-
The Sykes-Picot Agreement of 1916 set the fate of modern Southwest Asia for the coming century; providing France with the northern zone (Syria, including what would become the state of Lebanon), and the United Kingdom with the southern one (Iraq and later, after renegotiations in 1917, Palestine (including what would become the state of Jordan)
-
On 23 August 1925, Sultan Pasha al-Atrash officially declared revolution against France, and soon fighting erupted in Damascus, Homs and Hama. After several battles, they got their independence from France, and became an independent country.
-
Israeli forces seize the Golan Heights from Syria and destroy much of Syria's air force in the Six Day War with Egypt, Jordan and Syria.
-
Syria and Egypt go to war with Israel but fail to retake the Golan Heights seized during the 1967 Arab-Israeli war.
-
Start of Iran-Iraq War. Syria backs Iran, in keeping with the traditional rivalry between Baathist leaderships in Iraq and Syria.
-
Assad (president) dies and is succeeded by his second son, Bashar.
-
Israel bombed a site near Damascus, charging it was a terrorist training facility for members of Islamic Jihad. Islamic Jihad said the camp was not in use; Syria said the attack was on a civilian area.
-
American Special Operations Forces launched an air attack into Syria, killing a leader of al-Qaeda. U.S. officials say the militant, Abu Ghadiya, smuggled weapons, money, and fighters into Iraq from Syria. The Syrian government accused the Americans of committing a war crime.
-
An ongoing armed conflict in Syria between forces loyal to the Ba'ath Party government and those seeking to oust it.
-
To escape the violence, over 355,000 Syrian refugees have fled to neighboring countries of Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon, and Turkey.
