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| 1901 | Birth |  |
| 29th April Birth of Hirohito |
| 1921 | Regency | |
| 25th Nov Appointed Regent, due to father's illnes |
| 1922 | Treaty of Washington | |
| Washington A 9 power treaty bans unilateral action against China & guarantees trade in Manchuria |
| 1924 | Marriage | |
| Tokyo Marries Princess Nagako |
| 1925 | Diplomacy | |
| 20th Jan Sakhalin Diplomatic relationa are restored with Russia as Japan withdraws from nth Sakhalin |
| 1925 | Rule of Sakhalin | |
| 20th Jan Sakhalin Japan evacuates North Sakhalin |
| 1926 | Succession | |
| 25th Dec Succeeds as Emperor of Japan, 124th Emperor of Japan |
| 25th Dec Succeeds as Emperor of Japan, ascends the chrysanthemum throne as a god |
| 1928 | Battle of Ji'nan | |
| 3rd May Shandong Japan defeats the Guomindang at Ji'nan & occupies the Shandong Peninsular |
| 1928 | Capture of Shandong | |
| 3rd May Shandong Japan defeats the Guomindang at Ji'nan & occupies the Shandong Peninsular |
| 1928 | Coronation | |
| 11th Nov Kyoto Officially enthroned at the Imperial Palace |
| 1929 | Treaty of Four Power Naval | |
| The Navy appeals to the Emperor but the treaty is ratified in the Diet |
| 1932 | Diplomacy | |
| Japan defeats China at the 1st battle of Shanghai & China ends its boycott |
| 1934 | Treaty of Washington | |
| Japan renounces the Washington Treaty of 1922 which had laid down naval ratios |
| 1936 | Alliance | |
| Nov Berlin A Japanese-German Convention is signed in Berlin |
| Nov Berlin To "combat the subversive activities" of the Comintern |
| 1936 | Conference of London | |
| London Japan withdraws from the London Naval Conference in order to build without restriction |
| 1939 | Battle of Nomonhan | |
| May Nomonhan Japan suffers a major defeat by the Russians on the Manchuria-Mongolian frontier |
| 1939 | Capture of Hainan | |
| May Hainan Japan captures the Chinese controlled island of Hainan |
| 1939 | Diplomacy | |
| 23rd Aug Japan renounces the Anti-Comintern Pact with Germany |
| 1940 | Alliance | |
| 9 Thailand is forced to become an ally of Japan |
| 1940 | Capture of Indo China | |
| 9 Japan captures Indo-China, with the agreement of the Vichy government |
| 1940 | Diplomacy | |
| June The Changkufeng & Nomonhan incidents with Russia are settled |
| 9 The USAapplies sanctions against Japan for closing the "Open Door" policy in Asia |
| 1940 | Incident Changkufeng | |
| June Changkufeng The Changkufeng & Nomonhan incidents with Russia are settled |
| 1940 | Incident Nomonhan | |
| June Nomonhan The Changkufeng & Nomonhan incidents with Russia are settled |
| 1940 | Invasion of Indochina | |
| 9 After the fall of France Japan stations troops nth Indo-China |
| 1940 | Peace | |
| 9 Berlin Japan agrees peace with Russia in Berlin, after joining the Tripartite Pact |
| 1940 | Tripartite Pact | |
| 9 Japan makes an alliance with Russia & Germany |
| 1941 | Declaration of War | |
| 9th Dec Britain, Australia & the USA declare war on Japan |
| 1941 | Diplomacy | |
| 13th April Japan & Russia sign a neutrality pact |
| 1944 | Abdication | |
| 8th July Members of Hirohito's family secretly agree he should abdicate in favour of Akihito |
| 1944 | Battle of Leyte Gulf | |
| 24th Oct Leyte Gulf Supports the biggest naval engagement in history as a gamble to win a good peace deal |
| 1944 | Capture of Saipan | |
| June Saipan The USA captures Saipan & can bomb Japanese cities |
| 1944 | Resignation | |
| 14th July Tojo is forced to resign by Hirohito who makes him a scapegoat for the war |
| 1945 | Alliance | |
| Hitler asks Japan to attack Russia, Japan agrees if Germany subdues Russia |
| 1945 | Battle of Okinawa | |
| Mar Okinawa After 3 months fighting 110,000 Japanese soldiers & 150,000 civilians died |
| 1945 | Bombing of Hiroshima | |
| 9th Aug Hiroshima More than 10 sqr miles are obliterated & 137,000 killed |
| 9th Aug Hiroshima The USA drops a plutonium bomb on Hiroshima |
| 1945 | Bombing of Nagasaki | |
| 9th Aug Nagasaki The USA drops the atomic bomb on Nagasaki, over 73,000 are killed |
| 1945 | Bombing of Tokyo | |
| 25th Feb Tokyo The USA bombs Tokyo, 200,000 are killed |
| 10th Mar Tokyo 2 million have been made homeless in Tokyo |
| 1945 | Broadcast | |
| 15th Aug Hirohito broadcasts a radio message telling the people that Japan will surrender |
| 1945 | Constitution | |
| Ceases claming to be a god |
| 1945 | Declaration of Potsdam | |
| 27th July Potsdam Japan ignores the request for uncondional surrender, unaware of the USAthe atomic bomb |
| 27th July Potsdam The US, Britain & Nationalist China calls for unconditional Japanese surrender |
| 27th July Potsdam The USA& Britain & Nationalist China threaten Japan with "prompt & utter destruction" |
| 1945 | Declaration of War | |
| Aug Russia declares war on Japan |
| 1945 | Diplomacy | |
| Japan keeps its neutrality with Russia |
| Negotiations to settle the difference between Japan & the USAbreakdown |
| The USAfreezes all Japanese assets in the USA |
| 1945 | Invasion of Russia | |
| Hitler asks Japan to attack Russia, Japan agrees if Germany subdues Russia |
| 1945 | Peace | |
| Mar Okinawa Decides because the navy & army will fight at Okinawa it is not a good time for peace |
| 1945 | Rule of Formosa | |
| Formosa Formosa is returned to China |
| 1945 | Rule of Manchuria | |
| Manchuria Manchuria is returned to China |
| 1945 | Surrender | |
| 14th Aug Hirohito announces the surrender of Japan |
| 15th Aug Hirohito broadcasts a radio message telling the people that Japan will surrender |
| 16th Aug Issues an Imperial Order directing Japanese forces to surrender |
| 19th Aug Manila Japanese emissaries receive terms for Japan's surrender from the USA |
| 2nd Sep Japan formally surrenders aboard the USS Missouri |
| 14th Sep Japan surrenders to the Allies |
| 1946 | Constitution | |
| The Emperor is proclaimed "symbol of the state and of the unity of the people" |
| 1st Jan Issues an Imperial Rescript denying his divinity |
| 1st Jan Issues an Imperial Rescript rejecting Japanese racial superiority |
| 1947 | Constitution | |
| The new constitution renounces war & abolishes the divinity of the Emperor |
| Under the constitution sovereignty rests in the people, not the Emperor |
| 1989 | Death | |
| Death of Hirohito |
