Libya

1. A Timeline Libya

2. 7th century BC - Phoenicians settle in Tripolitania in western Libya 6th century BC - Carthage conquers Tripolitania 4th century BC - Greeks colonise Cyrenaica in the east of the country 74 BC - Romans conquer Libya 643 - Arabs under AmrIbn al-As conquer Libya and spread Islam 16th century – part of Ottoman Empire - joins the three provinces of Tripolitania, Cyrenaica and Fezzan into one regency in Tripoli. 1911-12 - Italy conquers Libya 1920s - Libyan resistance to Italian rule begins under the leadership of the Sanusi dynasty and Umar al-Mukhtar. The Beginning

3. 1942 - Allies oust Italians from Libya divided between the French - Fezzan British - Cyrenaica and Tripolitania 1951 - Libya becomes independent under King Idris al-Sanusi 1956 - Libya grants two American oil companies a concession of some 14 million acres 1961 - King Idris opens a 104-mile pipeline links important interior oil fields to the Mediterranean Sea possible to export Libyan oil for the first time.

4. gaddafi_69_putsch_D_326961g.jpg 1969- deposed King Idris in military coup attempts to form mergers with several Arab countries introduces state socialism nationalises most economic activityi.e. the oil industry 1970 - Libya closes British airbase in Tobruk and the giant US Wheelus air force base in Tripoli property belonging to Italian settlers nationalised 1971 - National referendum approves proposed Federation of Arab Republics (FAR) comprising Libya, Egypt and Syria FAR never takes off The Gaddafi Era

5. 1972 - Libya and Egypt agree on a mergerthat fails 1973 - Col Gaddafi declares a "cultural revolution” formation of "people's committees" in schools, hospitals, universities, workplaces and administrative districts Libyan forces occupy Aozou Strip in northern Chad. 1974 - Libya and Tunisia agree on a union state - the "Islamic Arab Republic" that also fails 1977 - Col Gaddafi declares a "people's revolution“ changes the country's official name from the Libyan Arab Republic to the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriyah Sets up "revolutionary committees" Beginning of institutionalised chaos, economic decline and general lack of consistency 1980 - Libya and Syria agree on a merger, but this too fails to materialise Libyan troops start intervening on a large scale in civil war in northern Chad

6. 1981 - US shoots down two Libyan aircraft which challenged its warplanes 1984 - UK breaks off diplomatic relations with Libya after a British policewoman is shot dead outside the Libyan People's Bureau (embassy) in London while anti-Gaddafi protests were taking place. 1986 - US bombs Libyan military facilities, residential areas of Tripoli and Benghazi, killing 101 people also bombs Gaddafi's house, killing his adopted daughter. raids were in response to alleged Libyan involvement in bombing of Berlin disco frequented by US military personnel. 2004 August - Libya agrees to pay $35m to compensate victims 1988 - Gaddafi orders the release of some political prisoners and embarks on limited economic liberalization 1989 - Libya, Algeria, Morocco, Mauritania and Tunisia form the Arab Maghreb Union Confrontation with the US

7. UN imposes sanctions on Libya to force it to hand over two of its citizens suspected of involvement in the blowing up of a PanAm airliner over the Scottish town of Lockerbie in December 1988. US accused Libya over 1988 Lockerbie bombing 1999 - Lockerbie suspects handed over for trial UN sanctions suspended; diplomatic relations with UK restored 2001 31 January – 2 Libyans charged in Lockerbie bombing Special Scottish court in the Netherlands Abdelbaset Ali Mohamed al-Megrahi found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment. Megrahi's co-accused, Al-AminKhalifaFahimah, is found not guilty and freed 1988 - Lockerbie plane bombing

8. 2002 14 March - al-Megrahi loses his appeal - begins a life sentence of at least 20 years 2003 August - Libya signs a compensation deal worth $2.7bn takes responsibility for the bombing in a letter to the UN Security Council 2008 November - US Lockerbie victims' group says Libya has paid them full compensation. Possibility of restoration of diplomatic relations with United States. 2009 August - Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi is freed from Scottish jail on compassionate grounds He returns to Libya to a hero's welcome which causes a storm of controversy

9. 1994 - Libya returns the Aozou Strip to Chad 1995 - Gaddafi expels some 30,000 Palestinians in protest at the Oslo accords between the Palestine Liberation Organisation and Israel. 2000 September - Dozens of African immigrants killed by Libyan mobs in the west of Libya - angry at the large number of African labourers coming into the country

10. 2001 May - Libyan troops help stop a coup attempt against President Ange-Felix Patasse of the Central African Republic 2002 January - Libya and the US held talks to mend relations after years of hostility over what the Americans termed Libya's sponsorship of terrorism. 2003 January - Libya is elected chairman of the UN Human Rights Commission despite opposition from the US and human rights groups. Libya pledges to halt WMD programmes

11. 2003 September - UN Security Council votes to lift sanctions. 2003 December - Libya says will abandon programmes to develop weapons of mass destruction. 2004 January - Libya agrees to compensate families of victims of 1989 bombing of French passenger aircraft over Sahara 2004March - British Prime Minister Tony Blair visits, the first such visit since 1943.

12. 2005January – Libya's first auction of oil and gas exploration licences marks the return of US energy companies 2006 May - The US is restoring full diplomatic ties with Libya Colonel Gaddafi marks the 37th anniversary of his military coup with a speech urging supporters to kill enemies trying to reverse the gains of his revolution 2007 January - Prime minister announces plan to make redundant 400,000 government workers - more than a third of the total workforce - to stimulate the private sector and ease public spending

13. 2009 September - Libya holds celebrations to mark 40 years since Colonel Muammar Gaddafi seized power 2009 December - Diplomatic row with Switzerland and European Union after Gaddafi's son held on charges of mistreating domestic workers 2008 January - Libya takes over one-month rotating presidency of the UN Security Council in a step back to respectability after decades as a pariah of the West 2008 August - Libya and US sign agreement committing each side to compensate all victims of bombing attacks on the other's citizens Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi apologises to Libya for damage inflicted by Italy during colonial era signs a five billion dollar compensation/investment deal

14. 2008September - US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice makes historic visit - the highest-level US visit to Libya since 1953 Ms Rice says relations between the US and Libya have entered a "new phase" 2009February - Gaddafi elected chairman of the African Union by leaders meeting in Ethiopia. Sets out ambition of "United States of Africa" even embracing the Caribbean 2009 June - Gaddafi pays first state visit to Italy, Libya's former colonial ruler and now its main trading partner.

15. 2010 January - Russia agrees to sell Libya weapons in a deal worth $1.8bn. The deal is thought to include fighter jets, tanks and air defence systems. 2010 June - UN refugee agency UNHCR expelled. 2010 July - US senators push for inquiry into claims that oil giant BP lobbied for Lockerbie bomber's release. BP confirms it is about to begin drilling off Libyan coast. 2010 October - European Union and Libya sign agreement designed to slow illegal migration. 2010 November - Group of journalists arrested in apparent power struggle within ruling elite. Gaddafi later orders them to be freed. 2010 December - US diplomatic cables published by WikiLeaks indicate that Gaddafi threatened to cut trade with Britain if Lockerbie bomber died in prison. 2011 February - Arrest of human rights campaigner sparks off violent protests in eastern city of Benghazi Protests rapidly spread to other cities Authorities use aircraft to attack protestors amid reports of mutinies by army units Many Libyan diplomats resign in protest Gaddafi insists that he will not quit, and remains in control of the capital, Tripoli.

16. Gadhafi Timeline News update - http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/TopStories/20110221/moammar-gadhafi-revolutionary-despot-110221 A Look at Gadhafi