JORDAN TIMELINE

Jordan Timeline

 1922 – Transjordan formed

  • The Council of the League of Nations (Former UN) recognizes Transjordan.
  • Becomes state under British supervision.
  • King Abdullah I of the Hashemite royal house appointed Emir of Transjordan.

1946 – Jordanian independence

  • The United Nations recognizes Jordan.
  • Becomes independent sovereign kingdom.
  • King Abdullah I declared first monarch of Jordan.

1948 – First Arab-Israeli war

  • State of Israel created in British-mandate Palestine.
  • A coalition of Arab states, including Jordan, declare war on newly formed Israel.
  • King Abdullah I led the Arab Legion in the war.
  • Thousands of Palestinians flee Arab-Israeli fighting to West Bank and Jordan.

1950 – Jordan annexes West Bank

  • Following the first Arab-Israeli war the Arab coalition and Israel are assigned different parts of Israel and Palestinian territories.

1951 – King Abdullah assassinated

  • Palestinian gunman angry at apparent collusion with Israel in the carve-up of Palestinian territories.
  • Hussein is proclaimed king of Jordan.

1957 – British troops complete withdrawal from Jordan.

1967 – Six-Day War

  • Following the Israeli occupation of Jerusalem and the West Bank after the Six-Day War, a major influx of refugees pour into Jordan.

1970 – Black September

  • Major clashes break out between government forces and Palestinian guerrillas resulting in thousands of casualties in a civil war remembered as Black September.

1972 – Attempted military coup thwarted

1974 – King Hussein recognizes PLO as sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people.

1986 – Hussein severs political ties with PLO and orders its main offices to shut down.

1988 ­– Hussein publicly backs Palestinian intifada

1989 – First general election since 1967

  • Contested only by independent candidates because of ban on political parties.

1994 – Jordan signs peace treaty with Israel, ending 67-year official state of war with the country.

1996 – Food price riots after subsidies removed

  • Following plan supervised by the International Monetary Fund.

1997– Parliamentary elections boycotted by several leading figures, associations, and political parties.

1998 – King Hussein treated for lymphatic cancer in US.

1999 – King Hussein dies

  • Over 50 heads of state attend his funeral.
  • His eldest son Crown Prince Abdullah succeeds to the throne, becomes new monarch of Jordan.

2002 –

August – Spat with Al Jazeera

  • Jordan says the Qatar-based TV channel insulted its royal family.
  • Shuts down its office in Amman.
  • Recalls its ambassador in Qatar.

September – Jordan and Israel agree on plan to save Dead Sea

  • Plan is to pipe water from Red Sea to shrinking Dead sea.
  • Two nations’ biggest joint venture to date, costing $800m.

2003 –

June – First parliamentary elections under King Abdullah II

  • Independent candidates loyal to the king win two-thirds of the seats.

October – PM resigns

  • A new cabinet is appointed following resignation of PM Ali Abu al-Ragheb.
  • Faisal al-Fayez is appointed PM.
  • King appoints three female ministers.

2004 – Eight Islamic militants sentenced to death for killing US government official in 2002.

2005 –

 March – Jordan returns ambassador to Israel

  • Amman recalled its envoy in 2000 after the outbreak of the Intifada.

August – Three missiles are fired from port of Aqaba.

  • Two miss a US naval vessel, a third lands in Israel.
  • Jordanian soldier killed.

November – Sixty people are killed in suicide bombings.

  • Bombs go off almost simultaneously at three different international hotels in Amman.
  • Al-Qaeda in Iraq claims responsibility.
  • Almost all victims are Jordanian.

2007 –

July – First local elections since 1999.

  • Main opposition party, Islamic Action Front, withdraws after accusations of vote-rigging.

November – Parliamentary elections

  • Strengthens position of tribal leaders and pro-government candidates.
  • Nader Dahabi appointed PM.

2009 –

July – Military tribunal sentences Al-Qaeda militant to death.

  • For the killing of US Diplomat Laurence Foley in Amman.

November – King Abdullah dissolves parliament and reshuffles cabinet to push through economic reform.

2010 –

May – New electoral law introduced – pro-reform campaigners say does little to make system more representational.

November – Parliamentary elections

  • Boycotted by opposition Islamic Action Front.
  • Riots break out after pro-government candidates win big majority.

2011 – Arab Spring protests

  • King Abdullah is faced with mass protests across the Arab world.
  • Though not anywhere close to the scale of Egypt or Tunisia, protests do occur in Jordan – sometimes on a rather large scale. However, most call for political reform – not for the abdication of the King.
  • Abdullah does not react violently, rather reshuffles his government several times to appease protesters – promises reform.

2012 –

October – King Abdullah calls early parliamentary elections

  • Abdullah Ensour, former minister and vocal advocate of democratic reform, is appointed PM.

November – Clashes erupt between protesters and supporters of the king.

  • Following mass demonstrations against the lifting of fuel subsidies.
  • Calls for an end of the monarchy are heard.
  • Three people are killed.

2013 –

January – Pro-government candidates win in parliamentary elections

  • Abdullah Ensour reinstated as PM.

2014 –

September – Jordan is one of four Arab nations to, together with the US, take part in air strikes against IS in Syria.

November – Authorities arrest head of Islamic Action Front.

December – Jordan executes eleven men convicted of murder, ending moratorium on death sentence.

2015 –

February – IS publishes a video of Jordanian pilot Muath Kasasbeh being burned alive.

  • Jordan is outraged. Responds by stepping up its airstrikes and executing prisoners.

March – Jordan takes part in Saudi-led air strikes on Houthi rebels in Yemen.