" makes prostitution lawful
1858
￭ The 1859 budget is the first government budget submitted to the Legislative Council for its approval; the budget is duly approved
￭ Wong Shing is the first Chinese appointed a common juror
1859
￭ The Lock Hospital is Hong Kong's first hospital specialized in venereal diseases
1860
￭ The signing of the Convention of Peking (between Qing and UK) ends the Second Opium War; it ratifies the Treaty of Tianjin (between Qing and UK, signed in 1858); district of Kowloon (south of present day Boundary Street) is ceded to Britain
￭ The (British) Order in Council of October 24, 1860 annexes Kowloon to the colony
1861
￭ The US Civil War begins
1862
￭ Alexander Percival of Jardine, Matheson & Co. is elected the first chairman of the Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce
￭ Frederick Stewart is appointed the first Headmaster of the Government Central School
￭ The Government Central School is Hong Kong's first public (government) school [it was renamed Vicrotia College in 1889, and reorganized as the Queen's College in 1894]
￭ Hong Kong's first postage stamp features a portrait of Queen Victoria
￭ The Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce is the first general business society established in Hong Kong; a majority of the 62 founding members are firms, or individuals, engaged in the dealing of opium
￭ The Pedder Street Clock Tower is Hong Kong's first clock tower
1863
￭ The Pok Fu Lam Reservoir is Hong Kong's first drinking water reservoir; the water supply solution is devised by Samuel B. Rawling, RE
1864
￭ The Rev. Ho Fuk-tong of the London Missionary Society is Hong Kong's first Chinese Protestant minister
￭ Gas supply is made available by Hong Kong and China Gas company; it supplies to limited buildings in Central through a 24-km pipline network; 500 gas street lamps are also lit up
1865
￭ The US Civil War ends
￭ Abraham Lincoln is assassinated
￭ Francis Chomley is HSBC's first chairman
￭ Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Company (HSBC) is Hong Kong's first local bank; the founder is Thomas Sutherland
￭ HSBC publishes its first annual report; it shows a profit of $225,055.93, achieving a ROEC of 9% approx.; the auditors are William H. Rennie (the Auditor General, Hong Kong Government) and Caleb T. Smith (a tea merchant)
￭ The Botanic Garden is Hong Kong's first public garden
￭ The Central Bank of Western India is the target of Hong Kong's first bank robbery; the alleged bank robbers, nicknamed the "Gutter Rats Gang", take way $117,000 -- approximately $60 million in today's value [the case was never solved]
1866
￭ The Hong Kong Hotel Company is Hong Kong's first hotel company; directors include Baron Gustav van Overbeck (chairman), Douglas Lapraik and Charles H.M. Bosman
1867

The China Punch of May 28, 1867

￭ Agathon F.W. Nissen is the first German elected chairman of HSBC
￭ Edward L. Cunningham is the first American elected chairman of HSBC
￭ George J. Hellend is the first Norwegian elected chairman of HSBC
￭ The China Punch is Hong Kong's first cartoon newspaper, it is published by China Mail and conducted by editor W.N. Middleton
￭ The Tung Hing Theater, located on Po Yan Street, is Hong Kong's first theater for Chinese operatic performance [it was renamed Chungking Theater in 1890s, and started screening movies from 1900s]
1868

Early fire fighters

￭ The 2 Otis elevators (lifts) at the Hong Kong Hotel are the first elevators installed in Hong Kong
￭ The 6-story Hong Kong Hotel at Pedder Street is proclaimed Hong Kong's first skyscraper
￭ The newly established Hong Kong Fire Brigade is comprised of 62 volunteers of foreign residents and approximately 100 Chinese inhabitants
1869
￭ Hong Kong's first city hall is built by public subscriptions and it is privately run; Prince Alfred, second son of Queen Victoria, officiates at the opening ceremony
1870
￭ Briton Grant Smith runs a new cross-harbor ferry service with a single steam launch, named Morning Star [the ferry service would later become the Star Ferry, a name synonymous with Hong Kong]
￭ Rickshaw is a new means of transportation in Hong Kong; the first rickshaws are imported from Japan by a Tokyo-based American businessman
1871
￭ The first colonial flag of Hong Kong is in use [it was used until 1876, thereafter three design changes have adopted until 1997]
￭ The Smallpox Hospital is the first hospital specialized in epidemiological diseases in Hong Kong
1872
￭ Arthur E. Kennedy, the 7th Governor, takes his oath of office which contains an error due to an oversight on the part of acting Chief Justice, Henry J. Ball; he swears in again 13 days later
￭ Glaswegian W.N. Bain imports Hong Kong's first ice machine from the UK
￭ Tung Wah Hospital is Hong Kong's first hospital purposely established to offer traditional Chinese medical treatments
1873
￭ Solomon D. Sassoon is the first Indian of Iraqi Jewish descent elected chairman of HSBC
1874
￭ John Kyle is the holder of Hong Kong's first ice machine patent; he has a similar patent issued in England
￭ John Kyle and W.N. Bain build Hong Kong's first ice-making plant at East Point (present day Causeway Bay) and begin selling locally produced ice
1875
￭ Cape D'Aguilar Lighthouse is Hong Kong's first lighthouse [it remains today as the oldest surviving lighthouse, but is no longer running]
￭ The Lunatic Asylum is Hong Kong's first psychiatric hospital
￭ 定例局 (Teng Lai Kuk) is the first Chinese name given to the Legislative Council
1876

