Afghanistan
1747 - Afghanistan was founded by Ahmad Shah Durrani when he unified the Pashtun tribes, and a Pashtun ruler would lead the country until 1978.
1836 - Dost Mohammad, emir of Afghanistan, sought help of Lord Auckland, British Governor of India, against the Sikhs. Britain and Russia would play "The Great Game" for the rest of the century to control the borderlands between India and the Caucasus.
1838 - The First Anglo-Afghan War was fought by the British to replace the increasingly hostile Dost Mohammad with a more compliant government, but The British were defeated by 1842. This allowed Russian to extend its influence from the north, occupying Tashkent and Samarkand and Bukhara by 1868.
1878 - The Second Anglo-Afghan War resulted in a victory for the British force of 40,000 troops. Russia and Britain had signed a treaty in 1872 to respect the northern border of Afghanistan, and Britain was allowed to occupy most of Afghanistan after 1878. British-Afghan relations were cordial during the 20-year reign of Abdur Rahman (1880-1901) and the reign of his son Habibullah (1901-1919).
1904 - A firm boundary with Iran was established to replace the vague boundary of 1872.
1907 - The Anglo-Russian Convention ended the Great Game and guaranteed the neutrality of Afghanistan.
1915 - King Habibullah proclaimed Afghan neutrality during World War I, and played off an attempt by the Turco-German mission of Von Hentig-Niedermeyer to bribe him into attacking India, with an understanding with Britain not to attack India in exchange for greater independence.
1919 - King Amanullah declared independence for Afghanistan after the Third Anglo-Afghan War gave him victory over a Britain exhausted by 5 years of war in Europe.
1926 - Amanullah attempted to introduce social reforms leading to opposition from conservative forces.
1929 - Amanullah fled after civil unrest over his reforms.
1933 - Zahir Shah became king and Afghanistan remained a monarchy for next four decades.
1953 - General Mohammed Daud became prime minister. Turned to Soviet Union for economic and military assistance. Introduced a number of social reforms, such as abolition of purdah (practice of secluding women from public view).
1963 - Mohammed Daud forced to resign as prime minister.
1964 - Constitutional monarchy introduced, but caused social unrest.
1973 - Mohammed Daud seized power in a coup and declared a republic. Tried to play off USSR against Western powers. His style alienated left-wing factions who joined forces against him.
1978 - General Daud was overthrown and killed in a coup by leftist People's Democratic Party. But party's Khalq and Parcham factions fell out, leading to purging or exile of most Parcham leaders. At the same time, conservative Islamic and ethnic leaders who objected to social changes began armed revolt in countryside.
1979 - Power struggle between leftist leaders Hafizullah Amin and Nur Mohammed Taraki in Kabul won by Amin. Revolts in countryside continued and Afghan army faced collapse. Soviet Union finally sent in troops to help remove Amin, who was executed.
1980 - Babrak Karmal, leader of the People's Democratic Party Parcham faction, was installed as ruler, backed by Soviet troops. But anti-regime resistance intensified with various mujahedin groups fighting Soviet forces. US, Pakistan, China, Iran and Saudi Arabia supplied money and arms.
1985 - Mujahedin came together in Pakistan to form alliance against Soviet forces. Half of Afghan population estimated to have been displaced by war, with many fleeing to neighbouring Iran or Pakistan. New Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev said he will withdraw troops from Afghanistan.
1986 - US began supplying mujahedin with Stinger missiles, enabling them to shoot down Soviet helicopter gunships. Babrak Karmal replaced by Najibullah as head of Soviet-backed regime.
1988 - Afghanistan, USSR, the US and Pakistan signed peace accords and Soviet Union began pulling out troops.
1989 - Last Soviet troops departed, but civil war continued as mujahedin pushed to overthrow Najibullah.
1991 - US and USSR agreed to end military aid to both sides.
1992 - Resistance closed in on Kabul and Najibullah fell from power. Rival militias vied for influence.
1993 - Mujahideen factions agreed on formation of a government with ethnic Tajik, Burhanuddin Rabbani, proclaimed president.
1994 - Factional contests continued and the Pashtun-dominated Taleban emerged as major challenge to the Rabbani government.
1996 - Taleban seized control of Kabul and introduced hardline version of Islam, banning women from work, and introduced Islamic punishments, which included stoning to death and amputations. Rabbani fled to join anti-Taleban northern alliance.
1997 - Taleban was recognised as legitimate rulers by Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. Most other countries continued to regard Rabbani as head of state. Taleban controlled about two-thirds of country.
1998 - US launched missile strikes at suspected bases of militant Osama bin Laden, accused of bombing US embassies in Africa.
1999 - UN imposed an air embargo and financial sanctions to force Afghanistan to hand over Osama bin Laden for trial.
2001 - In January, UN imposed further sanctions on Taleban to force them to hand over Osama bin Laden. In March, Taleban blew up giant Buddha statues in defiance of international efforts to save them. In May, Taleban ordered religious minorities to wear tags identifying themselves as non-Muslims, and Hindu women to veil themselves like other Afghan women. In October, US, Britain launched air strikes against Afghanistan after Taleban refused to hand over Osama bin Laden, held responsible for the September 11 attacks on America. In November, opposition forces seized Mazar-e Sharif and within days marched into Kabul and other key cities. On Dec. 5, Afghan groups agreed deal in Bonn for interim government. On Dec. 7, Taleban finally gave up last stronghold of Kandahar, but Mullah Omar remained at large. On Dec. 22, Pashtun royalist Hamid Karzai was sworn in as head of a 30-member interim power-sharing government.
2002 - In January, the first contingent of foreign peacekeepers arrived. In May, UN Security Council extended mandate of International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) until December 2002. Allied forces continued their military campaign to find remnants of al-Qaeda and Taleban forces in the south-east. In June, Loya Jirga, or grand council, elected Hamid Karzai as interim head of state. Karzai picked members of his administration to serve until 2004.
2003 - In August, NATO took control of security in Kabul, its first-ever operational commitment outside Europe.
2004 - In Presidential elections, Hamid Karzai was declared the winner, with 55% of the vote.
2005 - In May, details emerged of alleged prisoner abuse by US forces at detention centres.
2006 - Battles between Taleban fighters and Afghan and coalition forces in the south during an offensive known as Operation Mountain Thrust.
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