Important dates |
- 3000BC: Settlement of Berber people .
- 1000BC: Colonisation of Algerian coast by Phoenicians.
- 300BC Kingdom of Numidia established by Massininnas.
- 148BC
- Death of Massininnas during siege of Carthage.
- Roman protectorate established over Numidia by Massinissa's three sons.
- 46BC: New Roman province of Africa Nova established from Numidia by Julius Caesar.
- 429AD: End of Roman rule following invasion of Vandals.
- 638: Arab invasion and introduction of Islam.
- 702: Arab occupation of Algeria.
- 784: Rustamid dynasty established by Abd al-Wahhab.
- 1000+: Almoravid invasion of northwest Africa.
- 1505: Spanish occupation of Mers el Kebir.
- 1509: Spanish occupation of Oran.
- 1510: Spanish occupation of Tlemcen, Mostaganem and Tenes.
- 1516: Algiers established by Aroudj Barbarossa, Greco-Turkish pirate.
- 1518: Assasination of Aroudj Barbarossa by Spanish.
- 1530: Unification of Algeria and Tunisia as military states under Ottoman rule by Khayr Ad-Din (Redbeard).
- 1541: Spanish siege of Algiers.
- 1620: Plague kills up to 50 000 Algerians
- 1681:
- Regency of Algiers declares war on France.
- Barbary pirates capture French Royal Navy ship and sell crew into slavery at Algiers.
- 1708:Turkish siege of Oran.
- 1732:Spanish reoccupation of Oran.
- 1790:Oran earthquake destroys town and kills 3 000.
- 1797:French wheat order from Algiers delivered but not paid for.
- 1801+: First Barbary War between USA and Barbary States.
- 1815: Second Barbary War between USA, Tripoli, Tunis and Algeria ends Barbary piracy in the region.
- 1830: French invasion of Algeria and exile of Ottoman officials.
- 1834: Start of French colonisation and settlement.
- 1837: Last Ottoman stronghold, Constantine, seized by French.
- 1839: French resistance leader Abd el-Kader declares war on France.
- 1841: Defeat of Abd el-Kader's supporting army by General Thomas Robert Bugeaud.
- 1847:
- French occupation of entire region.
- French seizure of all unused land in Algeria.
- 1867: Cholera outbreak kills more than 7 000.
- 1868: Famine kills more than 35 000.
- 1881: Algiers, Oran and Constantine incorporated into metropolitan France.
- 1889: French citizenship granted to all persons of European descent born in Algeria.
- 1902: Establishment of current Algerian borders.
- 1913: Birth of French philosopher, novelist, dramatist and nobel prize winner Albert Camus.
- 1924: Communist Party of Algeria established.
- 1934:
Constantine riots on Jewish kills 27 and injures 29.
- 1936: Birth of fashion designer Yves St. Laurent in Oran, Algeria.
- 1937: Underground movement Algerian People's Party (Parti du Peuple Algerina) founded in Algeria by Messali Hadj.
- 1938:
Establishment of Algerian Popular Movement (Union Populaire Algerienne) by Ferhat Abbas and call for equal rights for Algerian Muslims.
- 1939: French declaration of war on Germany and mobilisation of 350 000 northern African troops.
- 1940:French battle fleet at Oran destroyed by British claims 1 267.
- 1942:
- Allied forces seize French Vichy administration of Algeria and assassinate Admiral Jean Francois Darlan.
- US General Eisenhower lands in Algiers with his troops.
- Assassination of Genl. Eisenhower.
- 1945: Peaceful demonstrations for independence turn violent and thousands of Muslims are killed.
- 1946: Democratic Union of Algerian Manifesto (Union Democratique du Manifeste Algerian) formed by Ferhat Abbas calls for Algerian independence.
- 1947: OS (Organisation Speciale) formed as paramilitary arm.
- 1949: OS attacks central post office in Oran.
- 1950: French arrest of several OS agents.
- 1952: Ahmed Ben Bella escapes from prison and flees to Cairo.
- 1954:
- Orleansville earthquake kills 1 460.
- Start of Algerian independence struggle starts in Aures Mountains.
- 1956:
- French Prime Minister Guy Mollet pelted with rotten tomatoes during demonstration in Algiers.
- Start of Battle of Algiers.
- France sends 250 000 reservists and 400 000 soldiers to Algiers.
- Electric fences erected along Moroccan and Tunisian borders by French.
- French interception of Moroccan plane and arrest of Ben Bella.
- Millions of minefields placed along eastern and western Algerian borders by French.
- 1962:
- Evian Accords - formal ceasefire agreements signed and agreement for Algerian independence referendum.
- Declaration of Algerian Independence.
- Abderrahmane Fares elected President of Provisional Executive and Ben Bella elected Prime Minister.
- 1965: Ben Bella elected president.
