<div class='timeline-item'><div class='timeline-left'><div class='timeline-date'>1980</div></div><div class='timeline-center'></div><div class='timeline-right'><div class='timeline-text timeline-text-title'>Yao Ming is Born</div><div class='timeline-text'>On September 12, 1980, Yao Ming is born in Shanghai, China.</div></div></div><div class='timeline-item'><div class='timeline-left'><div class='timeline-date'>1997</div></div><div class='timeline-center'></div><div class='timeline-right'><div class='timeline-text timeline-text-title'>Joins the Shanghai Sharks</div><div class='timeline-text'>Yao joins the Chinese Basketball Association's Shanghai Sharks.</div></div></div><div class='timeline-item'><div class='timeline-left'><div class='timeline-date'>2002</div></div><div class='timeline-center'></div><div class='timeline-right'><div class='timeline-text timeline-text-title'>Selected 1st Overall in NBA Draft</div><div class='timeline-text'>On June 26, 2002, Yao was selected first overall in the NBA Draft by the Houston Rockets.</div></div></div><div class='timeline-item'><div class='timeline-left'><div class='timeline-date'>2003</div></div><div class='timeline-center'></div><div class='timeline-right'><div class='timeline-text timeline-text-title'>Named to All Star Game</div><div class='timeline-text'>Yao is named to his first All Star Game and becomes the first international player to start in an All Star Game.</div></div></div><div class='timeline-item'><div class='timeline-left'><div class='timeline-date'>2008</div></div><div class='timeline-center'></div><div class='timeline-right'><div class='timeline-text timeline-text-title'>Retires from Basketball</div><div class='timeline-text'>After suffering a series of injuries, Yao retires from basketball after just eight seasons.</div></div></div><div class='timeline-item'><div class='timeline-left'><div class='timeline-date'>2012</div></div><div class='timeline-center'></div><div class='timeline-right'><div class='timeline-text timeline-text-title'>Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame</div><div class='timeline-text'>Yao is inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, becoming the first international player to receive this honor.</div></div></div><div class='timeline-item'><div class='timeline-left'><div class='timeline-date'>2019</div></div><div class='timeline-center'></div><div class='timeline-right'><div class='timeline-text timeline-text-title'>Elected to China's National People's Congress</div><div class='timeline-text'>Yao is elected to China's National People's Congress as a member of the Communist Party.</div></div></div>