Morocco Defection

Timeline: Morocco 

 

A chronology of key events:
 7th Century AD - Arab invasion; Idris founds the first major Muslim dynasty.

High peaks and fertile valleys: Morocco's Atlas mountains

10-17th Centuries - Dynasties and religious movements come and go, including the Almoravid movement which at its peak controlled Morocco and parts of present-day Algeria and Spain.

1860 - Dispute over Spain's Ceuta enclave; Spain declares war, wins a further enclave and an enlarged Ceuta in the settlement.

1884 - Spain creates a protectorate in coastal areas of Morocco.

1904 - France and Spain carve out zones of influence.

1906 - Algeciras Conference in Spain; France and Spain get the go-ahead to police Moroccan ports and collect customs fees.

French protectorate
1912 - Morocco becomes a French protectorate under the Treaty of Fez, administered by a French Resident-General. Spain continues to operate its coastal protectorate. The sultan has a largely figurehead role.

1921-6 - Tribal rebellion in Rif mountains is suppressed by French and Spanish troops.

Rabat - once called the "pearl of Morocco" Founded in 12th century Population: 1.3 million 2003: Morocco's many contradictions

1943 - Istiqlal - Party of Independence - founded to press for independence.

1956 March - End of French protectorate after unrest and strong nationalist sentiment. Spain keeps its two coastal enclaves. Sultan Mohammed becomes king in 1957.

1961 - Death of King Mohammed; King Hassan II comes to power.

1963 - First general elections.

1965 - Social unrest: King Hassan declares a state of emergency and suspends parliament.

1971 - Failed attempt to depose king and establish republic.

Polisario movement
1973 - Polisario movement formed, aims to establish an independent state in Spanish Sahara, a territory south of Morocco controlled by Spain. The group has Algerian support.

King Hassan became Arab world's longest-serving ruler 1999 In pictures: Morocco bids farewell 1999: King Hassan - a life in pictures

1975 6 November - The Green March: King Hassan orders 350,000 civilian volunteers to cross into Spanish Sahara.

1975 December - Spain agrees to leave Spanish Sahara, soon to become Western Sahara, and to transfer it to joint Moroccan-Mauritanian control. Algeria objects and threatens military intervention. Moroccan forces enter and occupy the territory.

1976 - Moroccan and Algerian troops clash in Western Sahara. Algeria announces the formation of the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) with a government-in-exile. Morocco and Mauritania divide-up Western Sahara.

1976 onwards - Fighting between Moroccan military and Polisario forces; the war is a considerable financial drain on Morocco.

1983 - Summit between King Hassan and Algerian president prompts thaw in relations.

WESTERN SAHARA Polisario soldiers waged a guerrilla war against Morocco Profile: Western Sahara 2003: 'Africa's last colony'

1983 - King cancels planned elections amid political unrest and economic crisis.

1984 - Morocco leaves the Organisation of African Unity in protest at the SADR's admission to the body. Polisario claims to have killed more than 5,000 Moroccan soldiers between 1982-85.

1988 - Resumption of full diplomatic relations with Algeria.

Sahara ceasefire
1991 - UN-monitored ceasefire begins in Western Sahara, but the territory's status remains undecided and ceasefire violations are reported. The following decade sees much wrangling over a proposed referendum on the future of the territory but the deadlock is not broken.

1998 - Morocco's first opposition-led government comes to power.

1999 - King Hassan II is succeeded by his son, Mohammed VI.

2001 November - King Mohammed starts a controversial tour of Western Sahara, the first by a Moroccan monarch for a decade.

2002 July - Morocco and Spain agree to US-brokered resolution over the disputed island of Perejil. Spanish troops had taken the normally-uninhabited island after Moroccan soldiers landed on it and set up tents and a flag.

Marrakesh: Former capital's markets, festivals draw tourists

2002 December - Morocco and Spain hold their first talks since their conflict over Perejil. In January 2003 they agree to return ambassadors.

