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Picture of King Nadir Shah and Amir's grandfather is taken
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Baba is Born
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Amir's Mom Dies
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Hassan is Born
In the little mud hut where Hassan and Ali live, "Sanaubar gave birth to [Hassan on] one cold winter day in 1964," (6). Hassan and Amir had an interesting relationship that was sometimes a strong friendship and other times like a master and his dog. Hassan's birth marked the beginning of their whirlwind childhood. -
Baba Decided to Build an Orphanage
Around the later years of 1960, Baba made the decision to build and orphange and although in the beginning, people "shook their heads in dismay at his obstinance," once Baba completed his orphange people "shook their heads in awe at his triumphant ways," (13). Baba, not knowning anything about buildings, designed his own orphange, even while people thought he was crazy. However, his ability to ignore the critics and finish his orphange illustrates how determined and ambitious Baba is. -
Baba Flies to Tehran to Watch the World Cup
In the midst of building the orphange, Baba stopped working in order to "[fly] to Tehran for a month to watch the World Cup games on televeison," because TVs haven't reached Afghanistan yet. This event, although it may seem small, is actually quite a big event. This simple mention of Baba having to fly to Tehran to watch TV shows how different America is from Afghanistan. While in the US, families had their own televison sets, yet in Afghanistan, TVs didn't exist yet. -
Shootings in Kabul
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Amir's First Time Making Up His Own Story
After hearing that Hassan had enjoyed the story that Amir made up, Amir wrote his first original story. This event is a milestone in Amir's life because after he moved to America, Amir did become "great and famous" and "a great writer" as Hassan predicted (33-34). Hassan, both as his duty to be kind to Amir and as a loyal supporter, expressed Amir's talent. In addtion, Rahim Khan gave Amir the most encoraging comment. This pushed Amir to study and become a published author of several books. -
Hassan Gets Plastic Surgery Done For His Harelip
Baba had always given Hassan a birthday present. So when Hassan's next present is to get surgery done for his harelip, Hassan is a bit worried. However, the surgery was a success, and after a while ["the wound] was just a pink jagged line," (47). This kind of present is generous, considering that the surgery went well. However, it didn't help much because after the surgery, Hassan never smiled, despite his new ability to do so. -
Hassan's last time kite running
After being sexually abused by Assef, Hassan didn't mention a word about it to Amir, and instead just "handed [Amir] the kite," (78). Both Hassan and Amir dismissed what Assef had just done, acknowledging only what Amir wanted: the winning kite. The way that Hassan hastily hands over the kite to Amir shows how much he puts Amir before himself. -
Amir Turns 13; Afghanistan's Next to Last Year of Peace
Amir "turned thirteen the summer of 1976" and on this day, Amir learned more about Assef and Rahim Khan than he had known before. Watching Baba and Assef act as if they've known each other for years upsets Amir, especially since it's his birthday. Moreover, he learns of a part of Rahim Khan's life and the empty feeling from Baba and Assef is replaced with Rahim Khan's comfort. -
Ali and Hassan leave Baba and Amir
Following another one of Amir's attempts to create a reason for his guilt, Ali announces, "[Hassan and I] are leaving, Agha sahib," (106). Ali's announcement surprises Baba because he has never done anything to want Ali and Hassan gone. For Baba, this news is heatbreaking, considering that he is Hassan's biological father. Ali and Hassan's leaving means that Baba will be separated from his second son, and Amir and Hassan will never be with each other, knowing that they are brothers. -
Amir and Hassan's Life Changes As a Result of a Communist Take Over
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Soviet Union Invades Afghanistan
Afghanistan has been weak and under the control of groups like the Taliban, ever since "the 1979 invasion by the Soviet Union" which affected both the Afghan citizens and the country's allies (NYT 8). -
First Soviet Invasion
To begin the Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan, "troops parachuted into Kabul on December 27 of 1979," marking the start of a take over, similar to the one with America and Vietnam (NYT 10). -
Amir and Baba Leave Kabul
The shootings and the war had become so terrible that Amir and Baba had to "[leave] Kabul just after two in the morning," to escape the chance of being killed (110). Having to leave in the middle of the night and leave behind your belongs is a hard thing to do. However, that is what Amir and Baba had to do to survive, when times were getting too dangerous, unless they were willing to risk their lives. -
