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Jan 1, 1527
First Somali firearm use
Muslim Somali Chief, Ahmed Gran, uses firearms against the Ethiopians for the first time. -
Somali sold as slaves
Many Bantu people from Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania were taken from their homes and sold as slaves in Somalia. -
France Invades
France acquires foothold on the Somali coast, later to become Djibouti -
Britain claims Somalia
Britain proclaims protectorate over Somaliland. -
French conference with Somali
Anglo-French agreement defines boundary between Somali possessions of the two countries. -
Italy sets up a protectrate
Italy sets up a protectorate in central Somalia, later consolidated with territory in the south ceded by the sultan of Zanzibar. -
Italy expands protectorate
Territory east of the Jubba river detached from Kenya to become the westernmost part of the Italian protectorate. -
Border clash
Dec 5, Italian and Ethiopian troops clashed at the Ualual on disputed Somali-Ethiopian border. -
Rome Sends Troops
Rome sends troops to Italian Somalia -
British air raid
Britian carries out air raid on Somalia. -
Britain advances
British forces capture Somalian capital. -
Independent Somalia
British Somaliland became independent and five days later was united with Italian Somaliland as the Somali Republic. -
Somalia fully Independent
French and Italian Somaliland gained independence and united with the Somali Republic. -
Constitution Adopted
The constitution of Somalia is adopted. A new one will be adopted in 1979. -
Somalian Dictator throws PM in jail
Somalia Marxist dictator Maj. Gen. Mohamed Siad Barre (1919-1995) staged a coup and threw PM Mohamed Ibrahim Egal in jail, where he spent 12 years. -
Language written
Somalian language first written. -
US prevents Somalia from going communist
Pres. Carter announced the US was cutting off all military aid to Ethiopia because of its human rights violations. The unstated reason was the US desire to cooperate with Saudi Arabia to lure Somalia from the Soviet camp, an effort which was ultimately successful. -
Somalia goes to war with Ethiopea
Somalia and Ethiopia engaged in battle. The Soviet Union provided tanks to both sides. Somalia tried and failed to push into the Ogaden area of Ethiopia. The Somalis managed to reach the walled city of Harer, a center for Islam in Ethiopia. An Ethiopian counter-offensive backed by Cuban troops wrecked Somalia’s army and led to the 1991 of the Somali regime. -
Ethiopea Retaliates
Ethiopia mounted a counter attack against Somalia. -
Somalia's 2nd constitution is accepted
Somalia adopted a 2nd constitution. The first was adopted in 1961 following independence. -
SNM formed
A group of Isaaq emigres living in London formed the Somali National Movement (SNM), which subsequently became the strongest of Somalia's various insurgent movements. According to its spokesmen, the rebels wanted to overthrow Siad Barre's dictatorship. -
Lots of Acronyms are Formed.
The Somali National Movement (SNM) rebels elected Ahmad Mahammad Culaid and Ahmad Ismaaiil Abdi as chairman and secretary general, respectively, of the movement. The Somali Salvation Front (SSF) merged with the radical-left Somali Workers Party (SWP) and the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Somalia (DFLS) to form the Somali Salvation Democratic Front (SSDF). -
Somali civil war
Northern Somalia rebelled against dictator Mohammed Siad Barre. A national civil war followed. During the civil was an estimated 40,000 people were killed and about 400,000 refugees fled to Ethiopia. -
SNM strike form Ethiopea
The Somali National Movement (SNM) launched its first military operation against the Somali government. Operating from Ethiopian bases. -
Somali rebels capture capital
Muhammad Siad Barre, the dictator of the Somali Democratic Republic since 1969, fled Mogadishu as rebels overran his palace and captured the Somali capital. Dictator Siad Barre was ousted and power fractured into some 27 warring sides and Ali Mahdi Mohamed declared himself president.