2003 February - Casablanca court jails three Saudi members of al-Qaeda for 10 years after they were accused of plotting to attack US and British warships in the Straits of Gibraltar.

Casablanca bombings
2003 May - More than 40 killed when suicide bombers attack several sites in Casablanca, including a Spanish restaurant and Jewish community centre.

2004 February - Powerful earthquake hits the north; more than 500 people are killed.

2004 July - Free trade agreement with the US comes into effect. It follows Washington's designation of Morocco as a major non-Nato ally.

2005 September-October - Hundreds of African migrants try to storm Morocco's borders with the Spanish enclaves of Melilla and Ceuta. Morocco deports hundreds of the illegal migrants.

2005 December - Truth commission investigating human rights abuses during the rule of King Hassan II says 592 people were killed between 1956-99.

2006 April - Chinese President Hu Jintao visits, signs a series of trade agreements.

2006 January - Spanish Premier Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero visits the the Spanish enclaves of Melilla and Ceuta. He's the first Spanish leader in 25 years to make an official visit to the territories.

2007 January - Five men freed from US custody at Guantanamo Bay in 2004 are cleared of terrorism-related charges by a court in Morocco.

GATEWAY TO EUROPE Morocco is a favoured stepping stone for African migrants heading for Europe Many try enter via the Spanish enclaves Ceuta and Melilla Many drown or are caught while attempting the sea crossing Key facts: Africa to Europe migration

2007 April - Three suspected suicide bombers blow themselves up in Casablanca, a few weeks after a suicide blast in an internet cafe weeks earlier.
Two suicide bombers blow themselves up outside US diplomatic offices in Casablanca.
Morocco unveils an autonomy blueprint for Western Sahara to the United Nations. Independence movement Polisario rejects the plan and puts forwards its own proposal.

2007 June - Morocco and the Polisario Front hold UN-sponsored talks in New York but fail to come to any agreement.

2007 September - Parliamentary elections. The conservative Istiqlal party, a member of the ruling coalition, wins the most votes.

2007 November - Spanish King Juan Carlos visits Ceuta and Melilla, angering Morocco which demands the return of the enclaves.

2008 February - Police arrest 36 people allegedly linked to Abdelkader Belliraj, a Belgian-Moroccan accused of leading the local branch of al-Qaeda.

2008 April - Spanish police arrest two Moroccans wanted over 2003 Casablanca bombings, plan extradition.
Nine prisoners convicted over 2003 Casablanca suicide bombings escape from Kenitra gaol north of Rabat.

2008 May - Security forces say they have dismantled an al-Qaeda-affiliated network planning attacks at home and in Belgium.

2008 June - Court convicts 29 men from "Tetouan cell" for holding illegal meetings and recruiting Moroccans to fight in Iraq.

2008 July - Police arrest 35 people accused of recruiting for al-Qaeda in Algeria and Iraq and planning attacks in Morocco.

2008 August - Morocco arrests 15 people who made up alleged al-Qaeda-affiliated "Fath al-Andalous" group.

Moroccans have stepped up security in the face of bombings

2008 September - US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice visits as part of North African tour. Discusses anti-terrorism measures, political reform and the Western Sahara.
Fouad Ali al-Himma, a confidant of King Mohammed, forms an alliance around his new Authenticity and Modernity Party. The party has the potential to dominate parliament.
Court sentences more than 40 people to long prison sentences over Casablanca internet cafe suicide bombing that injured three.

2008 December - Two Moroccan men, Abdelilah Ahriz and Hicham Ahmidan, sentenced to 20 and 10 years in jail respectively in Morocco over Madrid train bombings of 2004.

2009 February - Islamist Saad Housseini given 15-year sentence over 2003 Casablanca bombings that killed 45 people. Also wanted in Spain over Madrid bombings.

