History of Iraq By facebooker_100000205531093 226 The Persian Sassanid dynasty took control of Mesopotamia Jan 1, 633 Arab Muslims conquer the Sassanids and Iraq Mar 7, 1500 The Ottoman Empire conquers the region Jul 28, 1914 1914-1918 World War I Apr 28, 1937 Saddam Hussein was born Sep 1, 1939 1939-1945 World War 2 breaks out Sep 2, 1945 End of 1939-1945 World War 2 and Iraq helps to form the Arab League Period: Mar 7, 1950 to Mar 7, 1952 1950-1952 Iraq signs agreements with foreign oil companies and receives 50% of the oil profits Mar 7, 1953 Faisal II became king of Iraq Mar 8, 1972 The country nationalises the Iraq Petroleum Company (IPC) Mar 8, 1979 Saddam Hussein succeeds Al-Bakr as Iraqi President Sep 4, 1980 Iraq invades Iran starting the Iran-Iraq war Mar 16, 1988 Chemical attack on Kurds Iraq believed to have used chemical weapons against the Kurdish town of Halabjah Aug 2, 1990 Iraq invades Kuwait Aug 8, 1990 Iraq announces the merger of Iraq and Kuwait Jan 17, 1991 A coalition of 39 countries begin bombing Iraq starting the Persian Gulf WarThe aerial bombing of Iraq is called "Operation Desert Storm" Mar 3, 1991 Iraq accepts the terms of a ceasefire Jun 27, 1993 US launch cruise missile attack on Iraqi intelligence headquarters in Baghdad May 29, 1994 Saddam Hussein becomes prime minister of Iraq Oct 31, 1998 Iraq ends cooperation with UN Special Commission to Oversee the Destruction of Iraq's Weapons of Mass Destruction (Unscom). Dec 16, 1998 Operation Desert Fox - US and UK forces launch a bombing campaign, to destroy Iraq's nuclear, chemical and biological weapons programmes Mar 17, 2003 Saddam Hussein given 48 hours to leave Iraq or face war Apr 9, 2003 Baghdad and the power of Saddam Hussein crumbles and the US lists 55 most-wanted members of former regime which is issued as packs of cards Jul 8, 2003 Saddam's sons Uday and Qusay killed in gun battle in Mosul Dec 14, 2003 Saddam Hussein captured in Tikrit. Mar 8, 2004 Fighting continuesUS hands sovereignty to interim government headed by Prime Minister Iyad Allawi Mar 8, 2004 Saddam Hussein transferred to Iraqi legal custody Jan 1, 2005 Elections: The Shia United Iraqi Alliance win a majority Mar 8, 2005 Parliament appoints the Kurdish leader Jalal Talabani as president and Ibrahim Jaafari, a Shia, is named as prime minister Oct 8, 2005 Saddam Hussein goes on trial Jun 7, 2006 The Al-Qaeda leader in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, is killed Mar 20, 2013 American missiles hit targets in Baghdad and US and British ground troops enter Iraq