Ng Choy

￭ It is estimated that in average each adult Chinese inhabitant in Hong Kong smokes half a kilogram of opium in this year
￭ Ng Choy, alias Wu Tingfang, is the first Hong Kong Chinese barrister
￭ Pok Fu Lam Tunnel is Hong Kong's first water supply tunnel; it is also the first tunnel of any kind constructed in Hong Kong
1877
1878
￭ Ng Choy, alias Wu Tingfang, is the first Hong Kong Chinese appointed Justice of the Peace
1879

Daniel E. Bandmann

￭ Bandmann Opera Copmany performs Hong Kong's first Shakespeare opera performances, its owner and leading actor is Daniel Edward Bandmann
￭ Dr. Ho Kai (M.B.,C.M., University of Aberdeen) is the first locally born Chinese to qualify as a physician
1880
￭ Herbert Poate, a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, is Hong Kong's first dental surgeon
￭ Ernest J. Eitel; a German missionary went to China under the Basel Mission, is the first person naturalized as a British subject in Hong Kong
￭ Ng Choy, alias Wu Tingfang, is the first person to fill the newly created position of Senior Chinese Member of the Legislative Council
1881
￭ Fung Ming-shan, businessman, banker, and chairman of Tung Wah Hospital (1879), is the first Hong Kong Chinese naturalized as a British subject
￭ Ho Lai-shi, wife of the Rev. Ho Fuk-tong, is the first woman published as a top taxpayer; she ranks 6th in the top 20 taxpayer list
￭ King David Kalakaua of the Kingdom of Hawaii is the first reigning king to visit Hong Kong
￭ The marriage of Ho Kai and Alice Walkden is Hong Kong's first [it probably was the world's first] Anglo-Chinese marriage; Ho is born to the Rev. Ho Fuk-tong and Ho Lai-shi
1882
￭ Ho Kai is the first Hong Kong Chinese to hold dual professional titles of Doctor of Medicine and Barrister at Law
￭ Performance of opera bouffe: The Paris Opera Bouffe Company performes Hong Kong's first opera bouffe performance [the opera Les cloches de Corneville was performed at the Theater Royal inside the City Hall on March 20; audiences include governor John Pope-Hennesy and his wife, and Rear Admiral Charles Duperre, commander of the French naval expedition to Tonquin, who was passing through Hong Kong]
1883
￭ Dane William Doberck is appointed the first director of the Hong Kong Observatory
￭ Hong Kong's first supervisory council is the Sanitary Board [it was renamed Urban Council in 1936]
1884
￭ Ordinance No.1 of 1884, titled "Medical Registration Ordinance" requires all physicians to be licensed before they can treat patients for monetary reward
1885
￭ Hong Kong's first flower show is organized
￭ Hong Kong's first set of typhoon warning signals is put in use
￭ Phineas Ryrie is elected the first chairman of the Hong Kong Jockey Club
1886
￭ Dairy Farm Company is Hong Kong's first dairy company
1887
￭ Ho Shan-po, alias Wyson Ho, is the first Hong Kong Chinese solicitor; he is son of the Rev. Ho Fuk-tong and brother of Ho Kai
￭ Drs. Herbert Poate and Joseph W. Noble, both graduates of University of Pennsylvania, form Hong Kong's first dental practice, Poate and Noble
￭ The Alice Memorial Hospital and the Nethersole Hospital are Hong Kong's first teaching hospitals
￭ The Hong Kong College of Medicine for Chinese is Hong Kong's first medical school; it is also Hong Kong's first post-secondary education institute
1888
￭ Dr. James Cantile is appointed the first dean of Hong Kong College of Medicine for Chinese
￭ The Peak Tram is Hong Kong's first cable trolley transportation system
1889
￭ Clara Eastmond, previously with the London Hospital, is Hong Kong's first matron; she works at the Government Civil Hospital
￭ Part of the Happy Valley racecourse is made available as Hong Kong's first golfing facilities; golf plays by members of the Royal Hong Kong Golf Club are accepted by prior arrangements
￭ The Royal Hong Kong Golf Club is Hong Kong's first golf club; the 10th governor George W. Des Voeux is the first club president
￭ The Royal Hong Kong Golf Club is the first Hong Kong institution/organization to receive royal nomenclature
1890
￭ Dr. Chung Boon-chor is the first Chinese house surgeon in a hospital in Hong Kong; he works for the Alice Memorial Hospital
￭ The electric power station at Star Street is Hong Kong's first electric power station; it generates an initial output of 100 kilowatt
￭ The Hong Kong Electric Company switches on Hong Kong's first electricity supply; it lights the first streetlamps in Central
1891
￭ Lai A-mui is Hong Kong's first Chinese matron; she works at the Alice Memorial Hospital
1892
￭ Ho Kai is the first Hong Kong Chinese made Companion of St. Michael and St George (CMG)
￭ Sun Yat-sen and Kong Ying-wah are the first graduates of the Hong Kong College of Medicine for Chinese; they are, however, not permitted to practice medicine in Hong Kong
1893
￭ Kwan Sum-yin, licentiate of the Hong Kong College of Medicine for Chinese (1893), is the first locally trained doctor to practice in Hong Kong; he works for the Alice Memorial Hospital
￭ Ordinance No.5 of 1893, titled, believe it or not, “Dog Ordinance, 1893” requires all dog owners to obtain licenses for dog keeping
￭ The Alice Memorial Hospital is the first hospital to provide nurse training
￭ The body of Matilda Lincolne Sharp who died from pneumonia at the age of 64 is cremated in Hong Kong's first cremation funeral service for a European
1894
￭ The First Sino-Japanese War (the War of Jiawu) begins; the war will last 7 months
￭ Baron Pierre de Coubertin founds the International Olympic Committee (IOC)
