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Amir is born
In the summer of 1963, Amir was born. his "mother died giving birth to [him]" (Hosseini, 6). -
Hassan is Born
In the winter of 1964, Hassan was born. Five days after he was born. his mother, Sanaubar, "ran off with a clan of traveling singers and dancers" and abandoned Hassan and his father (Hosseini, 6). -
Assef Assaults Hassan
In the winter of 1975, Hassan was sexually assaulted by Assef in an alley after the kite running competition. Assef insisted that he was just "teaching a lesson to a disrespectful donkey," while Amir hid and watched (Hosseini, 75). -
Hassan and Ali Leave
In the summer of 1976, Amir "planted [his] new watch and a handful of Afghani bills under" Hassan's mattress to frame him for stealing them (Hosseini, 104). Hassan willingly admitted to stealing them, and he and Ali left Baba and Amir. -
Soviet Troops Invade
The Soviet Union started a war with Afgnanistan in 1979 when they "parachuted into Kabul... to assist Babrak Karmal, who had become president in a coup within the Afghan Communist leadership" (NYT, 2) -
Baba and Ali Escape to Pakistan
When Amir was 18, the Soviets invaded Afghanistan. Baba and Amir escaped to Pakistan in "the back of [a] truck, then eventually made it to America (Hosseini, 114). -
Amir meets Soraya
In the summer of 1984, Amir met Soraya, "a slim-hipped beauty with velvety coal black hair" (Hosseini, 140). She would later become his wife. -
Baba is Diagnosed With Cancer
In 1984, Baba caught a cold, that doctors discovered was "Oat Cell Carcinoma. Advanced. Inoperable" (Hosseini, 156). Much to Amir's dismay, Baba refused treatment and accepted death. -
Amir marries Soraya
Before Baba died, he asked Soraya's father for his permission to marry Soraya to his son. General Tahiri agreed, and "Baba spent $35,000, nearly the balance of his life savings, on ... the wedding ceremony" (Hosseini, 169). -
Baba Dies
In late 1984, Baba's cancer had taken its toll.One night, he went to bed and "never woke up" (Hosseini, 173). -
Soviet Union Leaves Afghanistan
The 9-year war with the Soviets was over for the people of Afghanistan when "the last Soviet troops left Afghanistan in February 1989" (NYT, 2). -
Military and Interllegence Provisions
Starting in 1994, the Taliban was supported by Pakistani intellegence officers, who began "funneling armns, money and supplies to Mullah Omar's [Taliban] men, as well as military advisors to help guide them in battle" (NYT, 3). -
Anarchial Division of Power
The country descended into chaos in the 1994 summer as "power was anarchically divided among competing warlords and individual fiefdoms" (NYT, 2) -
Taliban Control in Afghanistan
By 1996, the Taliban had "taken control of Afghanistan, imposing strict enforcement of fundamentalist Islamic law, benning movies and music and forcing women out of schools and into an all-enveloping burqa clothing" (NYT, 3). -
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Taliban Takeover
The Taliban, an extremist Islamic group in Afghanistan had "nearly 12,000 followers and was rolling up the warlords to the north and east" (NYT, 2). THey were interested in once again making Afghanistan a fundimentalist Islamic country. -
Hassan is Killed
Hassan was "shot... in the back of the head" in 2001 for protesting the Taliban (Hosseini, 219). He left behind a son, Sohrab, who Amir learns is his half-nephew. -
Rahim Khan Calls Amir
Rahim Khan called Amir after not speaking for many years, and said that coming to visit him would give Amir "a way to be good again" (Hosseini, 192). This scared Amir because it meant that he would have to face his past. -
9/11 Attack
On September 11, 2001, the Taliban attacked the "World Trade Center in New York" (NYT, 3). -
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Post-9/11 Invasion
In response to the 9/11attack, the "United STates joined forces withg rebgel groups that had never accepted Taliban rule... and a ground and air campaign began that drove the Taliban out of the major Afghan cities" (NYT, 3). -
Amir Meets Assef Again
At the Taliban house where Amir goes to find Sohrab, he also finds Assef, who has become a Talib leader. Assef proceeds to beat him badly, but Amir "felt healed" (Hosseini, 289). -
Sohrab and Amir come to America
After much struggle, Amir was finally able to bring "Hassan's son from Afghanistan to America" (Hosseini). He brought Sohrab to a loving home in San Francisco -
Hassan Smiles
After a deep depression for 7 months, "the corner of [Sohrab's] mouth had curled up just so. A smile" (Hosseini, 370). It was a huge improvement. -
Sohrab Attemps Suicide
Sohrab was frightened by the news that he might have to go back to an orphanage. He went into the hotel bathroom and "cut himself deeply," but doctors managed to save him (Hosseini, 348). -
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Obama's War in AFghanistan
President Obama has taken over the responsibility of the war in Afghanistan, and says that "the United States will have forces in the country until at least the end of 2014" (NYT, 4).