2009 March - Morocco breaks off relations with Iran after Iranian politician said Bahrain used to be Iranian province.

2009 July - Alleged al-Qaeda leader in Morocco, Abdelkader Belliraj, imprisoned for life on being found guilty of leading an Islamist militant group and committing six murders in Belgium.

Tension with Spain
2010 August - Tension between Spain and Morocco over incidents near the border with the Spanish enclave of Melilla.

2010 August - Civic online campaign launched against a law penalising those who eat in public during the fasting hours of Ramadan.

2010 November - Security forces storm a protest camp in disputed territory of Western Sahara, triggering violent demonstrations in regional capital Elayoun.

2010 December - Western Saharan delegates at a youth festival in South Africa try to replace the Moroccan flag with an anti-Moroccan banner, provoking clashes.

2011 February - Thousands of people take part in rallies in Rabat and other cities calling for political reform and a new constitution curbing the powers of the king.

2011 April - 15 people - mainly foreigners - are killed in a bomb attack on a Marrakech cafe. It is Morocco's deadliest blast in eight years.

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Algeria Mutiny

Timeline: Algeria

A chronology of key events:
1962 - Algeria gains independence from France
.

Some 250,000 were killed in eight-year independence war 1954: National Liberation Front launches revolt against French rule 1962: Referendum in France backs independence accord 3 July 1962: Algeria becomes independent 2005: Colonial abuses haunt France BBC Story of Africa: Painful independence

1963 - Ahmed Ben Bella elected as first president.

1965 - Col Houari Boumedienne overthrows Ben Bella, pledges to end corruption.

1976 - Boumedienne introduces a new constitution which confirms commitment to socialism and role of the National Liberation Front (FLN) as the sole political party. Islam is recognised as state religion.

1976 December - Boumedienne is elected president and is instrumental in launching a programme of rapid industrialisation.

1978 - Boumedienne dies and is replaced by Col Chadli Bendjedid, as the compromise candidate of the military establishment.

1986 - Rising inflation and unemployment, exacerbated by the collapse of oil and gas prices lead to a wave of strikes and violent demonstrations.

Ban on parties lifted
1988 - Serious rioting against economic conditions.

Ahmed Ben Bella: overthrown after two years in office 1954: Led newly-formed National Liberation Front 1957-62: Interned in France 1962-3: Became Algeria's first premier, then president 1965: Ousted in military coup; detained until 1979 On This Day 1965: Students protest after Algiers coup

1989 - The National People's Assembly revokes the ban on new political parties and adopts a new electoral law allowing opposition parties to contest future elections.

1989 - Islamic Salvation Front (FIS) founded and over 20 new parties licensed.

1990 - The FIS wins 55 per cent of the vote in local elections.

1991 - Government announces parliamentary elections in June 1991 and plans changes to electoral system including restrictions on campaigning in mosques. FIS reacts by calling general strike. State of siege declared, elections postponed. FIS leaders Abassi Madani and Ali Belhadj arrested and jailed.

1991 December - In the first round of general elections the FIS wins 188 seats outright, and seems virtually certain to obtain an absolute majority in the second round.

Military takes over
1992 4 January - The National People's Assembly is dissolved by presidential decree and on 11 January President Chadli, apparently under pressure from the military leadership, resigns. A five-member Higher State Council, chaired by Mohamed Boudiaf, takes over.
Street gatherings banned, violent clashes break out on 8 and 9 February between FIS supporters and security forces. A state of emergency is declared, the FIS is ordered to disband and all 411 FIS-controlled local and regional authorities are dissolved.

Boudiaf assassinated
1992 29 June - Boudiaf assassinated by a member of his bodyguard with alleged Islamist links. Violence increases and the Armed Islamic Group (GIA) emerges as the main group behind these operations.

1994 - Liamine Zeroual, a retired army colonel, is appointed chairman of the Higher State Council.

1995 - Zeroual wins a five-year term as president of the republic with a comfortable majority.

1996 - Proposed constitutional changes approved in a referendum by over 85 per cent of voters.