￭ Hong Kong's first case of bubonic plague is diagnosed by Dr. James A. Lowson; the patient is Ah Hung
1895
￭ Dr. Francis W. Clark is Hong Kong's first Medical Officer of Health
1896
￭ The first modern Olympics Games is held in Athens
￭ Western medicine is introduced to the Tung Wah Hospital; Dr. Chung Boon-chor is the hospital's first doctor of Western Medicine as well as its first Medical Superintendent
￭ The first trade society established by Hong Kong Chinese merchants is the Chinese Club [it was reorganized in 1896 as the Chinese Merchants Bureau and renamed Chinese Chamber of Commerce in 1913; the word General was subsequently added between Chinese and Chamber]
1897
￭ Hong Kong's first movie show screens short films produced by the Lumière brothers at City Hall's Theater Royal
￭ Rounsevelle Wildman is the first US Consul General at Hong Kong
1898
￭ The New Territories are leased to Britain for 99 years under the Second Convention of Peking (between Qing and UK)
￭ The (British) Order in Council of October 20, 1898 adds the New Territories to the existing colony
￭ Dr. Ho Nai-hop is the first medical officer assigned by the government to the New Territory
￭ The Deep Water Bay course of the Royal Hong Kong Golf Club is Hong Kong's first 9-hole golf course
1899
￭ The (British) Order in Council of December 27, 1899 revokes the right to exercise of jurisdiction by Chinese magistrates within the (Walled) City of Kowloon
￭ Tse Tsan-tai is Hong Kong's first cartoonist; the cartoon he creates is Shi Guk To (the situation in the Far East) - a map of China infested by different animals symbolizing areas in China occupied by foreign powers
1900
￭ The Sincere Department Store at Queen's Road is the first department store owned by Hong Kong Chinese
￭ The Sincere Department Store is the first retailing concern to hire women as sales clerks
1900s
￭ The first underground public lavatory is built in Central [a total of six were built]
1901
￭ Chaun Moon-hung, Doctorate of Dental Surgery (University of Pennsylvania, 1899) is Hong Kong's first Chinese dentist
￭ Dr. William Hunter is Hong Kong's first Government Bacteriologist
1902
￭ Dr. Ho Ko-tsun is the first Hong Kong Chinese appointed laboratory assistant to the Government Bacteriologist
1903
￭ Empire Cinematograph Theatre is Hong Kong's first cinema [it was located on Des Voeux Road C. near Jubilee Street where the Hang Seng Bank Building stands today]
￭ La vie et la passion de Jésus Christ, a 44-minute French silent film, is the first feature-length movie screened in Hong Kong
￭ The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is established [it, however, remained inactive until 1921; 16th Governor, Reginald E. Stubbs, became its first patron]
ca.1903
￭ The first automobiles are imported to Hong Kong
1904
￭ Alice Memorial Maternity Hospital is Hong Kong's first maternity hospital
￭ Dr. Alice D. Hickling, nee Sibree, is Hong Kong's first woman doctor; she is an obstetrician and works at the Alice Memorial Maternity Hospital
￭ Hong Kong Standard Time is established, which is eight hours in advance of Greenwich Mean Time
￭ Hong Kong's first journalists association is established; the office-bearers are: President, Thomas H. Reid of China Mail; Chairman of Committee, P.W. Sergeant  of Daily Press; Committee members, Douglas Story of South China Morning Post, W.H. Donald of China Mail, and E.A. Snewin of Telegraph [the association was also the first established in the Far East]
￭ Ordinance No.4 of 1904, titled “The Peak Reservation Ordinance” is Hong Kong's first racial segregation law that denies Chinese inhabitants the right to reside in the Peak Area
1905
1906
1907
￭ Dr. Wong Sai-yan is the first Hong Kong doctor to open a medical school in China; the school he is a founder of is the Guangzhou Guonghua Medical College
1908
1909
1910
￭ Republic revolutionary Liu Shifu establishes a Hong Kong based team of assassins [the China Assassination Corps was initially based at No.16 Bonham Road; Liu's girlfriend, Ding Xiangtian, joined as the first and only woman member of the Corps]
￭ The Beacon Hill Tunnel is Hong Kong's first railway tunnel
1911
￭ Belgian aviator Charles den Bron makes Hong Kong's first powered flight on board his plane named "Spirit of Sha Tin"; he takes off at the Sha Tin Airfield
￭ The Fanling Old Course of the Royal Hog Kong Golf Club is Hong Kong's first 18-hole golf course
1912
￭ The Republic of China is established
￭ The Titanic sinks in the North Atlantic Ocean
￭ Francis Henry May is the first Hong Kong governor who previously served in the colony as police chief
￭ Francis Henry May, the 15th governor, is the target of assassination; a single gunman Li Hung Hung fires a shot at May but missed [Li was arrested, tried and jailed for 6 years]
￭ George H. Thomas is the first non-Chinese licentiate of the Hong Kong College of Medicine [I could be wrong; Thomas could either be a Chinese or an Eurasian]
￭ University of Hong Kong is Hong Kong's first university
1913
￭ Hong Kong's first scout troop is the 1st Hong Kong Scout Troop of St. Joseph's College
1914
￭ WWI begins
￭ Edward L.M. Lobb is the first chair professor of Clinical Surgery, Medical Faculty, Hong Kong University
1915
￭ The Lin Ma Hang Mining Tunnel at Sha Tau Kok is Hong Kong's first mining tunnel
1916
￭ 23 graduates (12 in Engineering, 8 in Medicine and 3 in Arts) are honored at the first degree congregation of the Hong Kong University; additionally there are 5 honorary graduates
1917
1918