- 1969: Friendship treaty signed between Algeria and Tunisia.
- 1971: Nationalisation of industry, redistribution of land and national health service established by Boumediene.
- 1976:
- Introduction of new constitution
- National Liberation Front (Front de Liberation Nationale) named sole political party.
- Boumediene elected president.
- Islam recognised as official state religion.
- 1978:
- Death of president Boumediene.
- Colonel Chadi Benjedid appointed acting president.
- 1979: Chadi Benjedid elected president.
- 1986:
Widespread strikes and violent demonstrations due to collapse of oil and gas prices.
- 1987: As part of 25 years of independence celebrations political prisoners are granted parole.
- 1988:
- State of emergency declared following violent riots.
- Cooperation agreement signed between Morocco and Algeria for telecommunications, post and railways.
- Chadi Benjedid reelected as president for third term.
- 1989: Founding of 20 new political parties, including the Islamic Salvation Front (FIS).
- 1990: FIS wins 55% of votes in local government elections.
- 1991:
- FIS calls for strike after ban on political campaigning in mosques.
- State of emergency declared.
- 1992:
- Dissolution of the National People's Assembly.
- Resignation of President Chadi.
- Five-member council chaired by Mohamed Boudiaf assumes power.
- Assassination of Mohamed Boudiaf by bodyguard.
- 1994: Liamine Zerousal elected president.
- 1996:
- Adoption of new constitution.
- Banning of political parties based on religion, sex and language.
- 1997: National Rally for Democracy (Reassemblement National Democratique) founded by President Liamine Zeroual and Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia.
- 1998: Resignation of Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia.
- 1999:
- Resignation of President Zeroual.
- Abdelaziz Bouteflika elected president.
- 2001:
- Berber protests in Kabylie turn violent. Hundreds killed.
- Berber party withdraws from government.
- 2002:
- Berber language, Tamazight, recognised as national language.
- Low voter turnout at elections due to violence and demonstrations.
- Bomb explosion in open-air market outside Algiers kills 30 and injures 37.
- 2003: Earthquake near Algiers kills 2 000.
- 2005:
- Rebel Armed Islamic Group nearly dismantled with arrest of Nourredine Boudiafi and killing of his deputy.
- Two Algerian diplomats seized and killed by armed gunmen in Baghdad, Iraq.
- Report finds that security forces in 1990s civil conflicts were responsible for more than 6 000 disappearances.
- Reconciliation referendum backs amnesty for most people involved in post-1992 killings.
- 2006:
- First batch of Islamic militants released.
- Banned former FIS leader, Rabah Kebir, returns from exile and urge rebels to disarm.
- Attack on US oil company bus by Salafist Group GSPC kills several.
- GSPC calls for attacks on French nationals.
- 2007:
- Salafist Group renames itself al-Qaeda Organisation in the Islamic Maghreb.
- US department of state designates al-Qaeda a terrorist organisation.
- Seven killed in mass simultaneous bombing in Algiers.
- Army offensive against Islamic militants increased.
- Bomb blasts in Algiers by al-Qaeda kills 33 and injures more than 200.
- Dozens killed in skirmishes between military and armed groups during elections.
- Dozens killed in bombing of UN building, including a bus filled with students.
- 2008:
- 60 killed in al-Qaeda bombings east of Algiers.
- Constitutional changes see president Bouteflika run for a third term.
- 2010: Joint command to stop terrorism established by Algeria, Mauritania, Mali and Niger.
- 2011:
- Death of two people due to food price protests.
- President Bouteflika lifts 19-year state of emergency ban.
- 18 die in suicide attack on military academy.
- State radio and TV monopoly ends.
- 2012: Deputy al-Qaeda leader, Boualem Bekai, killed in army ambush in Kabylie region.
- 2013:
- 37 foreign hostages from 8 countries and 29 militants killed during 4-day Islamic militant siege of remote gas complex.
- Algerian celebrations for their football victory over Burkina Faso claims the lives of 12 and injures 240.
- Algerian army kills top al-Qaeda leader over southern Algerian desert.
- 2014:
- Algerian military and police kill several Islamic militants in special operations throughout the year.
- Algerian military transport plane crashes and claims 76 lives.
- Algerian nomads start voting in presidential elections at mobile polling stations.
- Air Algeri Flight 5017 from Burkina Faso, disappears from radar and crashes, killing 116 people.
- Algerian group Jund al-Khilifa (Soldiers of the Caliphate) capture and behead French national Herve Pierre Gourdel.
- The Algerian parliament outlaws violence against women.
- 2016:
- Tens of thousands attend the funeral of independence hero Hocine Ait-Ahmed.
- Berber language made an official state language.
- British-Algerian journalist, Mohamed Tamalt, dies after three month hunger strike for two year jail sentence imposed on him for offending President Bouteflika in a poem and Facebook post.
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