Zhang Xueliang

1898 - Birth of a Chinese warlord

1919 - Appointed commander of his father's bodyguards after he graduated from Fengtian Military Academy

1921 - Sent to Japan to observe military maneuvers

1922 - Became Major General

1928 - Succeeded his father as the warlord in Manchuria

1936 - Tried to precipitate a military alliance of communist and nationalist for the war with Japan by taking CHIANG KAI-SHEK captive at XIAN

- Zhang freed his prisoner after two weeks

- He was tried and put under lifetime house arrest by the nationalist government

1991 - He was released from the house arrest

2001 - Died at 100 (Chinese counting, 101; some sources state 102)