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Amir's birth
The start of Amir and Hassan's lives was,"...in that little shack, that Hassan was born in the winter of 1964, just one year after my mother died giving birth to me" (Hosseini 6). Hassan was born to Sanaubar and Ali in the servants hut in Baba's house in 1964. Amir was born to Baba and Sofia in 1964 and Sofia died in childbirth to Amir. -
Hassan's Surgery
After the surgery, "The swelling subsided, and the wound healed with time. Soon, it was just a pink jagged line running up from his lip. By the following winter, it was only a faint scar" (Hosseini 47). As a birthday gift, Baba gave Hassan an unusual gift, a plastic surgeon that got rid of his harelip. Hassan accepted the gift and he got surgery for his birthday. -
Amir's 13th Birthday Party
Amir, "... remember(s) scanning over the invitation list a week before my birthday party and not recognizing at least three-quarters of the four hundred-plus Kakas and Khalas who were going to bring me gifts and congratulate me for having lived to thirteen" (Hosseini 94-95). Baba threw Amir a big party for his birthday and invited guests, many which he did not know. Amir received lots of gifts and attention that night from the family friends and relatives that attended the party. -
Ali and Hassan leave
When Ali and Hassan left, "I watched Baba's car pull away from the curb, taking with it the person whose first spoken word had been my name" (Hosseini 109). After Amir's 13th birthday party, Amir was given lots of gifts including money, a new watch, a bike, a journal, and other gifts. Amir snuck money and the watch under Hassan's pillow but Ali found out and Hassan admitted to stealing it from Amir so Ali and Hassan left Kabul for Hazarajat. -
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Soviet Union Invasion
"Three decades ago, Afghanistan was a stable, relatively prosperous and relatively secular country. THe turmoil and extremism that have dominated its history since then can be traced to the 1979 invasion by the Soviet Union and the reaction both by Afghans and by their allies in the United States and Pakistan" (New York Times 2) -
First Soviet Union Troops Invade Kabul
"The first Soviet troops parachuted into Kabul on Dec 28, 1979, to assist Babrak Karmal, who had become president in a coup within the Afghan COmmunist leadership" (New York Times 2) -
Amir and Baba go to San Fransisco
Baba loved the idea of America, "(b)ut the Bay Area's smog stung his eyes, the traffic noise gave him headaches, and the pollen made him cough" (Hosseini 126). Baba and Amir left Afghanistan for California because of the Soviet invasion of their country. The adjustment was hard due to Baba's age and the different society and language. -
Amir Graduates from High School
After Amir moved to an American school, "(t)hat summer of 1983, I graduated from high school at the age of twenty, by far the oldest senior tossing his mortarboard on the football field that day" (Hosseini 131). Even though Amir moved in the middle of his education, he was able to learn English, take care of Baba and also graduate high school. He was a little late compared to the other students in his class, but he was still able to graduate alongside them. -
Baba dies
Soraya offers Baba his medicine but Baba says,"'Not tonight,' he said. 'There is no pain tonight.' 'Okay', she said. She pulled up his blanket. We closed the door. Baba never woke up" (Hosseini 173). Before Baba passed, Amir and Soraya lived together with Baba, taking care of him while he was on medication. Amir and Soraya also recently wed so Baba was reassured to pass peacefully and happy, knowing that Amir was a happy man. -
Last Soviet Troops Leave Afghanistan
"Eventually, after peace talks moderated by the United Nations, the last Soviet troops left Afghanistan in February 1989, in what was in effect a unilateral withdrawal. They left behind a country that was not only devastated by the war but that had become a beacon to Islamic extremists from across the globe who had come to assist in the fighting, including Osama Bin Laden and the group he helped found, Al Qaeda" (New York TImes 2) -
Sohrab is born
After Farzana gave birth to a stillborn, "(i)t was Sanaubar who delivered Hassan's son that winter of 1990" (Hosseini 211). Sanaubar left Hassan as a baby but later returned in the story when Hassan was married and lived in Baba's house. Hassan's first and only child was a boy that was named Sohrab after a warrior in a story Amir used to read to Hassan in their youth. -
Taliban Taken Control of Afghanistan
Buoyed by Pakistani aid, the Taliban by 1996 had taken control of Afghanistan, imposing strict enforcement of fundamentalist Islamic law, banning movies and forcing women out of schools and into all-enveloping burqa clothing" (New York Times 3) -
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Taliban Takeover
"The Taliban grew out of a student movement dedicated to purifying the country, based in southeast, the home of the dominant ethnic group, the Pashtun. In a story that is now part of Afghan folklore, the groups first action occurred when Mullah Omar, a Pashtun who had lost his eye fighting the Soviets, gathered a small band of men and attacked a group of warlords who had raped a girl and shaved her head" (New York Times 2) -
Hassan and Farzana are killed
The Taliban came to Baba's house, saw a Hazara living in the big house,"'-and shot him in the back of the head" (Hosseini 219). Under the Taliban rule, many Afghans were executed for being disrespectful or of higher rank to others. Farzana was also killed trying to protect Hassan from the Taliban. -
US Invasion of Afghanistan
"The 2001 invasion succeded in dislodging Al Qaeda and removing the Taliban from power, not in eradicating either group. With American military efforts focused on Iraq, the Taliban made a steady comeback, fueled by profits from the opium trade, dissatisfaction with the weak and often corrupt Afghan government, and safe havens in Pakistan" (New York TImes 1) -
Amir comes home with Sohrab
After recovering from the fight, "(w)e arrived home about seven months ago, on a warm day in August 2001. Soraya picked us up at the airport" (Hosseini 357). After Amir accepted Rahim Khan's wish for him to go to Kabul for Sohrab, Amir faced his childhood bully, Assef who was in power in Afghanistan. They got into a fight and it was Sohrab in the end who protected Amir, who got badly injured and had to stay in Afghanistan to recover before he could bring Sohrab to America. -
Hamid Karzai Becomes Chairman due to Exiled Former King
"In December 2001, Hamid Karzai, a supporter and relative of Mohammad Zahir Shah, the exiled former king Afghanistan, was named chairman of an interim government that replaced the defeated Taliban, making him leader of the country" (New York Times 3) -
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Post 9/11 Invasion
"After the attack on the World Trade Center in New York on Sept 11 2001, President George W Bush gave the Taliban an ultimatum to hand over Mr Bin Laden. WHen it refused, the United States joined forces with rebel groups that had never accepted Taliban rule, notably the Northern Alliance, which represented minority tribes. An air and ground campaign began that drove the Taliban out of the major Afghan cities by the end of the year." (New York Times 3) -
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Obamas War
"Mr Obama's plan to widen United States involvement in Afghanistan was shaped by a debate which Vice President Biden warned against getting into a political and military quagmire which military advisers argued that the Afghanistan war effort could be imperiled without even more troops" (New York Times 3) -
Obama Deploys 30,000 More Troops
"In a speech delivered Dec 1, 2009, at West Point, Mr Obama announced his plan to deploy 30.000 additional troops" (New York Times 4)