Short answers, pulled from the story.
The semi-mythical Yellow Emperor Huangdi authored the earliest treatises on medicine, astrology, and the martial arts in 2698 BC. This event established a legacy that would define Chinese fighting styles for four millennia.
The first Shaolin temple was constructed on Song Mountain in Henan province in the year 495 AD. The initial Buddhist monk to propagate Buddhism there was an Indian named Buddhabhadra, known in Chinese as Batuo.
The Boxer Rebellion, also known as the Righteous and Harmonious Fists, was an uprising against foreign occupiers and Christian missionaries that rose in the year 1900. This movement was driven by martial arts and calisthenics practiced by the rebels.
The government established the All-China Wushu Association in 1958 to regulate training. The State Commission for Physical Culture and Sports subsequently created standardized forms for most major arts.
The noted physician Hua Tuo composed the Five Animals Play in the year 208 AD. This set of physical exercises mimicking the tiger, deer, monkey, bear, and bird became one of the progenitors to tai chi.
The year 1973 marked a turning point when Bruce Lee popularized Chinese martial arts in the West with his own variation called Jeet Kune Do. His films were instrumental in the initial burst of Chinese martial arts popularity.