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Historical Event #1
The Prime Minister Khan overthrows the last king, Mohammed Zahir Shah, in a military coup. Khan’s regime, the People’s Democratic Party of Afghanistan, comes to power. -
Kite Runner quote
Blocking Hassan's way out of the alley were 3 boys, the same 3 from that day on that hill, the day after Daoud Khan's coup, when Hassan had saved us with his slingshot (Hosseini 59) -
Historical Event #2
The USSR invades Afghanistan on Dec. 24 to bolster the faltering communist regime. On Dec. 27, Amin and many of his followers are executed. Deputy Prime Minister Babrak Karmal becomes prime minister. Widespread opposition to Karmal and the Soviets spawns violent public demonstrations. -
Kite Runner quote
In December 1979, when russian tanks would roll to the very same streets where Hassan and I played, bringing the death of the Afghanistan I knew and marking the start of a still ongoing era of bloodletting (36). -
Historical Event #3
Olympic Games in Moscow. -
Kite Runner quote
In 1980, when we were still in Kabul, the U.S. announced it would be boycotting the Olympic Games in Moscow. (126) -
Historical Event #4
The Ronald Reagan Administration. -
Kite Runner quote
The sort of blue-collar people who would soon suffocate under the pillow Reaganomics pressed to their faces. Baba was the lone Republican in our building. (126) -
Period: to
Kite Runner quote
If you went from the Shar-e-Nau section to Kerteh-Parwan to buy a carpet, you risked getting shot by a sniper or getting blown up by a rocket-if you got past all the checkpoints, that was. You practically needed a visa to go from one neighborhood to the other. So people just stayed out, prayed the rocket wouldn’t hit their home. (199) -
Period: to
Historical Event #5
The Taliban seize control of Kabul and introduce hard-line version of Islam, banning women from work, and introducing Islamic punishments, which include stoning to death and amputations.
