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British forces invade, King Shah Shujah. He is assassinated in 1842. British and Indian troops are killed during withdraw from Kabul.
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Second Anglo-Afghan War. A treaty gives Britain control of Afghan foreign events.
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Emir Amanullah Khan declares independence from British influence.
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Amanullah tries to introduces changes, stirs troubles, and Amanullah flees.
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Zahir Shah becomes king and Afghanistan remains a monarchy for next 40 years.
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General Mohammed Daud becomes prime minister. He turns to Soviet Union for economic and military assistance.
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Mohammed Daud is forced to resign as prime minister.
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Constitutional monarchy introduced - but leads to political polarization and power struggles.
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Mohammed Daud grabs power and declares a republic. Tries to play off the soviet against Western powers.
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General Daud is overthrown and killed by the pro-Soviet. The People's Democratic Party comes to power but is stopped by violent fighting by US-backed mujahideen groups.
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Soviet Army invades and makes a communist government.
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Babrak Karmal is ruler, elected by Soviet troops. But a lot of people with mujahideen groups fighting Soviet forces. US, Pakistan, China, Iran and Saudi Arabia supply money and weapons to the mujahideen.
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Mujahideen came together in Pakistan to form alliance against Soviet forces. Half of the Afghan population now estimated to be replaced by war, with many leaving to Iran or Pakistan.
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US begins supplying mujahideen with Stinger missiles, enabling them to shoot down Soviet helicopter gunships. Babrak Karmal replaced by Najibullah as head of Soviet-backed regime.
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Afghanistan, USSR, the US and Pakistan sign peace and Soviet Union begins pulling out troops.
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Last Soviet troops leave, but civil war continues as mujahideen push to overthrow Najibullah.
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Najibullah's government toppled, but a bad civil war happens.
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Taliban take control of Kabul and introduce hard-line version of Islam, banning women from work, and introducing Islamic punishments, which include stoning to death and amputations
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Taliban recognised as legitimate rulers by Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. They now control about two-thirds of country.
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US launches missile strikes at suspected bases of militant Osama bin Laden, accused of bombing US embassies in Africa.
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UN imposes an air embargo and financial sanctions to force Afghanistan to hand over Osama bin Laden for trial.
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Afghan groups agree deal in Bonn, Germany for interim government.
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Loya Jirga, or grand council, elects Hamid Karzai as interim head of state. Karzai picks members of his administration which is to serve until 2004.
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Nato takes control of security in Kabul, its first-ever operational commitment outside Europe.
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Presidential elections. Hamid Karzai is declared winner.
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Afghans vote in first parliamentary elections in more than 30 years.
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Nato assumes responsibility for security across the whole of Afghanistan, taking command in the east from a US-led coalition force.
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Opium production has soared to a record high, the UN reports
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Suicide bomb attack on Indian embassy in Kabul kills more than 50.
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US President Barack Obama unveils new strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan. An extra 4,000 US personnel will train and bolster the Afghan army and police and there will be support for civilian development
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Whistleblowing website Wikileaks publishes thousands of classified US military documents relating to Afghanistan.
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President Karzai wins the endorsement of tribal elders to negotiate a 10-year military partnership with the US at a loya jirga traditional assembly. The proposed pact will see US troops remain after 2014, when foreign troops are due to leave the country.
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At least 30 people are killed in protests about the burning of copies of the Koran at the US Bagram airbase. US officials believed Taliban prisoners were using the books to pass messages, and that they were extremist texts not Korans. Two soldiers are also killed in reprisal attacks.
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US hands over Bagram high-security jail to the Afghan government, although it retains control over some foreign prisoners until March 2013.
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Election officials begin recount of all votes cast in June's presidential run-off, as part of a US-mediated deal to end dispute between candidates over widespread claims of fraud
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President Karzai and Pakistan's Asif Ali Zardari agree to work for an Afghan peace deal within six months after talks hosted by Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron. They back the opening of an Afghan office in Doha and urge the Taliban to do the same for talks to take place.
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NATO-led follow-on mission "Resolute Support" gets underway, with some 12,000 personnel to provide further training and support for Afghan security forces.
