Syria; key historical events
See also Islam for events in the wider Islamic world
Page last modified 19 August
2023
11
January 2019,
The USA began to pull its forces out of Syria. Russia, ally of Syrian President Assad,
welcomed the news, as Assad appeared to have won the Syrian Civil War. There
were concerns that the US move could allow ISIS to regroup, or expose the Kurds
to attacks from Turkey.
7
April 2018,
A poison gas attack (chlorine or sarin) on Syrian civilians in the rebel-held
area of Douma was reported. Russia, who was backing Syrian President Assad,
along with Iran,
alleged that the attack was a fabrication. The US and Israel replied with
airstrikes on Syrian air force facilities.
7
September 2017,
Four Israeli
jets fired missiles at a Syrian facility believed to be a site of chemicals
weapons production, killing two Syrians.
6
April 2017,
US President Trump ordered the firing of 59 Tomahawk missiles at the
Shayrat Airbase, Syria, in response to the gas attack of 2 April 2017. 4 were killed. Russia,
an ally of Assad, was angry and said the incident had nearly started a war
between Russia and the US. Trump said he might fire more missiles into
Syria.
4
April 2017,
58 were killed by poison gas in the Syrian town of Khan Sheikhoun. Government forces under
Assad
were blamed.
28
February 2017,
Syria�s close ally Russia, also China, vetoed a UN
Security Council resolution authorising sanctions against the Syrian
government for use of chemical weapons.
13
December 2016,
Aleppo was completely taken by Syrian Government forces,
after rebel fighters were defeated, with Russian assistance. However the Syrian
civil war, which had begun in 2011, continued, and fighting was still reported
in the Aleppo area.
24
August 2016,
The United Nations determined that the Syrian
government twice used helicopters to deploy chlorine gas against its opponents,
in civilian areas in the northern Idlib province. A later report held the
government responsible for a third attack. The attacks occurred in 2014 and
2015. The panel also found that ISIS had used mustard gas.
31
May 2016, 25 people died in airstrikes in Idlib, Syria.
24/11/2015, Turkey shot down a Russian jet fighter that was taking
part in Russia�s pro-Assad campaign in Syria, against both ISIS and non-ISIS
rebels. Turkey said the aircraft had transgressed into Turkish airspace, and
was warned several times. Russia denied the warnings, and it appeared the jet
had at most been in Turkish airspace for 2 or 3 seconds as it (might have)
crossed a finger of Turkish territory jutting into Syria.
12/11/2015, �Jihadi
John� was killed by a US drone strike in the ISIS stronghold of
Raqqah, northern Syria.
30
September 2015,
Russia
began airstrikes in Syria, against anti-Assad rebels.
7
August 2015,
The U.N. Security Council authorised
investigators to probe reports of chemical weapons use in Syria, as reports circulated
of repeated chlorine
gas attacks by government forces against civilians in
opposition-held areas. Chlorine gas, though not as toxic as nerve agents, can
be classified as a chemical weapon depending on its use.
1
April 2015,
ISIS forces took Palmyra.
29
October 2014,
150 Kurdish fighters set off from Erbil
(Kurdish Iraq) to travel through� Turkish
territory to reinforce Kurdish fighters across the Turkish-Syria border
battling ISIS in the Syrian border town of Kobani. ISIS began to lose ground
there, as Syrian Kurds were reinforced by US arms drops and US air strikes
against ISIS. The fight for Kobani assumed increased importance as the global
TV media focussed on the battle from just across the border in Turkey. The
issue of Turkey allowing Kurdish reinforcements across its territory was
sensitive because Turkey has its own Kurdish minority region in the south-east.
22
September 2014,
A US-led coalition began air strikes against
ISIS in Syria.
23 June 2014, The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons said it had
removed the last of the Syrian government's chemical weapons. Syrian opposition
officials maintained that the government's stocks were not fully accounted for,
and that it retained supplies.
14 January 2014, ISIS forces took Raqqa,
Syria.
3 January 2014, Anti-Assad groups in northern Syria united against ISIS.
14 October 2013, Syria became a signatory to the Chemical Weapons Convention,
prohibiting it from producing, stockpiling or using chemical weapons.
27 September 2013, The UN Security Council
ordered Syria to account for and destroy its stocks of chemical weapons, following a
surprise agreement between the USA and Russia, so averting US airstrikes. Use
of force was threatened by the UN if Syria did not comply.
31 August 2013, US President Obama desired
to carry out punitive airstrikes against the Syrian government, but Congress
did not support the idea.