Baba's Tantrum in a Little Grocery Store
Unaccoustomed to California law, when Baba was asked for ID, he got extremely upset and broke glass yelling, "Alost two years we've bought his damn fruits...and the son of a dog wants to see my license!" (127). This is another example of a difference between Afghanistan and Kabul. Amir recounts how a tree branch with tick marks counted as payment back when he and Baba lived on Afghanistan. Knowing how different and difficult the adjustment to California life impacts how Baba's character evolves. -
Amir Graduates High School at 20 years old
After moving to California, Amir "graduated from high school at the age of twenty," (131). Amir's move to America was sudden, but it wasn't sudden enough that he was able to get an education up until the day he and Baba left. In addition, Afghanistan didn't have a strong education system. In consequence, when Amir and Baba moved to the US, Amir enrolled in high school, leading him to graduate at 20. -
Amir Finishes his First Novel
After studying in college and writing several stories in his childhood, "in the summer of 1988...[Amir] finished [his] first novel," (182). Becoming an author is not an easy thing to do, and Amir knew this well. Getting the call that told Amir he'd become a published author was a dream come true for Amir, especially because he's getting his work out to the public and getting a paycheck. The money he gets from this book will help support him and Soraya without outside help. -
Soviets Leave Afghanistan
After almost a year of occupation, the "last Soviet troops left Afghanistan in February 1989," leaving the country in an unstable and weak state, vulnerable to more attacks (NYT 12). -
Soraya learns that she can't have her own children
After several doctor appointments and numerous tests, Soraya learned that she can't have her own biological children. This news hit Soraya hard, and she "cried all the way home," from the doctor's office (186.) In Afghan culture, having your own biological children was something that is highly valued. Blood and ancestry was of great importance when it came to family. In consequence, when Soraya was suggested to adopt a child instead, she reacted in tears. -
Afghanistan: A Ruined Country
The Soviet Union left Afghanistan in a severely weak and vulnerable state, leading to "power [being] anarchically divided among competing warlords and individual fiefdoms" by the summer of 1994 (NYT 13). -
Taliban takes control of Afghanistan
The New York Times' article on Afghanistan starts off with an explanation on how "the Taliban, the extremist Islamic group [has] seized control in 1996" after several years of war within the country (NYT 1). -
Taliban Controls Afghanistan
From its birth as a student movement, the Taliban soon grew large enough that it "had taken control of Afghanistan, imposing strict enforcement of fundamentalist Islamic law" by the year of 1996 (NYT 17). -
Amir learns that he and Hassan are half brothers
While in Peshwar to talk to Rahim Khan, Amir learns that "Ali was sterile," and that it was Baba who was Hassan's father (222). Rahim Khan didn't need to say it outloud for Amir to realize that Hassan and him were related. This way of finding out about his childhood affected Amir strongly for he had grown up thinking a lie was the truth. -
9/11 Attack
Having a safe haven with the Taliban, bin Laden had great time and support to plan the "attack on the World Trade Center in New York on Sept. 11, 2011" shaking the lives of everyone around the world (NYT 19). -
US Military Success in Afghanistan Invasion
Athough the US military's invasion into Afghanistan in 2001 didn't competely get rid of Al Qaeda and the Taliban, they "succeeded in dislodging al Qaeda and romving the Taliban from power" (NYT 2). -
Sohrab and Amir run kites together
After years of living with Sohrab who kept silent all the time, it was a miracle when "one corner of [Sohrab's] mouth had curled up just so. A smile," (370). When Amir returned from Afghanistan with Sohrab, both he and Soraya had made up ideas of all the fun activites that the three of them can do. However, Sohrab's muteness cut out all possibility of carrying through with these activities, saddening Amir and Soraya. When Sohrab agrees to run kites with Amir, it was a beginning of a new family. -
Planned Date for US Combat Forces to Leave Afghanistan
After invaiding Afghanistan in response to the 9/11 attacks, the US had plans for "American combat forces to begin withradwing from Afghanistan in the summer of 2011" (NYT 4). -
New Date for US Military to Leave Afghanistan
The US had plans for the military to leave Afghanistan in the summer of 2011, but new ideas led the "United States [to have] forces in the country until at least the end of 2014" (NYT 4).