| 200 B. C. | China united under Chin (Qin) Dynasty |
| 1842 | Treaty of Nanking ends Opium War |
| 1851-1864 | “Taiping Rebellion”. Suppressed by Manchu Dynasty with help from Western Powers |
| 1881 | Danielle Johannessen and Hans Nesse born near Bergen—Bremnes, Finaas, Norway |
| 1898-1910 | Hans emigrated to U.S. Worked as carpenter and Lakes seaman. School/seminary |
| 1899 | U.S. proclaims “Open Door” policy towards China |
| 1900 | “Boxer Rebellion” Anti foreign movement ultimately suppressed by Western Powers |
| 1902 | Missionary interests buy large tract of land on Kikung mountain as summer retreat |
| 1909 | “Sister” Danielle accepts Norwegian Missionary Society call to China as a nurse |
| 1909 | “Reverend” Hans Nesse accepts China call by the Norwegian Luth. Church of America |
| 1911 | Manchu Dynasty overthrown – “warlord era” begins throughout China |
| 1912 | Hans and Danielle meet on Kikung after 11 years without contact |
| 1913 | Hans and Danielle married on Kikung – launch mission work in Suiping, Honan |
| 1914 | “ASK” American School Kikung (now Jigong) for missionary children established |
| 1915 | Gerhard Nesse born in Sinyang (now Xinyang) Honan (now Henan) |
| 1917 | Henry Nesse born in Sinyang |
| 1922 | Arthur Nesse born in Kioshan, Honan |
| 1926-1927 | Civil war and anti-foreign movement led to exodus of foreigners from China. Chiang Kai Shek unifies china under Kuomingtang. Nesse family travels to U.S. via Siberia and Norway. |
| 1928 | China renews relations with the West and foreign businesses and missionaries return |
| 1931 | Japan takes Manchuria from China |
| 1932 | Danielle dies in Sinyang and is buried on Kikung. Hans and the boys travel to U.S. where Gerhard and Henry remain. Arthur returns to China and ASK |
| 1937 | Japan launches campaign to conquer China – continues through end of WW II -1945 |
| 1937-1938 | Hans with Arthur to U.S. for furlough – Hans returns to China – Arthur stays in U.S. |
| 1941 | Pearl Harbor — U.S. – Japan hostilities start |
| 1942-1945 | Hans interned by the Japanese in Wuhan, Hupeh. Returns to U.S. in 1946 |
| 1948 | Hans returns to China and resumes work in Sinyang |
| 1945-1949 | Communists defeat Nationalists who retreat to Taiwan |
| 1951 | Communists disallow foreign missionary programs and Hans leaves to return to U.S. He dies when visiting his home in Norway en-route to the U.S. |
| 1951-1953 | Communists purge propertied classes (5-10 million reported killed) and redistribute land to the peasants. |
| 1957-1958 | “Great Leap Forward” featuring communal farming and industrialization. Widespread starvation throughout China |
| 1966-1969 | “Cultural Revolution” destroys cultural artifacts and educational infrastructure throughout most of China. |
| 1972 | Nixon visits China – restoration of cultural, diplomatic and business relations begins to develop again |
| 1976 | Mao Tse tung and Chou en lai die |
| 1979 | “Wade Giles” phonetic conventions for the Chinese language replaced by “Pinyin” |