1997 - Parliamentary elections won by the newly-created Democratic National Rally, followed by the moderate Islamic party, Movement of Society for Peace.

Militants ignore concord
1998 - President Zeroual announces his intention to cut short his term and hold early presidential elections.

1999 - Former foreign minister Abdelaziz Bouteflika elected as president after all opposition candidates withdraw from race, saying they had received inadequate guarantees of fair and transparent elections.

"Dirty war" was sparked by dissolution of assembly in 1992 Rights groups say up to 150,000 people were killed Official report says security forces responsible for 6,000 civilian disappearances 2003: Algeria's 'export of terror' 2005: Light shed on Algeria disappeared

1999 - Referendum approves Bouteflika's law on civil concord, the result of long and largely secret negotiations with the armed wing of the FIS, the Islamic Salvation Army (AIS). Thousands of members of the AIS and other armed groups are pardoned.

2000 - Attacks on civilians and security forces continue, and are thought to be the work of small groups still opposed to the civil concord. Violence is estimated to have claimed over 100,000 lives in Algeria since 1992.

2001 April/May - Scores of demonstrators are killed in violent clashes between security forces and Berber protesters in the mainly Berber region of Kabylie following the death of a teenager in police custody.

2001 May - The mainly Berber party, the Rally for Culture and Democracy, withdraws from the government in protest against the authorities' handling of riots in Kabylie.

Berber concessions
2001 October - Government agrees to give the Berber language official status, as part of a package of concessions.

2001 November - Several hundred people are killed as floods hit Algiers.

2002 March - President Bouteflika says the Berber language, Tamazight, is to be recognised as a national language.

Berber demands for greater rights have sparked unrest BBC World Service: Berbers - the proud raiders 2005: Algeria strikes deal with Berbers

2002 June - Prime Minister Ali Benflis's National Liberation Front (FLN) wins general elections marred by violence and a low turnout. They are boycotted as a sham by four parties - two of which represent Berbers.

2003 21 May - More than 2,000 people are killed and thousands are injured by a powerful earthquake in the north. The worst-hit areas are east of Algiers.

2003 June - Leader of the outlawed Islamic Salvation Front (FIS) Abassi Madani and his deputy Ali Belhadj are freed after serving 12-year sentences.

2004 April - President Bouteflika is re-elected to a second term in a landslide poll victory.

2005 January - Authorities announce the arrest of rebel Armed Islamic Group (GIA) head Nourredine Boudiafi and the killing of his deputy and declare the group to be virtually dismantled.
Government makes deal with Berber leaders, promising more investment in Kabylie region and greater recognition for Tamazight language.

2005 March - Government-commissioned report says security forces were responsible for the disappearances of more than 6,000 citizens during the 1990s civil conflict.

Amnesty backed

Prisoners were freed under a 2006 amnesty

2005 September - Reconciliation referendum: Voters back government plans to amnesty many of those involved in post-1992 killings.

2005 November - Opposition parties keep their majority in local elections in the mainly-Berber Kabylie region, held as part of a reconciliation process.

2006 March - Six-month amnesty begins, under which fugitive militants who surrender will be pardoned, except for the most serious of crimes. The authorities free a first batch of jailed Islamic militants.

2006 May - Algeria is to pay back all of its $8bn debt to the Paris Club group of rich creditor nations, in a move seen as reflecting its economic recovery.

2006 September - Leader of the banned Islamic Salvation Front (FIS) Rabah Kebir returns from self-imposed exile and urges rebels still fighting the state to disarm.

2006 December - Roadside bomb hits a bus carrying staff of a US oil firm, killing one man. The Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC) claims responsibility and shortly afterwards calls for attacks against French nationals.

Algiers attacks
2007 January - Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat renames itself the al-Qaeda Organisation in the Islamic Maghreb.

