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Arab Spring begins: with the actions of a desparate Tunisian street vendor
Mohammed Bouazizi sets himself on fire outside the local municipal office in an act of protest after being humiliated by local police officers for not having a permit to run a stall.
Sidi Bouzid, Tunisia -
Tunisian President: Ben Ali makes a public announcement regarding the actions of Mohammed Bouazizi
From the hospital bedside of protester Mohammed Bouazizi, President Ben Ali criticizes Tunisian protesters.
Tunis, Tunisia -
Tunisian President: Ben Ali Resigns
After 23 years as President of Tunisia, Ben Ali announces his resignation and flees to Saudi Arabia
Tunis, Tunisia -
Egypt's Day of Revolt
After seeing the resignation of Tunisian President Ben Ali, Egyptian protesters gather in Tahrir Square and demand Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak resign from office.
Cairo, Egypt -
Protests Erupt in Yemen
Tens of thousands take to the streets of Sanaa as opposition groups call for the president to stand down, after more than three decades in power.
Sanaa, Yemen -
Egypt's Friday of Anger
Mubarak makes a television appearance refusing to step down, as protesters take over Tahrir Square from the police. Internet and mobile phone lines are cut.
Cairo, Egypt -
Sudan's Police Clash with Protesters
Sudanese police beat and arrest students, as protests break out throughout Khartoum demanding the government resign.
Khartoum, Sudan -
Egypt's Million Man March
Over one million protestors gather in central Cairo, as demonstrations continue. Mubarak appears on TV for the second time saying he will not run in the next presidential elections and will stay in office to ensure a peaceful transition until then.
Cairo, Egypt -
Camel Battle in Tahrir Square
Thugs on horses and camels attack anti-government protesters at Tahrir Square.
Cairo, Egypt -
Yemen's Day of Rage
Nearly 20,000 protestors demand change in Yemen, calling on long-term President Ali Abdullah Saleh to step down.
Sanaa, Yemen -
Egyptian President Refuses to Resign
Mubarak appears on TV for a third time refusing to step down, triggering anger among demonstrators and encouraging protesting crowds to swell.
Cairo, Egypt -
The Friday of Departure: Egyptian V.P. Resigns
Vice President Omar Suleiman announces that the president has resigned and the army council will run the country. Celebrations errupt in squares across the country.
Cairo, Egypt -
Bahrain's Day of Rage
Thousands of Bahrainis participate in demonstrations across the country culminating in the occupation of the Pearl Roundabout.
Manama, Bahrain -
The Battle for Libya Begins
Protests errupt in Benghazi after the arrest of a lawyer representing the relatives of prisoners killed in the 1996 prison massacre, two days before the planned Day of Rage.
Benghazi, Libya -
Bahrain's Bloody Thursday
Nearly 1000 police officers are dispatched to the Pearl Roundabout to clear out protestors. Hundreds are injured and at least 3 killed.
Manama, Bahrain -
Libya's Day of Rage
Dozens are killed as demonstrations errupt in cities across the country.
Benghazi, al-Baida, and Zentan, Libya -
Rebels Take Benghazi
Anti-Gaddafi fighters seize control of Libya's second largest city. The fighting results in several hundred deaths. Cities further east, including al-Baida and Tobruk, are already under rebel control.
Benghazi, Libya -
Morroccan's Join the Arab Spring
Moroccans take to the streets to demand a change of government and constitutional reforms.
Rabat, Morrocco -
Newly Appointed Tunisian Prime Minister Resigns
Tunisia's PM Ghannouchi resigns after violent protests errupt over his ties to Ben Ali, triggering street celebrations in Tunis. He is replaced by Beji Caid Sebsi, a former foreign minister under President Habib Bourguiba.
Tunis, Tunisia -
Saudi Troops Enter Bahrain
The GCC agrees to send troops of the Peninsula Shield Force at the request of the Bahraini government. About 4,000 Saudi Arabian troops arrive, to be followed by 500 UAE police.