21 August 2013, Hundreds of people
suffocated in rebel-held suburbs of the Syrian capital, with many suffering
from convulsions, pinpoint pupils, and foaming at the mouth. U.N. investigators
visited the sites and determined that ground-to-ground missiles loaded with sarin
were fired on civilian areas while residents slept. The U.S. and others blamed
the Syrian government, the only party to the conflict known to have sarin gas.
5
June 2013, In the
Syrian civil war, the town of Qusayr was recaptured by pro-Assad forces.
7
April 2013,
The
Syrian government launched an air raid on rebels in Aleppo, killing 15 people.
19
March 2013,
26 Syrians, including a dozen Government
soldiers, were killed in a gas attack on the town of Khan-al-Assal, northern Syria. A UN investigation found that
sarin nerve gas had been used, but could not identify the source.
20
August 2012,
US President Obama
strongly cautioned the Syrian Government against any use of chemical weapons.
19 July 2012, Groups opposed to the regime of Syria�s leader, Bashar al Assad, attacked the city of Aleppo.
Aleppo became divided into a pro-regime west and a pro-rebel east.
18 August 2011, US President Obama called on Syrian President Assad
to resign, and froze Syrian assets in the US.
31
July 2011, In Syria, an army raid on the town of Hama killed over 120. So far the
Syrian civil war had claimed 3,000 lives.
12
June 2011, Thousands
of Syrians fled into Turkey to escape the civil
war.
1 April 2011, Large protests by Syrian civilians against their Government after
Friday prayers.
18 March 2011, Further protests in Deraa
over the detention by security forces of a group of boys accused of painting
anti-govermnment graffiti on the walls of their school. Earlier, on 15 March 2011,
protests against the boys� detention had taken place in Damascus. On 18 March 2011
Syrian government forces opened fire in Deraa, killing four people. These are regarded as the first deaths in
the Syrian civil war.
6 March 2011, Unrest in Deraa, Syria.
2006, The Danish
Embassy in Damascus was attacked over cartoons in a Danish newspaper satrirising
the prophet Mohammed.
13 April 2003, US President Bush accused Syria
of holding chemical weapons. There were fears of a US attack on Syria, but
later on Bush
moderated his tone.
6 May 2001, In Syria, Pope John Paul II visited the
Great Umayyad Mosque and prayed there, the first time a Pontiff had ever
visited and prayed in a Muslim mosque.
10 June 2000, Hafez al Assad, President of
Syria, died. His son, Bashar Assad, succeeded him.
27 December 1989, Egypt and Syria resumed full
diplomatic relations.
16 March 1980, Martial law was proclaimed in Aleppo as political violence swept
Syria.
1973, A new
Syrian Constitution entrenched Ba�ath
Party dominance.
1970, Hafez al Assad
seized power again.
23 February 1966, A military junta seized power in
Syria, ousting Hafez
al Assad.
1963, Ba�athist military junta seized power, with Major General
Amin al Hafez as leader.
29 September 1961, Syria seceded from the United Arab Republic
after anti-Egyptian
uprisings.�
25 December 1959, The USSR agreed to supply financial and
technical aid to Syria.
6/1936, Syria and France
negotiated a Treaty of Independence, to take effect in 1939; Hashim
al-Atassi was elected to be the first President of the newly
independent country. However the French legislature never ratified the Treaty,
and in 1940 France fell to the Nazis and the Vichy French Government took over.
At this point British and Free French forces took over Syria, consolidating their
control over the country in July 1941. After World War Two, Syrian Nationalists
forced the French to leave the country and a Republican Government took over
the running of Syria.
1925, Druze revolt in Damascus
against French occupation. French High Commissioner General Sarrail ordered the
bombardment of this area of the city.
11 March 1920, The National Congress in Syria proclaimed Feisal,
3rd son of King
Hussein of the Hejaz, King of an independent Syria.
1918, Arab troops led by Emir Faisal
captured Damascus from the Ottoman Turks, ending 400 years of Ottoman rule.
25 October 1918, Arab forces loyal to Prince Faisal captured Aleppo.
For Napoleonic
campaigns in Syria, 1790s, see France-Germany
See also Greece-Turkey
for history of Ottoman Empire
1516, Ottoman Turkey conquered Syria.
11 November 1400, Battle
of Aleppo. During a Tatar invasion of Syria, Tamerland defeated the Turks
and Syrians.
For events in the Syria region during
Roman and Byzantine times see Roman Empire
For events in the Syria region� in pre-Roman times see Jewish history
