In a rare display of anger, the 14th Dalai Lama (at right) voiced impassioned frustration with the ongoing Chinese suppression of Tibetans and their culture yesterday, on the 50th anniversary of his exile from the occupied territory. In a struggle that has lasted over half a century now, and seen one of its factions grow into the second (soon-to-be-first) global power while the other has plunged into pre-modern darkness, it’s hard to keep track of the various events that have led up to the current stalemate. Refresh your memory (or discover this sad conflict’s drawn-out timeline for the first time) with Listicles’ 4 Crucial Dates in China’s Occupation of Tibet.

• 1950 Invasion: Beginning near the Eastern Tibetan city of Chamdo, China’s swift invasion met with little opposition by the outnumbered and out-maneuvered Tibetan forces. Though characterized as a “peaceful liberation” by the government of China (who claim Tibet’s government wasn’t doing enough for its people), many outside observers including the Government of Tibet in Exile and the U.S. Congress deemed it an invasion.

• 1956-59 Rebellion and Retaliation: The occupation was somewhat peaceful until 1956, with various Tibetan political and religious figures voicing their approval of Chinese rule at different times. In June of that year though, noblemen and members of monasteries in the Western regions of Amdo and Kham began a violent rebellion against occupying Chinese forces. This violent uprising was supported by the CIA and spread as far as Tibet’s would-be capital Lhasa before being crushed by Chinese military in 1959, at which time Tibetan officials and the 14th Dalai Lama fled the country. Tens of thousands were reported killed on the Tibetan side.

• 1959-62 Great Leap Forward: During the years of Mao’s broad program to turn China from an agrarian, rural economy of small-scale local production into a modernized, urban-industrial nation (posterized at right), Tibetans felt the effects of plummeting agriculture and farming more acutely than any other population. As meat and crop production ground to a halt for some two years, entire families perished and nomadic populations were frozen by malnutrition and starvation.

• 1995 Naming of the 11th Panchen Lama: When the Dalai Lama named 6-year-old Gedhun Choekyi Nyima the 11th Panchen Lama (the second highest figure in Tibetan Budhism) without seeking the approval of the Chinese government, they named another Panchea Lama, Beijing-raised Gyancain Norbu. Chinese authorities refused to acknowledge Nyima and Tibetans consider Norbu a fraud. While the latter occasionally appears in state-sanctioned media coverage, the latter has disappeared along with his entire family. Some believe Nyima went into hiding, others claim he and his family are being held against their will.

In the swarm of stalled negotiations, accusations and frustrations, let’s hope renewed international awareness and support help resolve this crisis before we mark too many more anniversaries. Visit Free Tibet for more information.