1979
Saddam Hussein becomes president of Iraq
1980
Iraq - Iran war
March 1988
Iraq attacks Kurdish town of Halabjah with poison gas, killing thousands
August 1988
End of Iraq-Iran war, one of the bloodiest of the Middle East
August 1990
Iraq invades Kuwait, prompting what becomes known as the first Gulf War. Objectives of Baghdad are an outlet on the Persian Gulf, Kuwait's financial assets and oil resources
August 1990
The United Nations draw economic and military sanctions against the Saddam regime
January 1991
US backed by an international coalition with 39 countries invaded Iraq. Desert Storm operation started
April 1991
UN-approved haven established in northern Iraq to protect the Kurds
August 1992
A no-fly zone, which Iraqi planes are not allowed to enter, is set up in southern Iraq
April 1995
UN allows partial resumption of Iraq's oil exports to buy food and medicine in an oil-for-food programme
August 1996
Iraqi forces launch offensive into northern no-fly zone and capture Irbil
February 2001
Britain, US carry out bombing raids to try to disable Iraq's air defence network
February 2003
Citizens around the world take to the streets to protest against the Iraq invasion prepared by George W. Bush
March 20, 2003
US and UK, backed by an international coalition, invaded Iraq. Iraqi Freedom operation started
December 2003
Saddam Hussein is captured in Tikrit
December 2003
There are several suicide attacks in the country, killing hundreds of people
April - May 2004
The case on the abuse of Iraqi prisoners by US troops in Abu Ghreib prison in Baghdad is opened
2006
First wave of sectarian violence throughout Iraq: incessant and growing episodes of inter-confessional violence
May 2006
Nouri al-Maliki is elected prime minister
December 2006
Saddam Hussein is executed
January 2007
US President George Bush announces a new strategy for Iraq; thousands of US troops are sent to defend security in Baghdad
December 2007
Kurdish and Shia leaders form an alliance to support Prime Minister Maliki's government, but fail to bring in Sunni leaders
December 2010
Operation Iraqi Freedom is renamed Operation New Dawn, marking the beginning of the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq
March 2011
The Iraqi Spring breaks out with youthful discontent due to the lack of essential services, tens of thousands of people protest for 10 months in the main Iraqi cities, suffering the repression of Al-Maliki
January 2013
The Iraqi Social Forum is launched, launching national campaigns for human rights and social cohesion
April 2013
Sunni insurgency intensifies, with levels of violence matching those of 2008
June 2014
Islamic State conquests Mosul, the second biggest city of Iraq
June 2014
With the establishment of the Islamic State in different areas of the country the second Iraqi civil war began, considered as such because it arose following an armed insurgency movement represented by the Islamic State against the central government
2015-2016
Iraqi forces and Kurdish soldiers started the offensive supported by the US- coalition to recapture Mosul
October 2016
The offensive start of the Iraqi military and Kurdish peshmerga, supported by the anti-IS coalition for the reconquest of Mosul
July 2017
After nine months of intense fightings, Mosul is liberated
March 2018
Fifteenth anniversary of the American invasion of Iraq