2007 February - Seven bombs go off almost simultaneously east of Algiers, killing six.

Algiers attacks in 2007; the worst in the capital for years Algerian PM defiant after bombs In pictures: Algerian blasts

2007 March-April - Army steps up offensive against Islamist militants to stamp out a surge in attacks.

2007 March - Three Algerians and a Russian are killed in a roadside attack on a bus carrying workers for a Russian gas pipeline construction company.

2007 April - 33 people are killed and more than 200 are injured in two bomb blasts in Algiers, one of them near the prime minister's office. Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb claims responsibility.

 2007 May - Parliamentary elections: dozens are killed in the run-up, in a wave of fighting between the military and armed groups. Pro-government parties retain their absolute majority in parliament.

2007 July - A suicide bomber targets a military barracks near Bouira, killing at least nine people.

2007 September - At least 50 people are killed in a series of bombings. Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb claims responsibility for the attacks.
Al-Qaeda's second-in-command Ayman al-Zawahiri urges north Africa's Muslims to ''cleanse'' their land of Spaniards and French.

2007 December - Double car bombing in Algiers hits a UN building and a bus full of students, killing dozens of people.
2008 June - Four Christian converts from Islam receive suspended jail sentences for worshipping illegally.
President Bouteflika brings back twice former premier Ahmed Ouyahia as new prime minister, replacing Abdelaziz Belkhadem.

2008 August - About 60 people are killed in bombings in towns east of Algiers. Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb claims responsibility.

Bouteflika's third term
2008 November - Parliament approves constitutional changes allowing President Bouteflika to run for a third term.

2009 April - President Bouteflika wins third term at the polls.

2009 July - Nigeria, Niger and Algeria sign an agreement to build a $13bn pipeline to take Nigerian gas across the Sahara to the Mediterranean.

2009 November - Disturbances mar two international association football matches between Egypt and Algeria , leading to diplomatic tensions between the two countries.

2010 April - Algeria, Mauritania, Mali and Niger set up joint command to tackle threat of terrorism.

2011 January - Major protests break out over food prices and unemployment, with two people being killed in clashes with security forces. The government orders cuts to the price of basic foodstuffs.

2011 February - President Abdelaziz Bouteflika lifts 19-year-old state of emergency - a key demand of anti-government protesters.

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Libya Uprising

Timeline: Libya's uprising against Muammar Gaddafi

 

 

Feb 15/16 - A riot in Benghazi is triggered by the arrest of human rights activist Fethi Tarbel, who has worked to free political prisoners, Quryna newspaper says.

February 17 - Activists designate this day as a day of rage. It is the anniversary of clashes in 2006 in Benghazi when security forces killed protesters attacking the city's Italian consulate.

Feb 21 - Diplomats at Libya's mission to the U.N. side with the revolt against their country's leader and call on the Libyan army to help overthrow "the tyrant Muammar Gaddafi."

February 22 - A defiant Gaddafi vows to die "a martyr" in Libya and says he will crush a revolt which has seen eastern regions break free from four decades of his rule.

February 24 - Anti-Libyan government militias take control of Misrata after evicting forces loyal to Gaddafi.

February 26 - The U.N. Security Council imposes sanctions on Gaddafi and his family, and refers Libya's
crackdown on rebels to the International Criminal Court.

February 28 - EU governments approve a package of sanctions against Gaddafi and his closest advisers including an arms embargo and bans on travel to the bloc. The 27 EU states also agree to freeze the assets of Gaddafi, his family and government.
-- Gaddafi refuses to acknowledge the protests in the streets of Tripoli, saying, all Libyans love him.

March 1 - The U.N. General Assembly unanimously suspends Libya's membership in the U.N. Human Rights Council because of violence by forces loyal to Gaddafi against protesters.

March 5 - The national council meets in Benghazi and declares itself sole representative for Libya.

March 9 - Gaddafi repeats earlier claims that the revolt is inspired by foreign al Qaeda militants.

