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UN
United Nations formed -
Korea asks UN for recognition
The Provisional Government of Korea asked the United Nations for recognition and membership in April 1945. -
Japan Surrenders
General Order No. 1: US and USSR will divide Korea -
Soviets declares war on Japan
The Soviet Union had declared war on Japan on August 9, 1945. -
Korea governed by foreign member nations
In October 1945 the Allies announced that Korea would be governed by a trusteeship under the United States, the Soviet Union, Britain, and China for up to five years. -
Russia invites Kim Il Sung to P'yongyang
The Russians welcomed the Communist guerrilla Kim Il Sung to P’yongyang as a hero on October 14, and six days later Hodge gave the returning Syngman Rhee a hero’s welcome in Seoul. -
Bureau of Five Provinces in North Korea formed
On October 19 the Bureau of Five Provinces in northern Korea was formed and led by the Presbyterian nationalist Cho Man-sik. -
Moscow Accords
In December 1945, the United States and the USSR announce that Korea will become a trusteeship for a period of five years -
North Koreans moved to South
On February 9, 1946 the Soviets replaced the Bureau with the Provisional People’s Committee for North Korea. Those who did not want to live under Communist authorities moved to the south, 800,000 by the end of 1947. -
US invites Syngman Rhee as chairman
On February 14, 1946 the US Military Government set up the advisory Representative Democratic Council with Syngman Rhee as chairman. -
US MG forms Law Assembly
The US Military Government formed the Interim Legislative Assembly in October 1946 by appointing 45 members and having 45 members elected. -
India Partition
Independent India partitioned into India and Pakistan. -
Rise of Communists
Communists take control of China. -
North Korea Invades
Communist North Korean troops launch a full-scale invasion of the South, beginning the open military phase of the Korean War. North Korean tanks and infantry surge across the 38th parallel into South Korean territory, quickly overrunning the defensive positions of overmatched South Korean forces. The Communists continue their southward advance, meeting little resistance in the countryside.Parallel, invading South Korea. -
US and UN Condemn North Korea
In the morning, President Truman issues a statement announcing to the American public the decision made at Blair House on 25 and 26 June: "I have ordered United States air and sea forces to give the Korean Government troops cover and support." In the afternoon, the United Nations Security Council—temporarily being boycotted by the Soviet Union—passes an American-drafted resolution condemning North Korea as the aggressor in the conflict and calling on all members st -
North Korea Captures Seoul
North Korean forces capture the South Korean capital city of Seoul. -
Return of US troops
US lands troops at Busan -
Battle at Osan
American ground troops go into battle against Northern Korean forces at Osan (just south of Seoul on the western side of the peninsula). The Americans, expecting an easy victory over an overmatched foe, are stunned to discover that the North Korean army will be a formidable adversary. The Americans suffer 150 casualties in the battle and fail to halt the North Koreans' southward advance. -
North Korea Advances to Daejeon
Communist forces continue their southward advance through the Korean peninsula, driving American forces back to Daejeon, 100 miles south of Seoul. -
Korean War Armistice
After nearly two years of negotiations, diplomats from the United States, North Korea, and China reach agreement on an armistice to end the "UN peace action" in Korea without a formal peace treaty. Both sides claim victory; Korea remains divided at the 38th parallel. -
Retreat to Pusan Perimeter
American and South Korean forces end more than a month of retreat by establishing, finally, a stable defensive line outside the city of Pusan, at the far southeastern tip of the peninsula. The shattered remnants of the South Korean army and the entire American force in Korea crowd into the tiny area behind the so-called Pusan Perimeter; the entire rest of the country, more than 90% of Korea's land area, is now under Communist control. Over the next six weeks, North Korean forces will launch a se -
MacArthur and the Inchon Landing
General MacArthur orchestrates one of the great tactical victories in American military history, a massive amphibious landing of thousands of soldiers and Marines at Inchon, a city located along Korea's west coast not far from Seoul, hundreds of miles behind enemy lines. MacArthur's audacious Inchon Landing catches the North Koreans completely by surprise, allowing the Americans to cut vital lines of supply to the Communist troops farther south at Pusan, forcing them into a desperate retreat bac -
China Enters Korean War
Chinese leader Mao Zedong, fearful of the consequences of hostile American forces taking up positions along his country's border at the Yalu River, orders hundreds of thousands of Chinese soldiers into battle in Korea. The massive Chinese intervention into the Korean conflict catches American military leaders completely off guard, leading to a series of crushing defeats. American prospects in the Korean War deteriorate rapidly, as hopes of imminent victory give way to a desperate struggle to avo -
Truman Fires MacArthur
The White House makes a special late-night announcement that General Douglas MacArthur has been relieved of his duties. MacArthur learns of his firing when one of his aides hears the radio broadcast at headquarters and telephones the general's residence in Tokyo to tell him. -
Korean War Armistice
After nearly two years of negotiations, diplomats from the United States, North Korea, and China reach agreement on an armistice to end the "UN peace action" in Korea without a formal peace treaty. Both sides claim victory; Korea remains divided at the 38th parallel. -
Soviets take action
Soviets launch Sputnik. -
Ghana's Independence
Ghana achieves independence from Great Britain. -
Communists in Cuba
Cuba becomes Communist. (Fidel Castro) -
North and South meet for better relationship
North Korea and South Korea meet to improve relations
