December 17
Thirteenth Dalai Lama Passes Away in Lhasa at the age of 57 (Water-Bird Year, 10th month, 30th day)
Key dates linked to His Holiness
1933
1935
July 6
Born in Taktser, Amdo, Tibet (Wood-Pig Year, 5th month, 5th day)
1939
January 1
Public Declaration of the Official Recognition of the Fourteenth Dalai Lama near town of Bumchen
July 1
Departs Amdo for three-month journey to Lhasa
October 8
Enters Lhasa after three-month journey from Amdo (Earth-Hare Year, 8th month, 25th day)
1940
January 1
Begins monastic education at the age of five
February 22
Enthronement Ceremony (Iron-Dragon Year, 1st month, 14th day)
1942
January 10
Receives Vows of Novice Monk from Taktra Rinpoche (1st month, 10th day)
1950
November 17
Assumes full temporal (political) power after China’s invasion of Tibet in 1949 (Iron-Tiger Year, 10th month, 11th day)
December 16
Departs Lhasa for Dromo because of Chinese threat
1951
January 1
Resides in Dromo (Yatung)
May 23
17-Point Agreement signed by Tibetan delegation in Peking under duress
July 16
Chinese delegation led by General Chiang Chin-wu, newly appointed Commissioner and Administrator of Civil and Military Affairs of Tibet, meets with His Holiness in Dromo (Yatung)
July 24
Departs Dromo (Yatung) for Lhasa (Iron-Hare Year, 5th month, 17th day)
August 17
Arrives Lhasa from Dromo (Iron-Hare Year, 6th month, 13th day)
1954
January 1
Receives Gelong Ordination from Ling Rinpoche (Wood-Horse Year, 1st month, 15th day)
January 1
Confers 1st Kalachakra Initiation in Norbulingka Palace, Lhasa.
July 1
Visits China for peace talks and meets with Mao Zedong and other Chinese leaders, including Chou En-Lai, Chu Teh and Deng Xiaoping
1956
November 1
Visits India to participate in 2500th Buddha Jayanti celebrations
1959
February 1
Receives Geshe Lharampa Degree during Monlam Ceremonies in Lhasa (Earth-Pig Year, 1st month, 13th day)
March 1
Tibetan Government formally re-established at Lhuntse Dzong. 17-Point Agreement formally repudiated by Tibetan Government
March 10
Tens of thousands of Tibetans gathered in front of Norbulingka Palace, Lhasa to prevent His Holiness from going to a performance at the Chinese Army Camp in Lhasa. Tibetan People’s Uprising begins in Lhasa.
March 15
Artillery Shells fired from Chinese troops land outside Norbulingka Palace
March 17
Escapes at night from Norbulingka Palace in Lhasa
March 31
Enters India from Tibet after a 14-day harrowing escape
April 18
Hold international press conference and formally repudiates the 17-Point Agreement
April 20
Arrives Mussoorie and resides at Birla House
1960
April 30
Arrives in Dharamsala to take up residence at Swarg Ashram
1963
January 1
Presents a draft democratic constitution for Tibet. First exile Tibetan Parliament (Assembly of Tibetan People’s Deputies) established in Dharamsala.
1967
January 1
First visits abroad (since coming into exile) to Japan and Thailand
1968
January 1
Moves residence from Swarg Ashram to present day Thekchen Choeling (Byrne Estate)
1973
September 1
First visit to the West (Italy, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Belgium, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, UK, West Germany & Austria)
1979
January 1
First contact with the Government of the People’s Republic of China established since coming into exile in 1959
1987
September 21
Delivers historic Five Point Peace Plan for Tibet in Washington, D.C. to members of the U.S. Congress
1988
June 1
Delivers historic Strasbourg Proposal for Tibet in Strasbourg, France to members of the European Parliament
1989
December 10
Awarded the 1989 Nobel Prize for Peace in Oslo, Norway
1992
January 1
Initiates a number of additional major democratic steps, including the direct elections of Kalons (Ministers) by the Assembly of Tibetan People’s Deputies and the establishment of a judiciary branch. Previously Kalons appointed directly by His Holiness.
2001
January 1
First direct democratic elections held by the Tibetan people for the post of Kalon Tripa (Senior Minister) in the history of Tibet
2011
March 1
On March 14 His Holiness the Dalai Lama sends a letter to the Assembly of Tibetan People’s Deputies (Tibetan Parliament in exile) requesting them to devolve his temporal power. On May 29 His Holiness signs into law the formal transfer of his temporal power to the democratically elected leader. This brings to an end the 368-year old tradition of the Dalai Lamas being both spiritual and temporal head of Tibet.