Johnston and Puyi

￭ WWI ends
￭ Nicholas II, the last Russian Tsar, is executed together with members of his family and personal staff
￭ A great fire at the Happy Valley Racecourse takes 600 lives
￭ Reginald F. Johnston, former assistant Colonial Secretary (1899-1904) in Hong Kong; is appointed English tutor of Puyi, the (abdicated) last Emperor of China
￭ The Bank of East Asia is the first Chinese owned local bank in Hong Kong
1919
￭ Chinese opera comedian Lee Siu-fan is shot dead at close range while performing on stage; this is Hong Kong's first (and only) murder in a theatre in front of a live audience
1920
￭ Dr. C.Y. Wang is Hong Kong's first Chinese professor; he is chair professor of Pathology, Hong Kong University
￭ Dr. George H. Thomas is the first Doctor of Medicine graduate of the Hong Kong University
￭ The Hong Kong Chinese Medical Association is establshed as Hong Kong's first society for Chinese medical professionals; Dr. Wan Man-kai is its first president
￭ The YWCA is founded by Fok Hing-tong (wife of the owner of the Sincere Department Store), Wu So-ching (Principal of St. Paul's Girls' College), and Ng Bik-yuen, etc.
1921
￭ The 6th Hong Kong Scout Troop of the Ellis Kadoorie School is Hong Kong's first Chinese scout troop
￭ The first 3 women students admitted to the Hong Kong University are Irene Ho-tung, Rachel Irving and Lai-Po-cheun
1922
￭ The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics is established
￭ Edward, later King Edward VIII, and after abdication the Duke of Windsor, is the first Prince of Wales to visit Hong Kong
￭ Yeung Wo Nursing Home, the forerunner of Hong Kong Sanitarium is the first independent hospital established by Hnog Kong Chinese; Dr. Ho Ko-tsun is its first chairman
1923
￭ SPCA's first dog's home is built on donation made by Margaret Maclean, wife of Robert Ho-tung; it is located at Waterloo Road
1924
￭ Hong Kong's first bus service is provided by the China Motor Bus
￭ The Queen's Theater at Queen's Road is Hong Kong's first cinema to screen sound movies and color movies
1925
￭ Dr. Sun Yat-sen dies
￭ Rachel M.M. Irving is the first woman graduate of the Hong Kong University; she obtains a BA degree
￭ The Kai Tak Airport logs the first flight
￭ The YMCA is established
1926
￭ Chow Shou-son is the first Hong Kong Chinese appointed to the Executive Council
￭ Hong Kong's first hotel fire burns down the Hong Kong Hotel [it was never re-opened after the fire]
1927
￭ Chau Sik-nin is Hong Kong's first Chinese Otolaryngologist
1928
￭ Dr. Eva Ho-tung is Hong Kong's first woman grraduate of the Faculty of Medicine, Hong Kong University; she is the daughter of Robert Ho-tung
1929
￭ Jose Pedro Braga is the first Legislative Council Member of Portuguese descent
1930
￭ The onset of the Great Depression; the world economy won't return to the 1928-9 level until 1940
￭ Dr. C.E. Lim is the first graduate of the Hong Kong University appointed by his alma mater to professorship; he is the chair professor of Bacteriology
ca.1930
￭ Dr. Li Shu-pui is the first Hong Kong Chinese admitted as a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons (Edinburgh)
1930s
￭ Hong Kong's first Rolls Royce is owned by businessman and philanthropist Li Po-chun
1931
￭ Horse racing betting is legalized; the Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club is granted the monopoly to run the betting
1932

