Major events in Taiwan's modern political history, as voters go to polls on March 22

Major events in Taiwan's modern political history:

_October 1945: Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalists reclaim control of Taiwan for China, after 50 years of colonial rule by Japan.

_1949: Chiang and hundreds of thousands of Nationalist troops, officials and their families retreat to Taiwan after losing the Chinese civil war to Mao Zedong's Communists on the mainland. Martial law is imposed. Taipei becomes the seat of the government of the Republic of China.

_October 1971: As Nixon administration achieves detente with Mao's regime, Taiwan expelled from the United Nations and the world body's China seat goes to Beijing.

_April 1975: Chiang dies, succeeded by Vice President Yen Chia-kan.

_March 1978: Chiang's son, Chiang Ching-kuo, becomes president.

_January 1979: The U.S. switches diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing.

_September 1986: Leading Taiwanese dissidents found the Democratic Progressive Party.

_July 1987: Chiang Ching-kuo lifts martial law, setting the stage for gradual democratization.

_January 1988: Chiang dies, and is succeeded by Vice President Lee Teng-hui.

_March 1996: China fires missiles near Taiwan's coast days before the island holds its first direct presidential election, which Lee wins.

_March 2000: The Democratic Progressive Party's Chen Shui-bian is elected president, ending more than a half century of Nationalist rule.

_March 2004: Chen is re-elected.

_March 22, 2008: Taiwanese go to the polls to choose Chen's successor.