30 Major events that shaped the region

1

Saddam executed by hanging

December 30, 2006: Saddam Hussain is executed by hanging, after being found guilty by the Iraqi Special Tribunal for crimes against humanity.

2

Israel launches attack on lebanon

July 12, 2006: Hezbollah captures two Israeli soldiers, hoping for a prisoner exchange with Israel. What results is a 33-day Israeli offensive that destroys Shiite strongholds in Beirut and much of south Lebanon. While Israel's motive is to eradicate Hezbollah, its popularity soars throughout the Middle East as it proves to be resilient against superior military might.

3

Hamas wins pollsin palestine

January 24, 2006: Hamas wins the first multi-party elections in Palestine and its leader Esmail Haniya becomes the new Prime Minister. The results are not accepted by Israel and the US and since then, the Hamas stronghold of Gaza has endured a suffocating blockade.

4

Former lebanon pm hariri assassinated

February 14, 2005: Rafik Hariri, former Prime Minister of Lebanon, is assassinated in a car bomb. Lebanese pour into the streets in mourning. His death triggered what became known as the Cedar Revolution as hundreds of thousands of Lebanese successfully pressured Syria to withdraw after 29 years.

5

Ahmadinejad elected iran president

August 6, 2005: Anti-US conservative Mahmoud Ahmadinejad wins presidential elections in Iran and calls for the destruction of Israel.

6

Shiite rebellion erupts in yemen

June 18, 2004: A Shiite rebellion led by Abdul Malek Al Houthi erupts in Yemen, resulting in the deaths of thousands over the next four years.

7

US attacks iraq to end saddam's reign

March 20, 2003: The US leads a pre-emptive invasion of Iraq, ending Saddam Hussain's 24 years of rule. Since then, Iraq has been plagued by sectarian strife described by many as civil war. Iraq's instability has contributed to a major refugee crisis and has strengthened Iran's influence in the region.

8

Attacks on US trigger 'war on terror'

September 11, 2001: A well-coordinated terror attack occurs when 19 members of Al Qaida hijack four airliners, two of them toppling New York City's World Trade Centre towers, killing nearly 3,000 people. After this, US President George W. Bush famously launches his "War on Terror", which leads to the war in Afghanistan and Iraq.

9

Sharon visit sparks riots

September 28, 2000: Israeli President Arial Sharon infamously visits the Temple Mount area where Al Aqsa, the third holiest mosque is situated, triggering Palestinian riots which become the second intifada.

10

Israel withdraws from lebanese territory

May 24, 2000: After enduring many casualties in southern Lebanon, Israel decides to withdraw fully from Lebanese territory which made Hezbollah extremely popular in the Arab world and inspired the Al Aqsa intifada in the West Bank.

11

Al Jazeera channel ushers in new era

November 1, 1996: Al Jazeera satellite news channel offers Arabs a unique opportunity to freely air views, shaking up the Arab world in which the censorship of government-sponsored media dominated for decades. The station has an estimated 50 million viewers.

12

Israel-Jordan peace treaty signed

October 26, 1994: President of Israel Ezer Weizman and King Hussain of Jordan sign the Israel-Jordan Peace Treaty in a ceremony mediated by President Clinton, making Jordan the second Arab country after Egypt to make peace with Israel.

13

Israel-Palestine summit meeting

September 13, 1993: US President Bill Clinton brings together PLO leader Yasser Arafat and Israeli President Yitzhak Rabin to sign the Oslo Accords, the first face-to-face agreement between Israelis and Palestinians. The agreement was intended to start negotiations for a future Palestinian state. It was also the first time Palestinians formally accepted Israel's "right to exist".

14

Algerian army seizes power

January 13, 1992: The Algerian army cancels national elections won by the Islamic Salvation Front (FIS) and seizes power, while Islamic radicals of the Armee Islamique du Salut (AIS), the military wing of the FIS, begin a guerrilla campaign.

15

Coalition forces attack iraq as gulf war starts

January 17, 1991: The US and coalition forces attack Iraq, following Saddam Hussain's invasion of Kuwait in what was known as the "First Gulf War". Thousands of civilians are killed and the US kept permanent bases in Saudi Arabia to protect US interests in the region, which fuelled anti-US sentiment throughout the Muslim world.