Robert G. Shewan

￭ Puyi, the abdicated Qing Emperor, is installed by the Japanese as the Emperor of Manchukuo
￭ King's Theater, situated at the corner of Wyndham Street and Queen's Road, is Hong Kong's first air-conditioned cinema
￭ Robert G. Shewan, founding chairman of China Light & Power Co., won Hong Kong's first Golden parachute litigation; when asked to surrender his chairmanship, he demands a severance package of $1 million; the CLP principal shareholders think he is out of his mind and take the matter to the court; the court rules in favor of Shewan and order the company to pay him $2 million instead
￭ Teo Soon Kim is Hong Kong's first woman barrister
1933
￭ German President Paul von Hindenburg appoints Adolf Hilter as Chancellor
1934
1935
￭ Air mail service is available via Imperial Airways
1936
￭ Edward VIII abdicates in oder to marry Wallis Simpson; he is later made the Duke of Windsor
￭ Imperial Airways begins a new route between London and Hong Kong
1937
￭ Japan invades China
￭ Luftschiff Zeppelin Hindenburg catches fire and is destroyed while docking at the Lakehurst Naval Air Station, New Jersey
￭ The Brand and Products Expo, Hong Kong holds it first event at St. Paul's College; there are altogether 40 exhibitors (86 booths displaying 200 types of products)
1938

1940 photo of Members of the first executive committee
of the Hong Kong Nurses and Midwives Association

￭ Air France begins a new route between Paris and Hong Kong; the plane in use is the tri-motor, 12-seater Dewoitine 338
￭ The Nurse and Midwives Association is established
1939
￭ WWII begins
1940
￭ Income tax is introduced for the first time in Hong Kong as a temporary measure to generate war revenue for the Home Government [it however continued to exist after the war]
1941
￭ Japan invades Hong Kong; the city falls
￭ Wu Zung, owner of 40 taxis, is regarded Hong Kong's first taxi boss [he was the grandfather of Gordon Wu]
1942
￭ Arthur Morse is the first executive chairman of HSBC; all chairmen before him were non-executive directors elected to the post
1943
1944
￭ Florence Li Tim-oi is the first woman ordained a priest of Hong Kong Anglican Church
1945
￭ WWII ends
￭ The all-out Chinese Civil War begins
￭ Admiral Cecil H.J. Harcourt is appointed Hong Kong's first military governor upon the surrender of the Japanese forces [he transfered his authority to a civilian governor in April 1946]
￭ Police sergeant H.W. Jackson is the victim of Hong's Kong's first reported case of fatal shark attack
1946
￭ Hong Kong's population reaches a million
￭ Cathay Pacific Airlines is founded by Roy Farrell and Sydney de Kantzow [it would become the flag carrier of Hong Kong]
￭ Lee Nan is the champion of the first Miss Hong Kong pageant
￭ Prof. C.T. Wang (Wang Zhengting) acts as the chief judge of the first Miss Hong Kong pageant [Wang was one of the 5 Chinese delegates sent to the Paris Peace Conference in 1919; formerly the ROC Ambassador to USA, he is chairman of Red Cross China and a life member of IOC]
￭ The first Miss Hong Kong pageant is organized by Lee Choi-fat, a gangster who is a protégés of Shanghai crime boss Du Yuesheng; Lee is also a known enemy collaborator during the Japanese occupation
1947
￭ The Islamic Republic of Pakistan is established
￭ India becomes an independent nation known as the Republic of India
￭ 329 taxis are licensed following the introduction of taxi licensing regulations
￭ George H. Thomas is the first locally born acting Director of Medical Services
1948
￭ Mahatma Gandhi is assassinated
￭ Ellen Li is the first Hong Kong woman created a Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE)
￭ Ellen Li is Hong Kong's first woman appointed Justice of the Peace
￭ Enrico Valtorta is the first Bishop of the Hong Kong diocese
￭ Patricia J. Loseby is Hong Kong's first woman solicitor
1949
￭ PRC proclaimed
￭ Kowloon Motor Bus Company introduces Hong Kong's first double-decker bus
￭ Lai Chi Kok Amusement Park is Hong Kong's first amusement park
￭ Malaysian Chinese Kimmy Koh is Hong Kong's first woman police sub-inspector of Chinese descent
￭ Sha Tin Airfield is Hong Kong's first airfield for the exclusive use of the military
￭ The fire sets off on S.S. Sai On, a Hong Kong / Canton ferry boat, kills 200 people; it is the first great ship's fire
￭ The government introduces an identification card that all residents are required to obtain and carry
￭ "The True Story of Wong Fei Hung Part I" is the first of the franchise of Wong Fei-hung movies [a total of 77 movies were made and screened between 1949 and 1981]
1950
￭ The Korean War begins
￭ The newly enacted dogs and cats protection ordinance prohibits the slaughter or sale of dogs and cats for food
1951
￭ Dr. Sze Tsung-sing establishes the Social Medicine Department in the Hong Kong University and becomes its first chair professor
1952
￭ Dr. K.C. Yeo is the first Hong Kong Chinese appointed Director of Medical and Health Services
￭ Dr. Sze Tsung-sing is the first Hong Kong Chinese to hold office in the World Health Organization; he is the Medical Officer, Social and Occupational Health, and is based in Geneva
￭ Miss Hong Kong Judy Dan wins the 4th runner-up in the first Miss Universe pageant [Miss Hong Kong of 1954, Virginia Lee Wai-chun, took home the title of Miss Universe 2nd runner-up]
￭ The Inland Revenue Ordinance Review Committee is established; it is chaired by Financial Secretary Arthur G. Clarke
1953
￭ The Korean Armistice Agreement is signed
1954
￭ "Love is a Many-Splendored Thing" (released in 1955, starring William Holden and Jennifer Jones) is the first Hollywood production shot almost entirely in Hong Kong on location
￭ The Hong Kong Police Force Pipe Band is the first locally established pipe band
￭ The Shek Kip Mei Estate is Hong Kong's first public housing development
1955
￭ The Vietnam War begins
￭ A bomb is planted in the plane that is to carry Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai from Hong Kong to Jakarta; it goes off 5 hours after departing Hong Kong and kills everyone on board [but not Zhou who was tipped off last minutes and didn't not board the plane; a KMT spy chief took credit for the failed assissnation years later]
￭ The escalators installed at the Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club at Happy Valley are the first ones existing in Hong Kong

