IRAN: Timeline 1941

1941 - The Shah's pro-Axis allegiance in World War II leads to the Anglo-Russian occupation of Iran and the deposition of the Shah in favour of his son, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.

1950 - Ali Razmara becomes prime minister and is assassinated less than nine months later. He is succeeded by the nationalist, Mohammad Mossadeq.

1951 April - Parliament votes to nationalise the oil industry. The Anglo-Iranian Oil Company is unable to continue operations and as a result Britain boycotts the purchase of Iranian oil. A power struggle between the Shah and Mossadeq ensues.

1953 22 August - With the help of western backing, mainly due to oil interests in the country, the Shah overthrows Mossadeq in a coup d'etat staged by General Fazlollah Zahedi.

1963 26 January - The Shah embarks on a campaign to modernise and westernise the country. He launches the 'White Revolution', a programme of land reform and social and economic modernization. During the late 1960's the Shah became increasingly dependent on the Secret Police (SAVAK) in controlling those opposition movements critical of his reforms. 1978 September - The Shah's policies alienate the clergy and his authoritarian rule leads to riots, strikes and mass demonstrations. Martial law is imposed.

1979 16 January - As the political situation deteriorates, the Shah and his family are forced into exile.

1979 1 February - The Islamic fundamentalist, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, returns to Iran following 14 years of exile in Iraq and France for opposing the regime.

1979 1 April - The Islamic Republic of Iran is proclaimed following a referendum.

1979 4 November - Islamic militants take 52 Americans hostage inside the US embassy in Tehran. They demand the extradition of the Shah, in the US at the time for medical treatment, to face trial in Iran.

1980 25 January - Abolhasan Bani-Sadr is elected the first President of the Islamic Republic. His government begins work on a major nationalization programme.

1980 22 September - Iraq invades Iran following border skirmishes and a dispute over the Shatt al-Arab waterway. This marks the beginning of a war that will last eight years.

1981 20 January - The American hostages are released ending 444 days in captivity.

1985 - After the US and Soviet Union halted arms supplies, the US attempted to win the release of hostages in Lebanon by offering secret arms deals, this would later become known as the Iran-Contra affair.

1988 3 July - 290 passengers and the crew of an Iran Air Airbus are mistakenly shot down by the USS Vincennes.

1988 20 July - Iran accepts a ceasefire agreement with Iraq following negotiations in Geneva under the aegis of the UN.

1989 14 February - Ayatollah Khomeini issues a religious edict (fatwa) ordering Muslims to kill British author, Salman Rushdie, for his novel, 'The Satanic Verses', considered blasphemous to Islam.

1989 3 June - Ayatollah Khomeini dies. On 4 June, President Khamene'i is appointed as new supreme leader.

1990 21 June - A major earthquake strikes Iran, killing approximately 40,000 people.

1990 - Iran remains neutral following Iraq's invasion of Kuwait, denouncing both Baghdad's conquest of Kuwait and any long-term presence of US forces in the region.

1995 - The US imposes oil and trade sanctions against Iran for alleged sponsorship of 'terrorism', seeking to acquire nuclear arms and hostility to the Middle East process. Iran denies the charges.

Iran director's driving desire 1997 23 May - Mohammad Khatami wins the presidential election by a landslide, with 70% of the vote beating the conservative ruling elite.

1998 September - Iran deploys thousands of troops on its border with Afghanistan after the Taleban admits killing eight Iranian diplomats and a journalist in Mazar-e Sharif.

1999 July - Pro-democracy students at Tehran University hold a demonstration following the closure of the reformist newspaper 'Salam'. Clashes with the security forces lead to six days of rioting and the arrest of over 1,000 students.

2000 18 February - Liberals and supporters of Khatami win 170 of the 290 seats in the Majlis elections held February, thus gaining control of parliament previously dominated by the conservatives since the 1979 Islamic revolution. Hard-liners win only 44 seats. An additional 65 seats will be decided in run-offs.

2000 23 April - The judiciary, following the adoption of a new press law, bans the publication of 16 reformist newspapers.

2000 1 August - Senior clerics issue a religious decree, or fatwa, allowing women to lead religious congregations of women worshippers.

2001 April - Iran and Saudi Arabia sign major security accord to combat terrorism, drug trafficking and organised crime.

2001 8 June - President Khatami re-elected for a second term after winning just under 77% of the vote.

2001 8 August - President Mohammad Khatami sworn in for his second term in office.

The modern face of Iran Iran's frustrated generation 2002 January - US President George Bush describes Iraq, Iran and North Korea as an "axis of evil". He warns that the proliferation of long-range missiles being developed in these countries is as great a danger to the US as terrorism. The speech causes outrage in Iran and is condemned by reformists and conservatives alike.

2002 September - Russian technicians begin construction of Iran's first nuclear reactor at Bushehr despite strong objections from US.

2003 February - Military aircraft crashes in south-east of country killing all 275 people on board. It is Iran's worst air disaster.

2003 June - Thousands attend student-led protests in Tehran against clerical establishment.

2003 August - Diplomatic crisis with UK over arrest of former Iranian ambassador to Argentina, sought by Buenos Aires on warrant alleging complicity in 1994 Jewish centre bombing.

2003 September - UN nuclear watchdog gives Tehran weeks to prove that it is not pursuing atomic weapons programme

Thanks for the Timeline.

"2000 23 April - The judiciary, following the adoption of a new press law, bans the publication of 16 reformist newspapers."

The first thing you'd expect your new reformist president to do, right?

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