Manama, Bahrain -
Syrian Awakening
Protesters demonstrate in Damascus, the Syrian capital, in a rare show of dissent against the country's hardline regime.
Damascus, Syria -
Bahrain's Governments Final Move
Security forces in Bahrain drive out pro-democracy protesters from the Pearl Roundabout.
Manama, Bahrain -
Bahrain's Pearl is Gone
The Pearl Roundabout is demolished early in the day. An important symbol and focal point of the Bahraini uprising and opposition movement is destroyed. -
N.A.T.O. Begins Tactical Air Strikes in Libya
French jets begin bombing Libya just hours after a UN resolution is passed, with bombers from the US, the UK and other countries joining shortly afterwards.
Libya -
Moroccan's Protest
Tens of thousands of Moroccans join demonstrations in Rabat and the bigger cities across the country demanding political change.
Rabat, Morocco -
Tunisia's New Technocrat Cabinet
Tunisia unveils a new cabinet of technocrats none of whom have served in governments under Ben Ali. The interior ministry says Ben Ali’s political police and state security apparatus has been dissolved.
Tunis, Tunisia -
Qaddafi Forces Military Withdraw from Misrata
After a fierce battle a few days earlier, rebels declare the battle for Misrata to be over. By now the city has suffered a suffocating siege by Gaddafi forces resulting in many civilian deaths.
Misrata, Libya -
Police Disperse Moroccan Protesters
In Morocco, Security forces beat protestors defying the ban on demonstrations.
Rabat, Morocco -
Yemen's President: Saleh-Injured in Assasination Attempt
President of Yemen Ali Abdullah Saleh is injured in a failed assassination attempt. A few days later he leaves for Saudi Arabia to receive treatment for second-degree burns.
Yemen -
Moroccan Protests Continue
Thousands come out to demonstrate for change and political freedom across the country.
Rabat, Morocco -
Constitutional Referendum in Morocco
Moroccans vote to approve constitutional changes that curb monarchical power, amid calls by activists to boycott the referendum because changes fall short of popular demands.
Rabat, Morocco -
Yemen's President Saleh Reappears
Ali Abdullah Saleh makes his first appearance after the assassination attempt. In his speech broadcast on Yemeni television, he calls for dialogue.
Yemen -
The Battle for Tripoli: 2011
Rebels launch an offensive to take over Tripoli, calling it "Operation Mermaid Dawn."
Tipoli, Libya -
Yemen's Million Man March
Saleh returns to Yemen by plane, despite earlier reports that Saudi Arabia would prevent him from leaving the country. When news broke of Saleh’s return in the early morning, heavy fighting began in several areas of Sanaa, the capital, and crowds gathered across the country in protest.
Sanaa, Yemen -
The Maspero Massacre
Dozens die in Egypt, as violence errupts between protesters and the army during Coptic Christians' protests against the destruction of a church.
Maspero, Egypt -
Gaddafi: Captured!
Gaddafi is captured and killed by rebel fighters in the city of Sirte. A few days later, the National Transition Council officially declares an end to the 2011 Libyan Civil War. -
United Nations Condemns Yemen's President Saleh
The UN Security Council votes unanimously to condemn Yemen's bloody crackdown on peaceful protesters and endorses a GCC plan aimed at securing President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s commitment to leave office by giving him and his family amnesty.
Yemen -
Tunisian's Vote
Tunisia votes in the first election of the Arab Spring, choosing from among 80 political parties to form an assembly charged with drafting a constitution within a year.
Tunis, Tunisia -
Libya: Liberated!
Mustafa Abdel Jalil, the leader of the NTC, declares the liberation of Libya eight months after the uprising against Muammar Gaddafi's 42-year rule began.
Tripoli, Libya -
Gaddafi's Son: Captured!
Saif al-Islam Gaddafi is arrested near Ubari in southern Libya.
Ubari, Libya -
The Bttle of Mohamed Mahmoud
Clashes between protesters and security forces errupt on Mohamed Mahmoud St in downtown Cairo leading to the death of at least 50 people.
