August 1, 1927

The national revolutionary troops, headed by Chinese Communist Party leaders Zhu De and Zhou Enlai, led the Nanchang Uprising in Nanchang, capital of East China's Jiangxi Province, where they declared to the public that a new army was being created to fight for a new China.

September 9, 1927

Mao Zedong led the Autumn Harvest Uprising in Central China's Hunan Province. In October, the troops arrived at Jinggang Mountain where Mao decided to name them the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army - the military arm of the Chinese Communist Party (CPC). In April 1928, the troops led by Mao Zedong and Zhu De joined forces in Jinggang Mountains to protect their new revolutionary base.

July 11, 1933

The new China Soviet Republic Provisional Government fixed August 1 as Army Day.

March 1934-October 1935

The Red Army embarked on the Long March.

August of 1937

The Red Army joined the Kuomintang forces as the Eighth Route Army and New Fourth Army when the Kuomintang and CPC forged a united front for the second time to fight the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression.

November 11, 1948

All military forces under the CPC leadership were officially named the People's Liberation Army.

November 11, 1949

The Air Force of the PLA was established.

April 14, 1950

The Navy of the PLA was established.

September 1955

The system of military ranks was formally introduced into the PLA, but it was abolished in May 1965.

July 1966

The strategic missile troops of the PLA were established, which is also coded as the Second Artillery Forces.

October 1, 1988

The system of military ranks was re-introduced into the PLA.

July 1, 1997

The PLA Hong Kong Garrison assumed defense responsibility in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

December 21, 1999

The PLA Macau Garrison took on its defense responsibility in the Macao Special Administrative Region.

October 10-11, 2002

China and Kyrghyz held a joint military drill, the first time that the PLA held a drill with a foreign army.

Since 1950, the People's Liberation Army has undergone restructuring and personnel reductions 10 times, from an infantry army of 5.5 million to 10 modernized combat branches today comprised of 2.3 million men and women.

China Daily

(China Daily 08/01/2007 page24)