1856 – During the Second Opium War, the government of the Qing dynasty is defeated by western powers. This leads to the signing of the Treaties of Tianjin and the Convention of Peking, which stipulates Hankou as a major trading port.
1889 – Zhang Zhidong, the Viceroy of Huguang, sets up many industries and educational organizations, laying a solid foundation in the modernization of Wuhan.
1911 – The Wuchang Uprising event of October 1911 originates in Wuhan and overthrows the Qing dynasty, leading to the abdication of the last emperor and the formation of a united provisional government in the spring of 1912.
1927 – Wuhan becomes the location of the national government, which effectively leads to the combination of Wuchang, Hankou, and Hanyang into the city of Wuhan.
1938 – Japanese troops move east and north in the outskirts of Wuhan, and the city becomes a military headquarters. As a result, large amounts of the population leave the city.
1944 – Wuhan faces major bombing which destroys much of the city and devastates the local population.
1970 – Wuhan begins to develop at a dramatic pace, rapidly expanding its central business district.
1981 – The most current structure of Yellow Crane Tower is unveiled, the twelfth incarnation of the pagoda.
2011 – Wuhan Metro comes into operation, the fifth city in China to open a subway system.
2019 – Wuhan is officially ranked as a New Tier 1 Chinese city by the government.