Cairo, Egypt -
Yemen's President Saleh, Agrees to Transfer of Power
Saleh signs a deal to hand over his powers under an agreement brokered by the GCC.
Sanaa, Yemen -
Egypt's First Free Elections
The first round of Egypt's first post-Mubarak parliamentary elections takes place, as the Muslim Brotherhood is poised to dominate the polls.
Egypt -
Tunisia Elects it Own Government, for the First Time!
Members of the Tunisia's constitutional assembly vote to elect former dissident Moncef Marzouki as president. Hamadi Jebeli, secretary general of Ennahda party, becomes prime minister.
Tunis, Tunisia -
Egyptian Cabinet: Clashes
Security forces attack a sit-in at the cabinet building in Cairo, triggering violent clashes the following days. Among the dead in the clashes is Sheikh Emad Effat. A shocking image of a woman being beaten by soldiers emerges.
Cairo, Egypt -
Syrian President Assad Still Defiant
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad makes his first public speech in months, mixing defiance with promises of reform and an insistence that "victory" for his regime is imminent.
Damascus, Syria -
Yemen's President Saleh Officially Resigns
Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh officially resigns and transfers his powers to his vice president, Abd Rabbuh Mansur Al-Hadi, who was formally inaugurated in a ceremony in Sanaa.
Sanaa, Yemen -
Egypt Votes: Again
Egyptians vote in the first round of the presidential elections. Mohamed Morsi and Ahmed Shafiq come out on top.
Egypt -
The Houla Massacre
Syrian pro-government forces carried out an attack on villages in Homs Province which led to the death of more than 100 civilians, including many children.
Houla, Syria -
Former Egyptian President: Mubarak Found Guilty
An Egyptian court sentences former President Hosni Mubarak to life in prison.
Cairo, Egypt -
Egyptians vote between Morsi and Shafiq
Egyptians vote in the second round of the presidential elections, choosing between Mohamed Morsi and Ahmed Shafiq.
Egypt -
Anti-austerity protests in Sudan
Sudanese protests against the government's plan to cut subsidies on fuel escalate, as protesters call for the downfall of the regime.
Sudan -
Egypt's New President:Morsi
Egypt's election commission announces that Muslim Brotherhood candidate Mohamed Morsi has won Egypt's presidential runoff by a narrow margin over Ahmed Shafiq.
Cairo, Egypt -
Syria: Civil War Declared
The International Committee of the Red Cross officially declares that the Syrian uprising is a civil war.
Syria -
Syrian Interior Minister: Killed
Assistant to the vice president Gen Hassan Turkomani, Defence Minister General Rajiha and his deputy, Assef Shawkat, the brother-in-law of President Bashar al-Assad, are killed in a bomb blast in Damascus. -
Tunisia Sentences former Prime Minister: Ben Ali
Tunisia's Ben Ali is sentenced in absentia to life in prison for complicity in the murders of 43 protesters in the 2011 revolution that toppled him.
Tunis, Tunisia -
U.S. Consulate in Lybia Attacked
The US ambassador to Libya, Chris Stevens, and three other US staffers are killed in an attack on the US consulate in Benghazi.
Benghazi, Libya -
Egypt: The President's New Powers
Morsi issues a new constitutional decree, giving himself sweeping powers and banning any challenges to decisions he makes. The move later triggered mass protests in front of the presidential palace.
Cairo, Egypt -
The Second Anniversary: Egypt
Mass anti-Morsi protests spread across Egypt on the second anniversary of the 2011 revolution. Violent clashes between protesters and security forces persist for days.
Cairo, Egypt -
Tunisia's Belaid: Assassinated
Tunisian opposition secularist politician Chokri Belaid is shot dead, sparking huge street protests. Prime Minister Jebali calls the killing a political assassination and a strike against the revolution.
Tunis, Tunisia -
Syrian Death Toll: The Civil War Continues
Syria's death toll since the start of the civil war exceeds 70,000.