March 10 - Warplanes sent by forces loyal to Gaddafi bomb the oil town of Brega, extending attacks deeper into rebel-held territory in the east of Libya, rebels report.
-- Gaddafi takes back control of Zawiyah, about 50 km (30 miles) west of Tripoli.
-- France recognises the Libyan National Council, the rebel body fighting to oust Gaddafi, as the legitimate representative of Libya's people, the first country to make the move.

March 11 - Libya suspends diplomatic relations with France.

March 12 - The Arab League calls for a U.N. no-fly zone over Libya. A meeting in Cairo decides that "serious crimes and great violations" committed by the Gaddafi government against his people has stripped it of legitimacy.

March 16 - Forces loyal to Gaddafi are near rebel-held Benghazi and "everything will be over in 48 hours," Gaddafi's son Saif al-Islam tells France-based TV channel Euronews.

March 17 - The U.N. Security Council votes to authorize a no-fly zone over Libya and "all necessary measures" -- code for military action -- to protect civilians against Gaddafi's forces.

March 19 - The first air strikes halt the advance of Gaddafi's forces on Benghazi and target Libya's air defences.
-- Gaddafi says there is no justification for a U.N. resolution aimed at ending violence in Libya and calls it "blatant colonialism," al Jazeera reports.

March 20 - Libya declares a fresh ceasefire contradicting a defiant speech by Gaddafi earlier in the day in which he said he is giving out weapons to his people.

March 21 - Western forces launch a second wave of air strikes on Libya overnight and officials in Tripoli say a missile intended to kill Gaddafi destroys a building in his fortified compound.
-- A Libyan government health official says 64 people are killed by Western bombardments, but it is impossible to verify the report independently.

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Yemen Insurgence

SANAA, 10 March 2011 - Nationwide protests demanding an end to the 32-year rule of President Ali Abdullah Saleh have entered their sixth week, but the Yemeni leader is refusing to step down until 2013. Below is a timeline highlighting key events since the protests began:

2 February 2011: Thousands of Yemeni opposition supporters take to the streets of Sana’a, Aden and Taiz on the “First Day of Rage”, protesting against the government’s constitutional amendment allowing Saleh to run for another term.

3 February: Tens of thousands of protesters in Sana’a on “Second Day of Rage” decry government corruption, and Saleh’s control of power and resources. Saleh again calls for dialogue with the opposition.

10 February: Thousands of Southern Movement (SM) supporters march in several parts of the south in protest at a military siege imposed by the government.

12 February: Thousands in Sana’a celebrate Mubarak’s downfall, call for Saleh’s ouster, but are confronted by pro-Saleh demonstrators in al-Tahrir Square. Thousands of university students head towards Egyptian embassy calling for an end to Saleh’s rule; two are injured after being attacked by Saleh supporters with daggers and sticks.

13 February: Tens of thousands rally in front of Sana’a University as well as in Liberty Square in Taiz. They are confronted by pro-government demonstrators in both cities.

17 February: At least 25 injured in clashes between pro- and anti-government protesters in front of Sana’a University.

18 February: Four killed, 11 injured when the authorities attempt to disperse thousands of protesters in Aden in a demonstration called “Friday of Start”. A local council building, police station and several police vehicles are set ablaze, Mohammed Salim, a riot police officer, tells IRIN from Aden. At least three killed and another 87 injured when a grenade is thrown at tens of thousands of protesters in Taiz’s Liberty Square.

19 February: One protester killed and another 15 injured in clashes between police and anti-government demonstrators in front of Sana’a University. Another protester killed in  Aden.

21 February: The Joint Meeting Parties (JMP), an opposition coalition, and Houthi followers in the north declare their support for the young protesters demanding Saleh’s ouster.

23 February: Ten MPs resign from ruling General People’s Congress in protest at the government’s crackdown on protesters. Two protesters killed and 23 injured in Sana’a.

