November 16
The first case of the disease that becomes known as severe acute respiratory syndrome is reported in China's Foshan City, according to the World Health Organization.

January 27
A Chinese government health committee submits a "top secret" report to the Guangdong province health department, detailing a new illness, according to The Washington Post. The document sits unopened for three days because no one with the requisite security clearance is available to read it. Once the health department reads the report, they send a bulletin to the province's hospitals, but few health care workers become aware of the new illness, since most are away for the Chinese New Year.

Early February
A Virginia resident visiting China contracts the illness later known as SARS.

February 11
The Chinese Ministry of Health notifies the World Health Organization that 305 cases of a respiratory illness emerged in the Guangdong province between Nov. 16, 2002 and Feb. 9, 2003 with no known cause.

February 21
A man from Guangdong checks into Hong Kong's Metropole Hotel, later developing SARS. Twelve other Metropole guests eventually become ill.

February 22-25
The WHO sends two doctors to Beijing to look into the new illness, but the Chinese government prevents them from conducting their investigation.

February 28
Dr. Carlos Urbani from the WHO first identifies SARS while examining a hospitalized patient in Hanoi, Vietnam with a severe form of pneumonia, for which there was no known cause. After that patient was admitted to the hospital, some 20 hospital staff became sick with similar symptoms. Dr. Urbani died of SARS about one month after making this initial diagnosis.