Syria -
Tunisian Prime Minister Resigns
As public anger surges, an initiative to form a non-partisan government from Ennahdha's Hamadi Jebali is rejected by his own party, prompting him to resign.
Tunis, Tunisia -
Promoted from Within
Ali Laarayedh is appointed Tunisia's new PM and asked to form a new government. Supporters of Belaid denounce the appointment, given opposition criticism over his handling of the interior ministry.
Tunis, Tunisia -
Egyptian Ultimatum
Millions respond to the call of the Tamarod campaign for an anti-Morsi demonstration.
Cairo, Egypt -
Egyptian Former PM Deposed
Gen Abdel Fattah al-Sisi announces that Morsi has been deposed and installs Supreme Court chief justice Adly Mansour as interim president until new presidential elections are held. Muslim Brotherhood leaders are arrested while Morsi supporters take to the streets in protest.
Cairo, Egypt -
New Egyptian Government
An interim cabinet is sworn in. None of its members belong to Islamist parties.
Cairo, Egypt -
Brahimi Assassinated
Mohamed Brahimi, a pan-Arab leftist member of the Constituent Assembly, is assassinated in front of his wife and daughter on Tunisia’s Independence Day
Tunis, Tunisia -
Mandate for a Crackdown?
Millions of citizens pour into Egyptian streets after Gen Sisi calls on protesters to give him a mandate to stop "potential terrorism" by Morsi supporters.
Cairo, Egypt -
Tunisia's Constituent Assembly: Suspended!
After many opposition politicians boycott the Constituent Assembly in protest over the assassinations, the Speaker Mustapha Ben Jaafar, whose Ettakatol is a member of the governing coalition, announces the suspension of the body.
Tunis, Tunisia -
Cairo Sit-Ins: Dispersed
Riot police drive Morsi supporters from two sit-ins in Cairo. Hundreds of people are killed in the operation and the ensuing street battles. The interim government declares a month-long state of emergency as Vice President Mohamed ElBaradei resigns in protest over the assaults.
Cairo, Egypt -
Egypt: Mosque Clashes
Police clear Fateh mosque in Cairo of anti-coup protesters who were trapped inside, following a day-long siege.
Cairo, Egypt -
Syria: Chemical Attacks
Syrian activists claim that government forces have carried out a poisonous gas attack in suburbs of Damascus, leaving hundreds of people dead. -
Egypt: Muslim Brotherhood Banned
A court bans all Muslim Brotherhood activities, and orders the government to seize the Brotherhood's funds and administer its frozen assets.
Egypt -
Protests in Sudan as fuel prices soar
Another attempt of the Sudanese government to cut fuel subsidies results in mass protests.
Sudan -
Tunisia's Ruling Islamists Agree to Stand Down
Tunisia's Ennahda-led government agrees to resign after talks with the opposition.
Tunis, Tunisia -
National Dialogue Begins in Tunisia
Ennahda Party and the opposition begin a national dialogue in an attempt to end months of unrest.
Tunis, Tunisia -
Tunisia Picks New Prime Minister: Ahead of Polls
Industry Minister Mehdi Jomaa is named new prime minister in a caretaker technocrat cabinet to govern until elections are held.
Tunis, Tunisia -
Egyptian Former Prime Minister Charged with Terrorism
Former President Mohamed Morsi to face charges of terrorism in the court case against him.
Cairo, Egypt -
Egypt: Mulsim Brotherhood Declared Terrorist Group
Egypt’s interim government declares the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organisation.
Cairo, Egypt -
Syrian Civil War Continues
US and Britain suspend "non-lethal" support for rebels in northern Syria after reports Islamist rebels seize some bases of Western-backed Free Syrian Army. -
Syrian Peace Talks Fail
UN-brokered peace talks in Geneva fail, largely because Syrian authorities refuse to discuss a transitional government. -
Syrian Military & Hezbollah Unite to Fight
Syrian Army and Hezbollah forces recapture Yabroud, the last rebel stronghold near the Lebanese border.