25 February: Hundreds of thousands of protesters stream onto the streets of Sana’a, Taiz, Ibb, Amran, Sa’dah, Aden, Dhalea, Mukalla, Lahj, Shabwa, Abyan, Dhamar, Marib, al-Jauf and Hodeida on the “Friday of Immovability”. At least 7 killed and dozens of others injured in Aden, according to HOOD.

26 February: Senior sheikhs from Yemen’s main tribes (Hashid and Bakil) declare their support for the protesters. «Saleh and his regime must leave now,» said Sheikh Fasail al-Dheli from the Hashid tribe. «How is it possible for a regime to reform things in two years after it failed to do so in more than three decades?» he asked.

27 February: Eight killed, 36 injured in Aden protests, raising death toll since 2 February to 26, according to YHRO.

1 March: Hundreds of thousands rally in most main cities to express solidarity with the families of protesters killed in Aden in a day named “Tuesday of Rage”. 4 March: Two killed, six injured when army attacks anti-government protest in war-torn Harf Sufyan District,  Amran Governorate.

6 March: Some 25 protesters injured in Ibb after being attacked by ruling party supporters.

8 March: Some 70-80 students injured and one killed after government troops fire at protesters in front of Sana’a University. “The troops used a toxic gas against the protesters,” said Hussein al-Shawjali, a volunteer neurologist at a mobile clinic providing medical services to protesters at the university. “Dozens are comatose or suffering spasms… Their lives are at high risk as we don’t have information about this toxic gas to prescribe the right serum for the victims,» al-Shawjali tells IRIN the following day. Sixty injured (20 of them police) in clashes between prison inmates and police in Sana’a central prison.

10 March: Saleh goes on TV to announce plans to change the constitution to move to a parliamentary system.

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Jordan Insurrection

Timeline: Jordan 

 

 

A chronology of key events:
1948 - State of Israel created in British-mandate Palestine. Thousands of Palestinians flee Arab-Israeli fighting to West Bank and Jordan.

Petra: Ancient capital of Nabatean kingdom Fabled "rose-red city" was rediscovered in 1812 Valley is enclosed by sandstone cliffs In pictures

1950 - Jordan annexes West Bank.

1951 20 July - King Abdullah assassinated by Palestinian gunman angry at his apparent collusion with Israel in the carve-up of Palestine.

1952 11 August - Hussein proclaimed king after his father, Talal, is declared mentally unfit to rule.

1957 - British troops complete their withdrawal from Jordan.

1967 - Israel takes control of Jerusalem and West Bank during Six-Day War, major influx of refugees into Jordan.

1970 - Major clashes break out between government forces and Palestinian guerrillas resulting in thousands of casualties in civil war remembered as Black September.

1972 - Attempted military coup thwarted.

1974 - King Hussein recognises PLO as sole legitimate representative of Palestinian people.

1986 - Hussein severs political links with the PLO and orders its main offices to shut.

Hussein backs uprising
 1988 - Hussein publicly backs the Palestinian uprising, or intifada, against Israeli rule.

King Hussein ruled Jordan for 46 years Enthroned in 1953 Married four times, fathered 11 children Died 7 February 1999 1999: Special report - Death of a king

1989 - Rioting in several cities over price increases.

1989 - First general election since 1967, contested only by independent
candidates because of the ban on political parties in 1963.

1990 - Jordan comes under severe economic and diplomatic strain as a result of the Gulf crisis following Iraq's invasion of Kuwait.

Peace deal signed
1994 - Jordan signs peace treaty with Israel, ending 46-year official state of war.

1996 - Food price riots after subsidies removed under economic plan supervised by the International Monetary Fund.

1997 - Parliamentary elections boycotted by several parties, associations and leading figures.

1998 - King Hussein treated for lymphatic cancer in United States.

1999 January - After six months of treatment King Hussein returns home to a rousing welcome, but flies back to the US soon after for further treatment.

King Hussein dies
1999 February - King Hussein returns home and is put on a life support machine. He is pronounced dead on 7 February. More than 50 heads of state attend his funeral.

