Chronology of Kim Jong-il

●February 1942: Born at a secret military camp on Mt. Baekdu in Yanggang Province.

●July 1961: Joined the ruling Workers’ Party of (North) Korea.

●September 1973: Appointed as the party’s secretary of organization and propaganda.

●February 1974: Designated by his father and national founder Kim Il-sung as his successor.

●April 1993: Elected as chairman of the National Defense Commission, the highest military decision-making body of North Korea.

●July 1994: Took over leadership of North Korea upon Kim Il-sung’s death.

● May 2000: Visited China for the first time as the North Korean leader at the invitation of Chinese President Jiang Zemin.

●August 2008: Collapsed from a stroke.

●August 2011: Visited Russia’s Far East and Russia.

●Dec. 17, 2011: Died during a train trip.

(Yonhap)