26 Jan	1952: Britons killed in Cairo riots
29 Feb	1956: Hopes for Mid East peace mission
26 Jul	1956: Egypt seizes Suez Canal
14 Jul	1958: Coup in Iraq sparks jitters in Middle East
27 Feb	1963: Argoud charged over de Gaulle plot
30 May	1967: Egypt and Jordan unite against Israel
25 Jun	1970: New peace plan for Middle East
06 Sep	1970: Hundreds held in series of hijacks
12 Sep	1970: Hijacked jets destroyed by guerrillas
17 Sep	1970: Civil war breaks out in Jordan
27 Sep	1970: Arab leaders sign Jordan peace deal
23 Feb	1972: Hijackers surrender and free Lufthansa crew
29 May	1972: Japanese kill 26 at Tel Aviv airport
06 Sep	1972: Olympic hostages killed in gun battle
19 Sep	1972: Parcel bomb attack on Israeli embassy
01 Mar	1973: Palestinian gunmen hold diplomats in Sudan
06 Oct	1973: Arab states attack Israeli forces
16 May	1974: Dozens die as Israel retaliates for Ma'alot
18 Mar	1974: Violent border clashes at Golan Heights
20 Jun	1976: Westerners evacuated from Beirut
19 Nov	1977: Egyptian leader's Israel trip makes history
05 Dec	1977: Egypt severs ties with Arab hardliners
13 Jun	1978: Israeli troops leave southern Lebanon
03 Feb	1978: Sadat in US for Mid East talks
19 Feb	1978: Egyptian forces die in Cyprus gunfight
17 Mar	1978: Civilians flee southern Lebanon
20 Aug	1978: Two dead after El Al crew ambushed
18 Sep	1978: Arab-Israeli breakthrough in US
16 Jan	1979: Shah of Iran flees into exile
26 Mar	1979: Israel and Egypt shake hands on peace deal
01 Feb	1979: Exiled Ayatollah Khomeini returns to Iran
04 Nov	1979: Militants storm US embassy in Tehran
25 Apr	1980: Tehran hostage rescue mission fails
21 Jan	1981: Tehran frees US hostages after 444 days
06 Oct	1981: Egypt's President Sadat assassinated
03 Jun	1982: Israeli ambassador shot in London
30 Aug	1982: PLO leader forced from Beirut
17 Sep	1982: Refugees massacred in Beirut camps
17 Sep	1982: Sabra and Shatila - after the atrocity
23 Oct	1983: Beirut blasts kill US and French troops
20 Sep	1984: US embassy blast kills 20
30 Jun	1985: Beirut ordeal ends for US hostages
07 Oct	1985: Gunmen hijack Italian cruise liner
24 Nov	1985: Commandoes storm hijacked plane
02 Nov	1986: US hostage freed in Beirut
02 Feb	1987: Peace envoy imprisoned in Beirut
22 Jul	1987: Cartoonist shot in London street
14 Feb	1989: Ayatollah sentences author to death
02 Aug	1990: Iraq invades Kuwait
12 Aug	1990: Briton shot by Iraqis
23 Aug	1990: Outrage at Iraqi TV hostage show
10 Dec	1990: Iraq frees British hostages
24 Aug	1990: Irish hostage released in Lebanon
26 Dec	1990: Iranian leader upholds Rushdie fatwa
03 Jan	1991: Britain expels Iraqi diplomats
10 Jan	1991: Last ditch efforts to avoid Gulf War
17 Jan	1991: 'Mother of all Battles' begins
30 Jan	1991: US Marines killed at Al Khafji
13 Feb	1991: US bombers strike civilians in Baghdad
22 Feb	1991: Bush threatens Iraq with land war
28 Feb	1991: Jubilation follows Gulf War ceasefire
14 Jul	1991: UK forces withdraw from Kurdish haven
08 Aug	1991: Beirut hostage John McCarthy freed
30 Oct	1991: Bush opens historic Mid East peace conference
18 Nov	1991: Church envoy Waite freed in Beirut
04 Dec	1991: Last US hostage freed
01 Jul	1994: Yasser Arafat ends 27-year exile
26 Jul	1994: Israel's London embassy bombed
14 Oct	1994: Israelis and Arafat share peace prize
26 Oct	1994: Israel and Jordan make peace
10 Jan	1996: King of Jordan in historic Tel Aviv visit
04 Sep	1997: Suicide bombings put peace visit in doubt
15 Nov	1998: Iraqi climbdown averts air strikes
22 May	2000: Hezbollah makes gains in Lebanon
26 May	2000: Hezbollah celebrates Israeli retreat
26 Apr	2005: Syrian troops leave Lebanon