• 1860 Druze-Christian war kills 12,000 Christians. French troops land to protect Maronite community.
• 1914 - 18 Ottoman rule in Syria collapses during Great War. Mass starvation in Lebanon.
• 1920 France given mandate for Syria and Lebanon, creates State of Greater Lebanon. British hold mandate in Palestine.
• 1936 Pierre Gemayel founds Phalange Party after visit to Nazi Germany.
• 1939-45 British and Free French armies invade Lebanon in 1941 and capture Beirut from Vichy forces. France promises full independence
• 1946 French troops leave Lebanon
• 1948 Creation of State of Israel. Palestinian exodus into Lebanon and Jordan.
• 1958 Civil war in Lebanon as Muslims rally to pan-Arab calls of Egyptian President Nasser. US Marines land in Beirut in accordance with Eisenhower doctrine of resistance to 'international communism' at request of Lebanese President Camille Chamoun.
• 1964 Palestine Liberation Organisation founded.
• 1970 PLO guerrillas driven out of Jordan, set up headquarters in Beirut. Increase in PLO raids into Israel from southern Lebanon.
• 1975 Outbreak of Christian Maronite—Muslim civil war after Phalangists attack PLO guerrillas in Beirut.
• 1976 Civil war fighting intensifies. Christians massacre Palestinian inhabitants of Karantina and Tel el- Za'atar, Palestinians massacre Christian inhabitants of Damour. Syria invited by Lebanese President Franlieh to intervene in Lebanese fighting. Syrian troops enter Lebanon and occupy all but far south of the country.
• 1978 Israeli army invades southern Lebanon after Israeli civilians killed in PLO guerrilla raid. United Nations force (UNIFIL) sent to southern Lebanon. Israel forms proxy Lebanese militia in occupation zone to the south. Syrian army shells Christians in east Beirut.
• 1980-1 Increase in hostilities between Israel, Israeli-backod militias and PLO in southern Lebanon.
• 1982 Syrian troops besiege Syrian city of Hama after Muslim extremist uprising. Up to 10,000 people slaughtered. Israeli army invades Lebanon after attempted murder of Israeli ambassador to London. On plan conceived by Israeli delence minister Ariel Sharon, Israeli troops attack Syrian forces in the Bekaa Valley, surround west Beirut and demand evacuation of PLO guerrillas and Syrians from Lebanese capital. US-French—Italian forces oversee evacuation of up to 11,000 PLO men. Palestinian women and children remain. Lebanese president-elect Bashir Gemayel murdered after departure of international troops. Israeli forces invade west Beirut, send Christian Phalangist militias into Palestinian camps of Sabra and Chatila. International outcry and demonstrations in Tel Aviv after Phalangists massacre hundreds of civilians in the camps. Israelis withdraw from west Beirut, US-French—Italian multinational forces return to Lebanese capital. Israeli military headquarters in Tyre destroyed in massive explosion.
• 1983 US Beirut Embassy destroyed by 'Islamic Jihad' suicide bomber. Lebanese and Israeli governments agree on withdrawal of Israeli troops from Lebanon on condition Syrian army also leaves. Syrians refuse to withdraw. Outbreak of fighting between Muslim forces and Lebanese government troops of President Amin Gemayel. Israeli army stages unilateral withdrawal from Chouf mountains east of Beirut to new front lines north of Sidon. French and US military headquarters razed by 'Islamic Jihad' suicide bombers, slaughtering more than 300 servicemen after US warships shell Muslim areas of Lebanon in support of Gemayel's government. Lebanese hold first 'reconciliation' conference in Switzerland. Suicide bomber destroys Israeli military headquarters in Tyre.
• 1984 Multinational force evacuates Beirut after collapse of Lebanese government army. President Assad of Syria welcomes Gemayel to Damascus. Second Lebanese 'reconciliation' conference in Switzerland fails. Abductions of Westerners in Beirut, including CIA station chief William Buckley, who dies after torture. Fierce Lebanese resistance—mainly by Shia Muslims - against Israeli occupation army in southern Lebanon.
• 1985 Israeli army withdraws from Sidon. Israel starts 'iron fist' policy of military repression against guerrilla villages in southern Lebanon. Car bomb kills more than 80 civilians in Shia area of Beirut (CIA involvement later reported in Washington). Further abductions of Westerners in Lebanon, including journalist Terry Anderson of Associated Press. Israelis withdraw from Tyre. Shia Amal militia attacks Palestinian Beirut camps. Suicide bombers again attack Israelis and their allies in southern Lebanon.
• 1986 Shia Amal militia resumes attack on camps. More Westerners abducted. Hundreds of Palestinians die in camp sieges.
• 1987 Archbishop of Canterbury's envoy Terry Waite disappears in west Beirut while seeking release of US hostages. Shia and Druze militia war in Beirut prompts return of thousands of Syrian troops to Lebanese capital. Palestinian camps siege resumes.
• 1988 Failure of Lebanese parliament to elect new president. Rival prime ministers take office in west and east Beirut.
• 1989 General Michel Aoun, Christian Lebanese 'prime minister', declares war on Syrian army in Lebanon. East Beirut besieged by Syrians and their Lebanese militia allies. Aoun abandons his war.

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