Yom Kippur War

Event 1

Oct 6, 1973

Egypt and Syria launch a coordinated attack on Israeli positions along the Suez Canal and in the Golan Heights. Egyptian troops cross the canal, secure a beachhead in the eastern portion of the Sinai Desert, breaching Israel's Bar-Lev line. Syrian troops defeat Israeli forces on Mt. Hermon in northern Israel.

Event 2

Oct 9, 1973

Against orders, reserve Maj. Gen. Ariel Sharon launches a counterattack against Egyptian forces in the canal area. Sharon's actions lead to moves for his dismissal.

Event 3

Oct 9, 1973

U.S. Jewish leader Max Fisher urges President Richard Nixon in a meeting at the White House to "please send the Israelis what they need." That night, Nixon tells Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir that "all your aircraft and tank losses will be replaced."

Event 4

Oct 11, 1973

Israel attacks Syria from its positions on the Golan Heights. The Soviet Union's ambassador to the United States, Anatoly Dobrynin, tells U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger that Soviet airborne forces are on the alert to defend Damascus. Kissinger warns Dobrynin that if the Soviets send troops to the Middle East, the United States would as well.

Event 5

Oct 14, 1973

In one of the largest tank-to-tank battles ever fought, Israel is estimated to have lost 10 tanks, the Egyptians anywhere from 250 to 300. Iraq and Jordan send troops to the Golan, in response to appeals for assistance from Syria.

Event 6

Oct 16, 1973

The first Israeli troops cross the Suez Canal. Egyptian President Anwar Sadat asks the Soviet Union to convene the United Nations and seek a cease-fire.

Event 7

Oct 21, 1973

Israeli forces, led by reserve Maj. Gen. Avraham Adan, encircle the Egyptian Third Army. Forces led by Sharon take up positions less than 40 miles from Cairo.

Event 8

Oct 22, 1973

Israel overtakes all Syrian positions on Mt. Hermon. The United Nations adopts Security Council Resolution 338, which calls for an immediate cease-fire, the implementation of Security Resolution 242, which called for an exchange of land for peace, and negotiations between the "parties concerned" aimed at establishing a "just and durable peace."

Event 9

Oct 28, 1973

Israeli and Egyptian military leaders meet to implement the cease-fire at Kilometer 101 marker in the Sinai. It is the first meeting between military representatives of the two countries in 25 years. By the end of the war, Israel has lost roughly 2,500 soldiers, Syria 3,500. Egyptian casualties are unknown