￭ Hong Kong's first rooftop primary school begins to function; it is established by Florence Munroe, wife of the Rev. Elbridge Richard Munroe of the One Mission Society

1956
￭ 1946 Miss Hong Kong Judy Dan plays the role of a royal wife in the film "The King and I"; she is the first Hong Kong beauty queen to act in a Hollywood blockbuster movie
￭ The escalators installed in the Man Yee Building, Des Voeux Road Central, is the first ones existing in a building opened to the general public
1957
￭ Lily Leung is Hong Kong's first tv actress; she takes the leading role in Hong Kong's first tv soap opera "A Blessed Family"
￭ Redifusion is Hong Kong's first television station
1958
￭ The Tak Shing House, Des Voeux Road Central, is the first building in Hong Kong to use a curtain wall facade
1959
￭ Helen Ann Lo is the first woman solicitor to open her own firm, namely Helen A. Lo & Co.
￭ The "Decca 41" radar installed at Hong Kong Observatory's weather station atop Tate's Cairn is Hong Kong's first weather radar
￭ The first order from Hong Kong for a Ferrari, to be exact a Series II250GT Pinin Farina 3-liter, V-12, is placed by a captain of the US armed forces stationed here [by the time the Pinin Farina was ready to ship in May 1960, the captain was already reassigned to Japan, so the car was delivered there -- and became the first Ferrari imported to Japan]
1960
1960s
￭ The first Ferrari is imported to Hong Kong, details unknown
1961
￭ The three rubber dams constructed at Plover Cove as a part of the water supply system are Hong Kong's first rubber dams
1962
￭ The Cuban missile crisis takes place
￭ The public library located inside the new (second) City Hall is the first library run by the government
1963
￭ Jack Kennedy is assassinated in Dallas
￭ Ling Tsui Yuen-yuen is Hong Kong's first Asian Games medalist; she wins a silver medal in Tennis Ladies Double, her partner is Ranjani Jayasuriya of Sri Lanka
1964
￭ PRC launches its first nuclear weapons test
￭ The Beatles performs 2 concerts at the Princess Theater
1965
￭ Fresh water supply from the Mainland is piped to Hong Kong; the water comes from Dongjiang (East River of the Pearl River system)
￭ The Federation of Medical Society of Hong Kong is established; Alberto M. Rodrigues is its first president
1966
￭ The onset of Cultural Revolution in China
￭ 1959 Miss Hong Kong 2nd runner-up Lily Mo Chou, born Wang Lizhen, committs suicide; the 32 years old Show Brothers actress is the first Hong Kong beauty queen to take her own life
￭ Ellen Li is Hong Kong's first woman appointed to the Legislative Council
￭ Lee Ching-chee of Church of Christ in China is the first woman ordained a Protestant minister
1967

