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First major protests begin
Protestors demand the release of political prisoners.
Syria lifts as an state of emergency. -
Government deploys army
Army tanks roll into Homs, Daraa and areas of Damascus in a bid to quash anti-regime protesters. Following the military crackdown, the United States tightens sanctions. -
Massive crackdown in Hama
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad dismisses the governor of Hama following a mass demonstration that brought thousands out onto streets. The government sends in troops, and hundreds are reported killed. -
West calls on Assad to step down
President Obama for the first time explicitly calls on Assad to step down. Obama also issues an executive order immediately freezing all assets of the Syrian government subject to U.S. jurisdiction. -
Arab Leagues suspends Syria's membership
The Arab League votes to suspend Syria's membership and then imposes sanctions, accusing the Assad government of failing to implement a peace plan. In one of the most high-profile anti-government offensives to date, the Free Syrian Army attacks a military base near Damascus. -
U.S. shuts down embassy in Damascus
Russia and China again block the U.N. draft resolution condemning Syria's actions. The United States shuts down its embassy in Damascus, citing security concerns. A day later, the government continues to shell Homs, making it one of the deadliest days since the uprising began. Human rights groups say at least 200 people have died in the latest government crackdown in Homs. -
Government troops push into Homs
The Free Syrian Army announces March 1 that it is retreating from the shattered Bab Amr neighborhood in the Syrian city of Homs, citing concerns for the welfare of civilians and the inability to withstand an escalating offensive by better-armed government troops. -
U.N. brokers cease-fire, sends monitors to Syria
A United Nations-brokered cease-fire appears to take hold April 11, after the Assad government claims it succeeded in asserting its control over the country. Rebel forces denounce the assertion, stating that government forces continue to slaughter civilians and attack rebel strongholds -
U.N. suspends mission in Syria
The United Nations suspends its mission in Syria on June 16, stating that the escalating violence hindered the team’s ability to fulfill its obligations. On June 21, Syrian government forces shoot down a Turkish jet near its border, prompting an emergency NATO meeting. -
Top Assad aides killed in bombing
The massacre of roughly 200 people in Tresmeh, a small Syrian farming village, ignites international criticism on July 13, with reports claiming heavy weaponry was used against civilians. The Free Syria Army responds five days later, on July 18, taking responsibility for the bombing of the National Security building in Damascus that killed top members of President Assad’s government. -
U.N. accuses Syria of war crimes
The U.N. Human Rights Council says the Syrian military committed war crimes in the massacre of more than 100 civilians, half of them children, in the village of Houla in May 2012. -
Rebels shoot down military helicopter and jet
Videos posted online show the rebels allegedly shooting down Syrian helicopters and planes with shoulder-fired missiles. -
Rebels capture military bases
Rebel make gains in Damascus's suburbs, taking over military bases as they close in on the city's airport against weakened Syrian government forces. -
65 bodies found in Aleppo
At least 65 people are found dead Jan. 29 in the contested Syrian city of Aleppo, many of them bound and shot execution-style, according to opposition activists. -
Major bombings in Damascus
A car bomb that detonated at a checkpoint near Baath party headquarters in Damascus sets off a huge explosion, killing dozens and wounding more than 200. -
Al-Nusra becomes dominant in rebel areas
Following the seize of the northern city of Raqqa, Syrian planes bomb Raqqa. The rebel coalition elects an interim leader, Ghassan Hitto, who was educated in America. Meanwhile, the al-Nusra front makes an organized effort to institute Islamic law in rebel-held areas. -
UN says nearly 93,000 killed in the conflict
The continuing violence in Syria has killed nearly 93,000 people, according to the United Nations, which warned that more bloodshed could be on the way as government forces prepare to fight for Aleppo. -
Russia proposes Syria give up chemical arms
Russia and Syria welcomed the idea that Syrian government could avert a U.S. attack by placing its chemical weapons under international control. -
Syria destroys chemical weapons facilities
Syria has rendered its declared chemical weapons production facilities inoperable, according to the organization in charge of overseeing the nation’s chemical weapons disarmament. -
Air strikes against Islamic State
US and five Arab countries launch air strikes against Islamic State around Aleppo and Raqqa. -
Seize of Palmyra
Islamic State fighters seize the ancient city of Palmyra in central Syria and proceed to destroy many monuments at pre-Islamic World Heritage site. -
Russian intervention
Russia carries out its first air strikes in Syria, saying they target the Islamic State group, but the West and Syrian opposition say it overwhelmingly targets anti-Assad rebels. -
Agreement on hosting refugees
Spain agreeswith the EU to host almost 15.000 Syrian refugees by the end of 2017. -
Recapture of Aleppo
Government troops, backed by Russian air power and Iranian-sponsored militias, recaptures Aleppo, the country's largest city, depriving the rebels of their last major urban stronghold.