Amman is one of world's oldest continuously inhabited cities Population: 1.3 million Built on seven hills Known in ancient times as Rabbath-Ammon and Philadephia

1999 7 February - Crown Prince Abdullah ibn al-Hussein is sworn in as king.

2000 September - A military court sentences six men to death for plotting attacks against Israeli and US targets.

2001 March - King Abdullah and presidents Bashar al-Assad of Syria and Hosni Mubarak of Egypt inaugurate a $300m (£207m) electricity line linking the grids of the three countries.

2002 January - Riots erupt in the southern town of Maan, the worst public disturbances in more than three years, following the death of a youth in custody.

2002 August - Spat with Qatar over a programme on Qatar-based Al-Jazeera TV which Jordan says insulted its royal family. Jordan shuts down Al-Jazeera's office in Amman and recalls its ambassador in Qatar.

2002 September - Jordan and Israel agree on a plan to pipe water from the Red Sea to the shrinking Dead Sea. The project, costing $800m, is the two nations' biggest joint venture to date.

Kingdom's close ties with the US are unpopular among some Jordanians

2002 October - Senior US diplomat Laurence Foley is gunned down outside his home in Amman, in the first assassination of a Western diplomat in Jordan. Scores of political activists are rounded up.

2003 June - First parliamentary elections under King Abdullah II. Independent candidates loyal to the king win two-thirds of the seats.

2003 August - Bomb attack on Jordan's embassy in the Iraqi capital Baghdad kills 11 people, injures more than 50.

2003 September - Jordan's Central Bank retracts its decision to freeze accounts belonging to leaders of Hamas.

2003 October - A new cabinet is appointed following the resignation of Prime Minister Ali Abu al-Ragheb. Faisal al-Fayez is appointed prime minister. The king also appoints the three female ministers.

2004 February - Jordan's King Abdullah and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad launch the Wahdah Dam project at a ceremony on the River Yarmuk.

Terror
2004 April - Eight Islamic militants are sentenced to death for killing a US government official in 2002.
Authorities seize cars filled with explosives and arrest several suspects said to be linked to al-Qaeda and planning chemical bomb attack on intelligence services HQ in Amman.

2005 March - Jordan returns its ambassador to Israel after a four-year absence. Amman recalled its envoy in
2000 after the outbreak of the Palestinian uprising.

2005 April - A new cabinet is sworn in, led by Prime Minister Adnan Badran, after the previous government resigns amid reports of the king's unhappiness over the pace of reforms.

2005 August - Three missiles are fired from the port of Aqaba. Two of them miss a US naval vessel; a third one lands in Israel. A Jordanian soldier is killed.

HOTEL BLASTS Suicide bombings at three Amman hotels killed 60, including members of a wedding party 'Kingdom of boredom' no more Bomber's appeal fails

2005 November - Sixty people are killed in suicide bombings at three international hotels in Amman. Al-Qaeda in Iraq claims responsibility. Most of the victims are Jordanians. A day of mourning is declared.

2006 8 June - Iraq's prime minister announces that Jordanian-born Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq, has been killed in an air strike.

2006 August - King Abdullah criticises the United States and Israel over the fighting in Lebanon.

2006 September - A gunman opens fire on tourists at the Roman amphitheatre in Amman, killing a British man.

2007 July - First local elections since 1999. The main opposition party, the Islamist Action Front, withdraws after accusing the government of vote-rigging.

2007 November - Parliamentary elections strengthen position of tribal leaders and other pro-government candidates. Fortunes of the opposition Islamic Action Front decline. Political moderate Nader Dahabi appointed prime minister.

 2008 August - King Abdullah visits Iraq. He is the first Arab leader to visit the country since the US invasion in 2003.

2009 July - Military tribunal sentences an Al-Qaeda militant to death for his involvement in the 2003 killing of US diplomat Laurence Foley in Amman.

2009 December - King Abdullah appoints new premier to push through economic reform.

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