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Zahir Shah begins his reign in Afghanistan
The year Baba was born, 1933, was also "...the year Zahir Shah began his forty-year reign of Afghanistan..." (24) This quote is imooratnt because it not only gives a background on Baba, and it also marks an important part of Afghanistan history. -
Amir is born
Amir says, "...Hassan was born in the winter of 1964, just one year after my mother died giving birth to me." (6) This quote is important because it shows that Amir is older and that might be one of the reasons that he acts better that Hassan. -
Hassan is born
At the beginning of the story, Amir says, "It was there, in that little shack, that Hassan was born in the winter of 1974..." (6) This is important because it is when Sanaubar ran off after seeing Hassan's cleft lip. This was also the day that Amir's loyal friend was born. -
Monarchy in Kabul is gone
After the shooting "the night of July 17, 1973, Kabul awoke the next morning to find that the monarchy was a thing of the past." (36)
This was a big change in Afghanistan history and also made an impact in the lives of the people that lived in Kabul and all of Afghanistan. -
Hassan gets his lip fixed
On Hassans birthday in 1974, Baba gets Hassan a man to fix his cleft lip. Amir says, "I kept thinking of that day in 1974, in the hospital room, just after Hassan's harelip surgery." (219) This is important because it showed Baba's affection for Hassan and Amir's jealousy. -
Amir leaves Hassan in the alley with Assef
In the beginning of the book, Amir recalls an event that happens. He says, "I became what I am today at the age of twelve, on a frigid overcast day in the winter of 1975. I remember the precise moment, crouching behind a crumbling mud wall, peeking into the alley near the frozen creeks." (1) This was the day when Amir won the kite race and Hassan got violated. I thought that this was an important date because it is when Amir became what he was. -
Communist coup d'état
Amir explains that "The end, the official end, would come first in April 1978 with the communist coup d'état..." (36) Not only was this a big event in history, but it was also a big event in Amir's life. This helped bond Amir and Hassan because they survived the shooting together. -
First Soviet Troops Parachute into Kabul
In December 27, 1979, "The first Soviet troops parachuted into Kabul..." -
US boycotts Olympics in Moscow
When Amir and Baba are in America, Amir tells the readers, "In 1980, when we were still in Kabul, the US announced it wouod be boycotting the Olympic Games in Moscow." (126) This is when Baba is critizing America and the people in it. -
Amir graduates from high school
An important event happens on "That summer of 1983, I graduated from high school at the age of twenty..." (131) This is an important event because Amir finally graduates and can head off to college even if he is 20. -
Baba sells his car
The summer of 1984, "Baba sold his Buick and bought a dilapidated '71 Volkswagen bus for $550..." (137) This is important because Baba starts to really embrace America and sells his car from Afghanistan. -
Rhaim Khan goes to find Hassan
At the beginning of Rhaim Khan's story, he says, "There were a lot of easons why I went to Hazarajat to find Hassan in 1986." (203) This story leads up to Amir finding out the truth about Baba and Hassan, and that Hassan is his half-brother. -
Summer before the Soviets Withdrew from Afghanistan
Amir finished writing his first novel "In the summer of 19988, about six months before the Soviets withdrew from Afghanistan..." (182) Amir uses this event because it is around the same time when something big happens in his life, he writes his first novel. -
Amir's book is released
Amir finally writes his novel, and "The novel was released in the summer of that following year, 1989, and the publisher sent me on a five-city book tour." (183) This is a big step for Amir and he finally gets published. This has been his dream ever since he was a young boy in Kabul. -
Mr. bin Laden arrives
In May of 1996, Mr. bin Laden "arrived by chartered jet at Jalalabad Airport..." -
Rhaim Khan is sick
On June 2001, Amir gets a call and finds out that "Rhaim Khan is very sick... He wants to see me..." (191) This is an important date because there is another problem at hand and now Amir has to leave for Pakistan to see Rhaim Khan. -
Al Qaeda attacks Twin Towers
The US has been militarily involved in Afghanistan since "it led an invasion after the Sept. 11 attacks by Al Qaeda." -
Hamid Karazi becomes leader of the country
In December 2001, "Hamid Karzai, a supporter and relative of Mohammad Zahir Shah, the exiled former king of Afghanistan, was named chairman of an interim goverment that replaced the defeated Taliban, making him the leader of the country." -
Mr. Karazai is elected president
In 2004, "Mr. Karzai was elected to a five-year term as president..." -
General Pretraeus takes control of US Central Command
General Pretraeus, who had recieved most of the credit for the success in Afghanistan "had taken charge of United States Central Command in October 2008." -
Obama announces plan to deploy 30,000 troops
In a speech delivered on December 1, 2009, "Mr. Obama announced his plan to deploy 30,000 additional troops." -
Gen. McChrystal is removed
After contemptuous quotes from the general and his staff about senior administration officials appeared in an article in Rolling Stone magazine, "President Obama removed Gen. McChrystal..."