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1957
Saddam Hussein joins the Ba'th Nationalist Party (age 20).
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1959
He takes part in an unsuccessful attempt to assassinate the Iraqi
President. Saddam is wounded but escapes to Damascus and then
moves to Cairo where he remains in exile until it is safe to return.
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Feb. 1963
The Ba'th Party seizes power. Al Bakr, now a senior military officer,
related to Saddam, becomes the Prime Minister and finds him a job
in the Presidential Office. Saddam builds his reputation as a ruthless
party enforcer.
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July 1968
Following a series of violent coups, Al Bakr establishes himself as
both President and PM. Saddam, as Al Bakr's protege, begins
purging the opposition and promoting Ba'th loyalists putting loyal
Tikriti tribesmen in all key positions.
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1969 - 1978
Saddam becomes Vice Chairman of the Revolutionary Command
Council. He is the real force behind the regime. He nationalises the
oil industry and Iraq grows rich on the proceeds. Al Bakr becomes
merely a figurehead.
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16 July 1979
Al Bakr resigns for 'health reason' and Saddam becomes the
President in addition to his role as Sec. General of the Ba'th Party,
Chairman of the RCC and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces.
He has established a one man dictatorship. On assuming the
presidency he immediately arrests hundreds of senior members of
the Ba'th party, accusing them of taking part in a fictitious plot to
overthrow him. He compels other party officials to carry out the
sentences of execution.
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22 Sept. 1980
Iraq invades Iran starting the Iran-Iraq War (longest war of 20th
century).
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20 August 1988
A UN sponsored cease-fire ends it. Neither side has won. Iraq
comes
out of the war with $80 billion of foreign debt.
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2 August 1990
Saddam invades Kuwait. There is international outcry.
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16 Jan - 27 Feb 1991
Desert Shield changes to Desert Storm marking the start of the 1st
Gulf War. For 42 days the US bombards Iraq (the most intensive
aerial bombardment in military history). Bush (Snr) announces the
liberation of Kuwait on 27 Feb. '91 and Saddam claims the victory as
his own.
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March 1991
Anti Saddam rebellions erupt in southern Iraq and Kurdistan. These
are brutally put down by Saddam. Thousands executed in mass
graves.
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6 April 1991
Iraq accepts UN resolution requiring it to end production of weapons of
mass destruction and to allow monitoring by the UN special commission
inspection team (Unscom).
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30 January 2002
In the first state of the union address after the September 11 attacks on
America, US president George Bush says Iraq is part of an 'axis of evil'.
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12 September 2002
President Bush addresses UN to put the case for war against Iraq.
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20 March 2003
The US & UK lead a coalition of multinational forces to invade. After
3 weeks the opposition use guerrilla tactics and Saddam is no longer
in power.
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9 April 2003
Baghdad falls.
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13 December 2003
Saddam is captured hiding in a bolthole in the ground on a farm not
far from his native village of Tikrit.
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