Kite Runner and the History of Afghanistan By 19fairc27 Dec 1, 1973 Amir writes his first story Period: Dec 1, 1973 to Dec 31, 1978 New "Republic" government Dec 10, 1974 Hassan gets surgery to remove his cleft lip Dec 31, 1974 Amir sees Baba's face in Hassan Nov 20, 1975 Hassan "stops smiling" (in Amir's words) Dec 30, 1975 Amir wins the kite-fighting tournament Dec 30, 1975 Assef rapes Hassan, beginning the downward spiral of Amir and Hassan's friendship Jun 25, 1976 Amir turns 13 Dec 27, 1979 First Soviet troops parchute in to Afghanistan Period: Dec 27, 1979 to Jul 15, 2011 Kite Runner and the History of Afghanistan Period: Dec 27, 1979 to Feb 1, 1989 The Russian Military Occupies Afghanistan Mar 1, 1981 Amir and Baba leave Afghanistan Mar 5, 1981 Baba saves the woman from the Russian soldier Mar 17, 1981 Amir witnesses Kamal and his father's deaths Jul 20, 1983 Amir gets his car to go to college Jul 20, 1984 Amir and Baba begin to go to the flea market Sep 1, 1985 Baba is diagnosed with lung cancer and refuses treatment Oct 31, 1985 Baba is too weak to spent the whole day at the market Nov 25, 1985 Baba burns out by midday Dec 25, 1985 Baba is too weak to attend the flea market at all Jan 4, 1986 Baba is in the hospital Jan 5, 1986 Amir asks Baba to ask the General for Soraya's hand in marraige Apr 29, 1986 Baba dies Jun 15, 1986 Rahim Khan goes to find Hassan in Hazarajat Feb 1, 1989 The last Soviet troops leave Afghanistan Nov 20, 1990 Sohrab is born Apr 2, 1991 Amir and Soraya find out why they cannot have children Jan 1, 1994 Pakistan begins to funnel supplies to the Taliban Jul 1, 1994 Afghanistan has become a hive of competing warlords Dec 15, 1994 Mullah Omar and the Taliban have become popular May 1, 1996 Osama bin Laden arrives in Afghanistan Aug 1, 1996 Taliban destroys 800-year-old Buddha statues at Bamiyan Jun 15, 1998 Taliban massacres Hazaras in Mazar-i-Sharif Jun 15, 2001 Amir finds out about Rahim Khan's sickness Jun 30, 2001 Amir goes into Afghanistan to rescue Sohrab Jul 5, 2001 Amir meets Assef once again and rescues Sohrab Sep 11, 2001 The attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon Dec 31, 2001 The Taliban and Al Qaeda have been driven out of all major Afghan cities Dec 31, 2001 Hamid Karzai is named chairman of the interim government Period: Jan 1, 2002 to Dec 31, 2007 The Taliban begin to regroup The Taliban gain power in Pakistan and the southern part of Afghanistan Oct 22, 2002 Karzai takes office of interim president Jun 15, 2004 Karzai is elected to a five-year term as president Oct 22, 2008 Gen. Petraeus gets put in charce of Central Command Dec 1, 2009 Obama delivers speech about Afghanistan at West Point Jun 22, 2010 Obama removes Gen. McChystal from command of forces Jul 22, 2011 All troops were supposed to be out of Afghanistan