16

UN imposes economic sanctions on Iraq

August 6, 1990: The United Nations under US initiative imposed economic sanctions on Iraq which continued for 13 years. Aimed at toppling Saddam's regime, the sanctions instead ravaged the civilian population as import restrictions on food and medicine led to over a million deaths, mostly children.

17

Iraqi invasion of kuwait targets oil reserves

August 2, 1990: Iraq, under the leadership of Saddam Hussain, invades its oil-rich neighbour Kuwait in an attempt to annex its oil reserves to help pay Iraq's huge debt after an eight-year war with Iran.

18

Millions attend khomeini funeral

June 3, 1989: Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini dies of heart failure at 86. Over 11 million people attend his funeral, making it among the biggest in recorded history.

19

Pan am flight bombed over lockerbie

December 21, 1988: Pan Am Flight 103 is bombed by Libyan intelligence agents, killing all 243 passengers and 16 crew members and killing 11 civilians in the city of Lockerbie, Scotland, where the wreckage landed. This remains one of the deadliest attacks on Americans, killing 180.

20

Palestinians protest israeli oppression

From 1987 to 1993: Palestinians, frustrated by the lack of Arab assistance against Israeli oppression, begin to revolt as people take to the streets, throwing stones, burning tyres and capturing world attention through their struggle for self-determination. This became known as the First Intifada.

21

Prisoners exchanged for TWA hostages

June 14, 1985: Lebanese Shiite group Amal hijacks TWA Flight 847 and exchanges the hostages for 435 Lebanese and Palestinian prisoners detained by Israel.

22

Hezbollah bombers strike in beirut

October 23, 1983: Two suicide bombers linked to Hezbollah drive trucks into separate buildings of the Marine Barracks in Beirut, killing 241 American and 58 French soldiers. This leads to the withdrawal of international peacekeeping forces and also remains a very painful memory in the American psyche.

23

Palestinian refugees massacred

September 15-16, 1982: The Phalange, a Lebanese Christian militia, carries out a massacre against two Palestinian refugee camps, Sabra and Shatila, killing hundreds of civilians. Investigation commissions held Israeli Defence Minister Ariel Sharon "personally responsible".

24

Israeli siege against PLO stronghold

June 4, 1982: Israel invades Lebanon in an attempt to eradicate PLO strongholds. For seven weeks, Beirut suffers a siege and rocket attacks. Israel's aggressive campaign in southern Lebanon kills thousands of fighters and civilians, leading to the formation of Hezbollah.

25

Al Assad decimates hama to quell rebellion

February 2, 1982: Syrian President Hafez Al Assad levels the town of Hama in efforts to quell a rebellion by the Muslim Brotherhood. Possibly up to 25,000 killed.

26

Iranian militants take us diplomats hostage

From November 4, 1979 to January 20, 1981: Iranian militants, enraged by US protection of the deposed Shah, hold 52 US diplomats hostage in the US embassy in Iran in what famously became known as the Iranian hostage crisis. This event tainted US public perception of Iran for decades.

27

Mubarak succeeds sadat

October 6, 1981: Egyptian President Anwar Sadat assassinated by those who were enraged by the peace treaty with Israel and also viewed his presidency as corrupt. Sadat's Vice-President, Hosni Mubarak, took over the presidency and remains in power to this day.

28

Iran-iraq war leaves deep impact

September 22, 1980-August 20, 1988: The Iran-Iraq war shaped Iranian and Iraqi politics for years to come. Hundreds of thousands are killed in battle and chemical warfare is introduced during the Al Anfal campaign, in which thousands of Kurds, who collaborated with Iran, are massacred by Saddam's regime.

29

The iranian revolution

February 11, 1979: Under Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the year marked the Iranian Revolution, when political Islam replaced the Western-backed monarchy of the Shah. The revolution was significant in that it empowered oppressed Shiite populations throughout the Middle East and the US lost its key ally in the region.

30

Camp David accords

September 17, 1978: US President Jimmy Carter brings together Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli PM Menachem Begin to sign the Camp David Accords, which paved the way for the Israel-Egypt Peace treaty in 1979. This changed the Arab perception of Egypt as a promoter of Arab interests. Egypt was kicked out of the Arab League for 10 years.