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Sanaubar disapears
No one had heard from or seen Sanaubar "since she had eloped with a band of singers and dancers in 1964." (210). Hassan had never met his mother, but he never seemed to miss her or ask about her. He had a strong heart, and he knew all he needed was Amir, Ali, and Baba. -
Hydro Plants built by Germans
As Karim drove the refugees to Jalalabad, they passed the Mahipar Falls, which "was a high summit with a precipitous drop overlooking the hydro plants the Germans had built in Afghanistan back in 1967" (111). Amir remembers driving by it several times when him and Baba used to go to Jalalabad. It brings back memories for Amir of him and his father travelng like it was any other normal day living in Afghanistan, instead of a dangerous time of war, -
Hassan gets lip surgery
On one of Hassan's birthdays Baba decided to get him a surgery that would fix his cleft lip. After the surgery "Baba, Rahim Khan, Ali, and [Amir] huddled around Hassan's bed, watched him examine his new lip in a handheld mirror." (219). Baba, Rahim Khan, Ali, Amir, and Hassan were like one big family that supported each other in times of need, They traeted each other all equally, besides the social status of the Hazara people. -
Soviets in Afghanistan
Soviet military first "parachuted into Kabul on Dec. 27, 1979, to assist Babrak Karmal, who had become president in a coup within the Afghan Communist leadership" (2). Russia said it was because of a cry for help by the government, but analysts said they did this to get rid of the Afghan leader that broke their trust. -
Goodbye Rahim Khan
As Amir approached the place Rahim Khan stayed at in Peshawar, he "thought about the last time [he] had seen Rahim Khan, in 1981." (196). In fact, the last time he saw Rahim Khan was when they said goodbye, since he and Baba decided to flee to America. These sentimental memories are what brought Amir to Pakistan once more, and once again, say goodbye to this important man that had such an influence on his life. -
Amir graduates from high school
Amir graduates from highschool in the summer of 1983 as by far the oldest senior, but that doesn't bother Baba. Baba told Amir, "I am mufttakhir, Amir," he said. Proud." (131). Baba really wanted Amir to succeed in life, even after he had to flee his very well loved country. Although Amir found it hard to make Baba proud, education was the way to do it. -
Amir turns 21 and Baba sells his Buick
In the summer of 1984 "-- the summer I turned 21-- Baba sold his Buick and bought a dilapidated '71 Volkswagen bus for $550 from an old Afghan acquaintance..." (137). Baba is accepting that he is no longer the rich man in Kabul, but instead an average man in America. He is finally getting more accepting towards his new American life. -
Amir aces GED classes
Amir is surprised that he aces all of his general education classes when the spring quarter ends because he would "sit in lectures and think of the soft hook of Soraya's nose." (144). Soraya has a big impact on Amir and he can't seem to forget about her. This foreshadows that more may happen between them as the book goes on. -
Rahim Khan finds Hassan
Rahim Khan went to find Hassan in Hazarajat in 1986 mostly because "[he] was lonely." (203). By that time everyone he had known before had either fled the country or had been killed. This shows the terror the the Russian soldiers brought to Kabul and other parts of Afghanistan at that time. -
Hassan and Farzana loose first child
After Hassan and Farzana, Hassan's wife, decided to move to Kabul, "Farzana gave birth to a stillborn baby girl." (209). They respectfully buried her in the backyard of Baba's house. Even after this great tragedy, they did not give up on having another child. -
Soviet troops leave
The United Nations led the compromised between the two countries and finially "the last Soviet troops left Afghanistan in February 1989" (2). They left behind a destroyed and corrupt country. -
Sohrab is born
When Farzana was ready to have her second child, "[i]t was Sanaubar who delivered Hassan's son that winter of 1990." (211). Sanaubar had come back to Hassan and wanted to make up for her abandonment. She atoned for her sins by being there for Hassan's newborn child. -
Soraya breaks big news
After years of trying to have children unsuccessfully, Amir and Soraya started taking many tests and medications with the help of Dr. Rosen. After finiding nothing wrong, he explained to Amir and Soraya that maybe they should look into adoption. The weekend after their visit with the doctor "Soraya broke the news to her parents." (186). Soraya's father did not aprove of this idea because it was, to him, not for Afghans. This shows that someone's culture can have a big impact on their lives. -
Warlords fight for power
(unknown exact date)
When the Russians left Afghanistan "power was anarchically divided among competing warlords and individual fiefdoms" (2). -
Taliban take over Kabul
Everyone in Kabul "celebrated in 1996 when the Taliban rolled in and put an end to the daily fighting." (213). They thought Kabul would enter a time of peace and acceptance, but two years later the Taliban started massacring Hazaras. Kabul had such high hopes that the Taliban would bring good, but they were greatly let down. -
Mr. bin Laden arrives
After the Taliban took over Afghanistan they "provided a haven for Mr. bin Laden, who arrived by chartered jet at Jalalabad Airport in May 1996" (3). -
Taliban Takes Control
In 1996, the extremist group, Talibans, "had taken control of Afghanistan, imposing strict enforcement of fundamental Islamic law" (3). Created many unrealistic and unequal laws. -
Taliban brutality towards Rahim Khan
Rahim Khan was at a soccer game and, when Kabul's team scored, "the man next to [him] cheered loudly." (199). When a Taliban soldier patrolling the aisles heard this he blamed Rahim Khan and struck him with his Kalashnikov. The Taliban were ruthless and used widespread panic and fear as their main weapon. -
Rahim Khan calls
Rahim Khan calls one day and tells Amir that he is very sick. The minute Amir put down the phone he told Soraya, "I have to go to Pakistan." (191). Through these words, Amir shows how much Rahim Khan means to Amir, even after their long time apart. Amir never lets go of his past and his true home, and this proves it. -
Amir arrives home
After Sohrab was cleared to leave the hospital, Amir and him flew back to America. They "arrived home...on a warm day in August 2001."(357). Amir had missed Soraya terribly and realized that this was his new home. Even after Amir's trip down memory lane in the country he was born and raised in, he understood that America was his new home, and he accepted it. -
Attack on the World Trade Center
The branch of Taliban called Al Queda, led by Osama bin Laden, led "the attack on the World Trade Center in New York on Sept. 11, 2001" (3). -
President Bush's Decision
When the attack in New York happened, "President George W. Bush gave the Taliban an ultimatum to hand over Mr. bin Laden" (3). The offer was denied, so Bush chose to combine US forces with rebel forces that "drove the Taliban out of major Afghan cities by the end of the year" (3). -
Hamid Karzai come to power
On June 13, 2002 Hamid Karzai "took office as interim president in June 2002, saying he hoped to secure peace for Afghanistan and win the country much-needed international aid" (3). -
General Petraeus and McChystal take charge
General Petraeus "had taken charge of United States Central Command in October 2008, with responsibility for military operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and across the region" (4). General McChystal was later brought in and viewed "the violence in Afghanistan and Pakistan as a particularly thorny problem" (4). -
Obama announces plan
Obama stated his plan "to deploy 30,000 additional troops" to Afghanistan and "start bringing American forces home from Afghanistan in the middle of 2011" (4).
