This book does not include an entry for every year of Taiwan's long history. Even so, I think it offers a more fun and interesting take on how modern Taiwan came to be.*
台灣幸福百事 "100 Fortunate Things in Taiwan"
1874 - Taiwan's first Western wedding. The ceremony was performed by Reverend Mackay 馬偕牧師, for whom the hospitals are named.
1891 - Taiwan's first railway began operating. At this time there were six stations, all in north Taiwan.
1895 - Taiwan's first court of law was established during the interim period between Ching 清 sovereignty and the Japanese occupation.
1896 - Taiwan's first billiards competition. This game was brought to Taiwan by the Japanese.
1897 - Taiwan's first coffee shop opened in Taipei.
1898 - Taiwan's first phone network established. The first assigned number, "1," was for the Taipei County Hall 台北縣廳.
1899 - Taiwan's first city park was created in Yuan Shan 圓山 in Taipei.
1900 - The first four bicycles arrived in Taipei.
1901 - Taiwan's first public library opened in Danshui 淡水.
1902 - An X-ray machine was used for the first time in Taiwan.
1905 - Red bean bread was sold for the first time in Taiwan. Prior to this it had become very popular in Japan.
1906 - Electric fans became available for the first time.
1908 - Taiwan's first Western-style hotel, the Taiwan Railway Hotel 台灣鐵道旅館 opened its doors. This hotel sold its own brand of cola, and was equipped with one of Taiwan's first elevators. It was located where the Shin Kong Mitsukoshi 新光三越 department store now stands, right across from the Taipei Main Station 台北車站.
1910 - Shortbread cakes 長崎蛋糕 were sold in Taiwan for the first time.
1911 - Some of Taiwan's first graduates from foreign (Japanese) universities returned from abroad.
1912 - The first automobile arrived in Taiwan.
1913 - The first switchboard was used in Taiwan. At that time, there were only 999 phone numbers in all of Taipei.
1914 - A group of Hakka singers were taken to Tokyo, and several traditional songs were recorded. This was the first time Taiwanese music was put on record.
1915 - Taiwan produced its first vending machine.
1916 - Two British doctors brought the sport of soccer into Taiwan for the first time, and thereafter several teams were established.
1918 - The first golf course was built in Danshui 淡水.
1921 - Taiwan got its first swimming pool, located in a Taipei Y.M.C.A.
1922 - Hospitals in Taiwan began using a new "car style" 汽車式 ambulance.
1923 - The first underground pedestrian tunnel was completed in Ba Du Station 八堵火車站.
1924 - The first driving school was opened in Taichung 台中.
1925 - The first motion picture (V8) cameras appeared on the market.
1926 - The first electric refrigerators were sold.
1927 - Taiwan's first horse racing track was opened in Taipei.
1929 - Mickey Mouse began appearing on Taiwanese products. His likeness even appeared on a local beer!
1930 - The first neon signs began appearing on storefronts.
1931 - The first ballrooms were opened.
1932 - Taiwan's first department store opened in Taipei.
1933 - A building in Taipei was the first to use air-conditioning.
1935 - Taiwan held its first election, in which representatives of many cities, townships, and villages were elected.
1935 - The first televisions were sold.
1936 - The first airplane tickets were sold.
1946 - Automobiles were required by law to keep to the right side of the road.
1947 - The first I.D. card was issued.
1957 - The Taiwan Sugar Corporation 台糖 became the first Taiwanese company to buy a computer. The computer purchased was an IBM 1400, which was the size of a (very) large refrigerator and had less computing power than your cell phone.
1958 - The first crosswalk appeared in Taipei.
1959 - The first escalator was installed in Da Shin Department Store 大新百貨 in Kaohsiung 高雄.
1962 - The first cooking show appeared on Taiwanese television.
1964 - The Jung Shan Freeway 中山高速公路 was opened to traffic.
1967 - A cable car began operation in Wulai 烏來.
1968 - Taiwanese companies began producing instant noodles. The Wei Li 維力 Company was the first on the market.
1969 - The first supermarket opened.
1973 - Taiwanese credit card companies began issuing credit cards.
1977 - The Youth Convenience Store 青年商店, Taiwan's first convenience store, opened in Taipei. Taiwan's first 7-11 would open not long after. You can still visit this 7-11 on Chang An East Road 長安東路 First Section 一段 Lane 53 (53巷) in Taipei City.
1984 - McDonald's came to Taiwan. You can still visit Taiwan's first McDonald's on Min Sheng East Road 民生東路 Section 3 三段 in Taipei.
1996 - Taipei's first MRT line began operation.
2007 - Taiwan's High Speed Rail (HSR) 高鐵 began operation.
2016 - I thumb my way through a copy of "100 Fortunate Things in Taiwan," and type all of the above. Now it's history!
*I didn't include ALL of the 100 "Fortunate Things" from this book. What you see above is about half of them.
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