Lam Bun

￭ Israel invades its neighboring states in the 6-Day War
￭ Hong Kong is under terrorist attacks during the Hong Kong Leftist Riots
￭ Lam Bun is Hong Kong's first radio commentator assassinated for political reasons [Lam had condemned terrorist attacks committed by the riotists on his radio show at Commerical Radio Hong Kong]
￭ Television Broadcasts Ltd. (TVB) is Hong Kong's first wireless commercial tv station
￭ The Lion Rock Tunnel opens as Hong Kong's first road tunnel
￭ The Macau Grand Prix televised by TVB is Hong Kong's first tv live coverage
￭ TVB's “Enjoy Yourself Tonight” is Hong Kong's first tv live variety show [the show continued until 1994 and became one of the world's longest running tv live variety show]
1968
￭ The Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. is assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee
￭ Robert F. Kennedy is assassinated in Los Angeles
￭ The Hong Kong Journalist Association is established; it is composed mainly of local journalists
1969
￭ Men land on the moon
￭ The Hong Kong Hang Seng Index (HSI) is created [the reference index initially created by the Hang Seng Bank for internal and bank customers' use later became the paramount shares index in Hong Kong]
1970
￭ Anson Chan is the first woman appointed assistant Financial Secretary
￭ Pope Paul VI is the first pope to visit Hong Kong
￭ The Peninsula Hotel begins its luxury airport transfer service with a fleet of seven Rolls Royce Silver Shadow limousines
1971
￭ PRC is admitted to the United Nations, on a vote of 76 in favor, 35 opposed, and 17 abstentions
￭ TVB's Enjoy Yourself Tonight is Hong Kong's first locally produced full color tv program
1972
￭ The United States formally recognizes the People's Republic of China
￭ Hong Kong dollar is pegged to USD at a rate close to 7.8
￭ Hong Kong's first renal transplant operation goes successfully [note: only successful organ transplant operations are shown in this timeline]
￭ Hong Kong's time standard switches from GMT to UTC (Temps Universel Coordonné)
￭ The use of Chinese language is allowed in Legislative Council Meetings
1973
￭ The onset of Oil Crisis, the OAPEC oil embargo won't be lifted until April the following year
￭ The Miss Beach Pageant is Hong Kong's first live televised beauty pageant; the champion is Meg Lam Kin-ming
1974
￭ Richard Nixon resigns as a result of the Watergate scandal
￭ The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) is established; Jack Cater is appointed its first Commissioner
1975
￭ The Vietnam War ends
￭ Elaine Koo Mu-pin, nee Hui, is Hong Kong's first woman meteorologist; she works for the Royal Hong Kong Observatory
￭ Hong Kong's first McDonald's Restaurant opens at Paterson Street, Causeway Bay
￭ Hong Kong's first replantation operation of a chopped off hand at wrist level is conducted by Professor Leung Ping-chung at the Kwong Wah Hospital; the patient is an 82-year-old woman
1976
￭ Zhou Enlai and Mao Zedong die in the same year
￭ Cultural Revolution subdued
1977
￭ Elvis Aaron Presley dies [or did he?]
1978
￭ Deng Xiaoping becomes PRC's paramount leader
1979
￭ Deng Xiaoping visits USA
1980
1981
￭ Egyptian President Anwar El Sadat is assassinated
￭ Pope John Paul II is shot and critically wounded in St. Peter's Square in an attempted assassination by Turk Mehmet Ali Agca
￭ The trial of the Gang of Four is held, the 4 deposed leaders receive sentences that range from capital punishment to 20 years imprisonment
1982
￭ Margaret Thatcher visits Bejing to discuss possibilities to extend Britain's rule over Hong Kong
￭ Deng Xiaoping announces PRC's decision to retake Hong Kong
￭ Britain and Argentina engage in the Falklands War that lasts from April to June
￭ Margaret Thatcher is the first sitting British Prime Minister to visit Hong Kong
1983
￭ Lydia S. Dunn is the first woman to chair the Hong Kong Trade Development Council
1984
￭ The Sino-British Joint Declaration on the future of Hong Kong is signed
￭ Jack Tang is the first Chinese elected chairman of the Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce
1985
￭ Chinese President Li Xiannian visits USA [it was the first US visit by a PRC head of state]
￭ Anson Chan is the first woman appointed director of the Social Welfare Department
￭ Helen Ann Lo, later Helen Griffiths, is the first woman appointed a judge; she is a district court judge
1986
￭ Space Shuttle Challenger breaks apart 73 seconds into its flight, killing all seven crew members
￭ Edward Youde is the first governor to die in office
￭ The procedure of Hong Kong's first test tube baby is done by obstetrician Milton Leong Ka-hong of the In Vitro Fertilization Center, Hong Kong Sanatorium & Hospital
1987
￭ Black Monday (1987); on October 19, all stock markets in the world crash that begins in Hong Kong; by the end of the month, Hong Kong stocks fall 45.5%; markets in the rest of the world are hit in different degree ranging from 22.5% (Canada) to 60% (New Zealand)
￭ All tradings at the Hong Kong Stock Exchange are suspended for the first time since its establishment from October 20 to 23; when the market re-opens on October 26, HSI plunges 43% in one day
1988
￭ Lydia S. Dunn is the first woman appointed Senior Unofficial Member of the Legislative Council Member
￭ Wu Cheng-chung John Baptist is the first Cardinal of the Hong Kong diocese
￭ Yang Ti-Liang is the first Chinese appointed Chief Justice
1989
￭ Tiananmen Square Protests of 1989
￭ The Berlin Wall comes down
￭ Leung Wai-yu is the first woman hired as a bus driver
￭ Li Kwan-ha is the first Chinese appointed Commissioner of Police
￭ Wong Tin-chun is the first woman elected president of the Hong Kong Dental Association
1990
￭ The Gulf War begins
