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President Chiang Ching-kuo promulgated an order on 15 July 1987 lifting martial law across Taiwan and Penghu, ending the longest imposition of martial law by any regime at the time.

On 23 March 1996 Taiwanese voters chose their president directly for the first time, re-electing Lee Teng-hui of the Kuomintang with 54% of the vote on 76% turnout as Chinese missile tests rattled the Strait.

A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck Jiji in Nantou County at 01:47 on 21 September 1999, killing 2,415 people and causing NT$300 billion of damage, the second-deadliest quake in Taiwan's recorded history.

Taipei 101, a 508-metre, 101-storey tower, opened on 31 December 2004 and was officially the world's tallest building until the Burj Khalifa surpassed it in 2009.

Taiwan High Speed Rail began service on 5 January 2007 on a 350 km line along the west coast, with 300 km/h trains based on Japan's Shinkansen cutting the Nangang-Zuoying trip to as little as 1 hour 45 minutes.

Typhoon Morakot hit central Taiwan on 7 August 2009 and stalled over the island, dropping up to 2,777 mm of rain, killing 755 people and wiping out the town of Siaolin in a landslide.

On 18 March 2014 students and civic groups stormed and occupied the Legislative Yuan in Taipei to block the Cross-Strait Service Trade Agreement with China, the first occupation of the legislature by citizens, lasting until 10 April.

On 7 November 2015 Taiwan's president Ma Ying-jeou and China's Xi Jinping met in Singapore, the first meeting of the two sides' political leaders since the end of the Chinese Civil War in 1949.

Same-sex marriage became legal in Taiwan on 24 May 2019, making it the first place in Asia to do so, two years after the Constitutional Court ruled the ban unconstitutional.

Vice President Lai Ching-te won Taiwan's 13 January 2024 presidential election with 40% of the vote on 72% turnout, giving the DPP an unprecedented third consecutive presidential term while the party lost its legislative majority.

A Mw 7.4 earthquake struck 15 km south of Hualien City at 07:58 local time on 3 April 2024, killing at least 19 people and injuring over 1,100 in Taiwan's strongest quake since 1999.

Lai Ching-te took office on 20 May 2024 in front of the Presidential Office Building, starting the first third consecutive presidential term for one party since direct elections began, and delivering a speech on peace and sovereignty.

The PLA's Eastern Theater Command began the two-day Joint Sword-2024A exercise at 07:45 Beijing time on 23 May 2024, encircling Taiwan and the Kinmen, Matsu, Wuqiu and Dongyin island groups.

The PLA held Strait Thunder-2025A on 1-2 April 2025 around the Matsu Islands and Taiwan, with the Shandong carrier group east of the island, China's seventh major drill aimed at Taiwan since August 2022.

Taipower disconnected Maanshan unit 2 from the grid on 17 May 2025 as its licence expired, ending nuclear power in Taiwan and completing the DPP government's 'nuclear-free homeland' phase-out.

Voters on 26 July 2025 rejected the recall of all 24 Kuomintang legislators targeted in the first wave of the 'Great Recall', on turnout averaging over 55%, the highest of any recall votes held in Taiwan.

On 23 September 2025 heavy rain from Super Typhoon Ragasa made the landslide-dammed Matai'an Creek barrier lake overflow, sweeping a wall of mud and water into Guangfu township in Hualien and killing at least 18 people.

Taoyuan International Airport opened the north concourse of its new Terminal 3 on 25 December 2025, the first part of the project, with the main building due for completion by the end of 2027.

Taiwan's 42nd Han Kuang exercise ran from 5 to 14 August 2026, with urban resilience drills held alongside the live-fire phase for the first time.

The Republic of China's National Day ceremony takes place on 10 October 2026 in front of the Presidential Office in Taipei, with honour guard performances, civic parades, an air force flyby and fireworks in Taitung.

The 24th Taiwan LGBT+ Pride Parade, themed 'Our Voices, Our Journey', starts and ends at Taipei City Hall Plaza on 31 October 2026, seven years after same-sex marriage became legal.

The 63rd Golden Horse Awards ceremony is on 22 November 2026 at the Taipei Music Center, with drama 'Arrested Memory' leading the field on 11 nominations.

Taiwan holds its nine-in-one local elections on 28 November 2026, with about 19.65 million eligible voters choosing 11,051 officials across 22 cities and counties.

The 2026 Taipei Marathon is scheduled for Sunday 20 December, starting at Taipei City Hall Plaza at 6:30 a.m., with about 28,000 runners across the marathon and half marathon.

Miaoli County hosts the 2027 Taiwan Lantern Festival, provisionally from 20 February to 7 March 2027 around its High Speed Rail station zone, its first time as host since 2011.

COMPUTEX Taipei 2027 runs 1-4 June at the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center and TWTC, with physical AI as its anchor theme after a record 2026 edition.

Taipei Metro's light-green Wanda-Zhonghe-Shulin line, nine underground stations from Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall to Zhonghe Senior High School, is scheduled to be complete in 2027 and carry 270,000 riders a day.