Decolonization after WWII:
- 1945-1960: Over 3 dozen Asian and African states gain independence from European colonial powers
- 1946: Philippines gains independence from U.S.
- 1947: India and Pakistan gain independence from Britain
- 1948: Burma (Myanmar) gains independence from Britain
- 1949: Indonesia gains independence from Netherlands
- 1953: Cambodia and Laos gain independence from France
- 1954: North Vietnam gains independence from France after military defeat
- 1957: Malaya (Malaysia) gains independence from Britain
- 1963: Singapore, Sabah and Sarawak join Malaya to form Malaysia, later gaining full independence
- 1984: Brunei gains independence from Britain
- 1997: Britain returns Hong Kong to China