￭ The East and West Germany unify
￭ Lydia Selina Dunn is made the Baroness of Hong Kong
￭ William Purves is appointed the first chairman of the newly established HSBC Holdings
￭ Xu Jiatun, head of China's Xinhua news agency in Hong Kong, defects to the United States
1991
￭ The Gulf War ends
￭ The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics is formally dissolved
￭ Professor Fan Sheung-tat performs Hong Kong's first liver transplant operation
1992
￭ C.K. Mok performs Hong Kong's first heart transplant operation, at the Grantham Hospital
￭ Lam Chek Yuen is the first Chinese apppointed Director of Fire Services
￭ Lydia S. Dunn is the first woman elected deputy chairman of HSBC
1993
￭ Anson Chan is the first Chinese as well as the first woman appointed Chief Secretary
1994
￭ Tsingtao Brewery (0168.HK) is the first IPO in Hong Kong of a PRC company; $889 million is raised [it was also the first Mainland company to be listed in an overseas exchange]
1995
￭ Perveen Crawford, nee Khan, is the first woman licensed to fly a private plane
1996
￭ Dolly the sheep is cloned [she lived until 2003]
￭ The Hong Kong Society of Transplantation is established; its first president is Dr. Ignatius Kum-po Cheng, Specialist in Nephrology, Queen Mary Hospital
1997
￭ The sovereignty of Hong Kong is transferred from Britain to PRC, successor state of ROC, which in turn was the successor state of Da Qing
￭ Asian Financial Crisis takes place
￭ Tung Chee-hwa is elected (at an election where only members of the electoral college, 800 in number, are eligible to vote) the first Chief Exectuive of Hong Kong, SAR
￭ Elsie Leung Oi-sie is the first woman appointed Secretary for Justice; Leung is formerly a solicitor specialized in divorce cases [only KC or QC were appointed in the past; the 2nd and 3rd SAR SJ are both Senior Counsels]
￭ Rita Fan Hsu Lai-tai is elected President of the Provisional Legislative Council
1998
￭ Bill Clinton is impeached by the House of Representatives on perjury and obstruction of justice
￭ Rita Fan Hsu Lai-tai is the first woman president (speaker) of the Legislative Council; she is also the first president of the post colonial Legislative Council
￭ Vivienne Poy, nee Lee, a former Hong Kong resident, is elected a Canadian Senator; Poy is the granddaughter of Lee Hysan, a drug dealer nicknamed the "Opium Prince of Hong Kong"
￭ Post 1997 appointment of the Justices of the Peace: the first appointments by the Hong Kong SAR government include Fok Tsun-ting, President of the Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong
1999
￭ Tracker Fund of Hong Kong (2800.HK) is the first ETF (exchange-trade-fund) to go public; the issue size is $33.3 billion
￭ Electronic IPO service is made available by Hong Kong Security Clearing Co., Ltd.
￭ Ng Bing-tse, a.k.a. Adrienne Louise Clarkson, nee Poy, a former Hong Kong resident, is appointed Canada's Governor-General; Vivienne Poy married Clarkson's brother Neville Poy
2000
￭ MTR Corporation Ltd. is the first public utility entity privatized
￭ Online application of IPO suscription is made available by Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Ltd.
2001
￭ No less than 2,985 people die in the 911 Attacks
2002
2003
￭ Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrates during re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere, killing all 7 crew members
￭ The Chinese National Space Administration sends the first Chinese man into space
2004
2005
￭ Canning Fok Kin-ning is the first taxpayer to have paid over $100 million in income tax; Fok is the group managing director of Hutchison Whampao
￭ Margaret Leung Ko May-yee is the first woman appointed Group General Manager of HSBC
￭ Vivian Cheung, nee Lee, is the first woman in Hong Kong appointed general manager of an airport in China: the Zhuhai Airport
2006
￭ Dr. Margaret Chan Fung Fu-chun is the first Hong Konger appointed head of an UN agency; she is Director-General of the World Health Organization
￭ Nina Wang Yu Sum, nee Kung, is Hong Kong's first woman billionaire
2007
￭ David Li Kwok-po of Bank of East Asia is the first bank ceo to be investigated by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on insider dealing charges
￭ Dr. Karen Lam Siu-ling is the first woman appointed Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Hong Kong University
￭ Lily Chiang is the first woman elected to chair the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce
2008
￭ Lily Chiang is the first chairman of a chamber of commerce to be indicted by the ICAC
￭ Oasis Hong Kong Airlines is the first local air carrier to go bankrupt
2009
￭ Ma Hon Yeung, formerly a VP of BNP Paribas Capital, is the first offender of insider trading to receive a jail sentence (26 months in prison)
￭ Major-general Andrew Mackay, a former inspector of the Royal Hong Kong Police Force (1978-1981), is appointed Governor of Edinburgh Castle
2010
￭ Schramm Holding AG (0955.HK) is the first Hong Kong IPO of a European company; $185 million is raised
2011
￭ Osama bin Laden, head of al-Qaeda and mastermind of the 911 Attacks, is killed by the US Navy SEALs during a raid of his hideout in Pakistan
￭ Anna Wu Lai-fong is the first woman appointed Fire Services Assistant Divisional Officer
￭ SBI Holdings Inc. (6488.HK) is the first Hong Kong IPO of a Japanese company; $206 million is raised
￭ Coach, Inc. (COH.N) is the first US company listed in HKSE (secondary offering)
2012
￭ Lily Chiang is the first former chairman of the Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce (2007/08) to be jailed (42 months imprisonment) on fraud-related charges connected to stock manipulation

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