 Members of the Iraqi communist party wave flags in celebration in downtown Baghdad on Sunday, December 14, 2003, after the capture by U.S. forces of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. (Photo: AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen) |
1920-1932: Great Britain controls the region.
1932: Iraq becomes an independent constitutional monarchy under the rule of King Faisal I.
1930s-1950s: Iraqi politics are dominated by Prime Minister Nuri es-Said, a pro-Western leader who did much to modernize Iraq.
1945: Iraq becomes founding member of the Arab League, which was an organization for political coordination and safety among arab states.
1958: The monarchy is overthrown in a military coup led by General Abdul Karim Kassem. King Faisal II and the rest of the Royal family are killed.
1960: Iraq forms the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), which countered oil price cuts set by American and European oil companies.
1968: The Baath Party seizes power, establishing Ahmad Hassan al-Bakr as its first leader.
1979: Saddam Hussein follows Ahmad Hassan al-Bakr for power of Iraq. Oil supplies are used to develop the economy. The government deals harshly with its local enemies and enforces an aggressive foreign policy.
1980: Iraq invades Iran, with the goal of gaining control of the Shatt al Arab waterway, and perhaps the Iranian oil fields.
1988: The long and costly war between Iraq and Iran ends with no clear winner.
 Iraqi President Sheik Ghazi Ajil al-Yawar speaks during a ceremony for the announcement of the new Iraqi interim government in Baghdad on Tuesday, June 1, 2004. (Photo: Hussein Malla/AP Wide World) |
January 15, 1991: A coalition of nations, led by the U.S., goes to war against Iraq and quickly liberates Kuwait during the Persian Gulf War.
April 1991: In spite of his defeat, Saddam Hussein remains President of Iraq after the war.
2002: The U.S. becomes intolerant of Iraq's failure to follow the terms of Persian Gulf War peace treaty. The U.S. Congress gives the President authority to use military force to remove Hussein from power if he continues to defy the United Nations.
February 24, 2003: The U.S. persuades the UN Security Council to pass a resolution allowing weapons inspectors to continue their search for weapons of mass destruction. Iraq accepts the resolution and allows the weapons inspectors back into the country.
March 17, 2003: President Bush advises Hussein and his sons to leave Iraq within 48 hours or face military action.
March 19, 2003: The U.S. and its allies invade Iraq in an effort to remove Saddam Hussein from power.
April 9, 2003: Hussein's regime falls when U.S.-led coalition troops march into Baghdad. Hussein escapes capture. The allies set out to establish a democratic government for the benefit of the Iraqi people as the international community discusses plans for rebuilding the country. Economic sanctions against the country are lifted.
December 13, 2003: Saddam Hussein is captured.
March 8, 2004: A temporary constitution is signed, establishing Iraq as a democracy.
June 3, 2004: The Iraqi Governing Council chooses Sheik Ghazi Ajil al-Yawar to lead the new government. Iylad Allawi is appointed as Prime Minister.
June 30, 2004: The U.S. hands over control of Iraq to the new government. The first official elections are expected to be held no later than January 2005.
