United States

1872: First Official Delegation of Chinese students travel to United States.

1882: Chinese Exclusion Act passed in the United States severely limiting immigration.

1892: Geary Act Passed, extending the Exclusion Act to 1902

1898: The Spanish-American War, during which the United States annexed Cuba, Guam, Puerto Rico,  Hawaii, and the Philippines.

1899-1900: US Secretary of State John Hay proposed the “Open Door” policy towards China

1901: Theodore Roosevelt became the 26th American President (served in office from September 14, 1901 to March 4, 1909)

1902, 1904: Provisions of the Geary Act Extended and Expanded

China  

1861: Tongzhi reign. Rise of power of Empress Dowager Cixi.

1894-1895: The First Sino-Japanese War.

1899-1900: The Boxer Uprising, an anti-imperialist and anti-Christian uprising.

1900:  Siege of the International Legations. China defeated.

1902 April: Qing government received the invitation of attending World’s Fair .

1902 July:  Empress Dowager Cixi confirmed China’s attendance to the World’s Fair.

1902 December: The Chinese delegation to the World’s Fair was confirmed, headed by Prince Pu Lun.

1903 July: Vice Commissioner General to the World’s Fair, Wong Kai Kah, arrived in St. Louis along with his family and a group of Chinese artisans to build the Chinese Pavilion.

1904 April 29: The Chinese delegation and Pu Lun arrive in St. Louis.

1904 May 07: Chinese Pavilion at the fair dedicated.  

1904 June 13: The portrait of Cixi by Carl arrived in St. Louis. 

1904 July 27: Pu Lun concluded his visit in the United States and departed for Paris.

1905: Wong Kai Kah represented China at the Treaty of Portsmouth, which ended the Russo-Japanese War.

1905-1906: Anti-American boycotts in China in response to the 1904 Immigration Treaty.

1911: The Chinese Republican Revolution overthrows the Qing Dynasty.

 

World’s Fair Key Dates

1899 January 10:  Louisiana Purchase Convention delegates meet to plan a commemoration of the United State's purchase of Louisiana Territory in 1803 and envisioned a world’s fair to be held in 1903.

1901 March 12: David R. Francis chosen as President for the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, or "World's Fair."

1901 August: Proclamation made by US President William McKinley inviting the nations of the earth to take part.

1901 December 20: Groundbreaking ceremony in St. Louis, coordinated to "Louisiana Purchase Flag Day."

1903: Fundraising and construction delays postpone the fair by a year

1904 April 30:  Opening ceremony of the World’s Fair in St. Louis.

1904 July 01: The opening of Summer Olympic Games in St. Louis.

1904 December 01: World's Fair exhibition closed.