Timeline of Afghan History
| 6C BCE | Afghanistan becomes part of Persian Empire |
| 325 BCE | Alexander the Great adds Afghanistant to Macedonian Empire |
| 1C BCE-3C CE | Afghanistan becomes important part of "silk route" -- trade between Europe and Asia |
| 9C CE | Islamic faith moves into Central Asia |
| 13C CE | Mongols, led by Genghis Kahn, invade Afghanistan |
| 16C CE | Persian and Indian empires struggle for control over Afghanistan |
| 1747 | Sha Durrani leads unification of Afghanistan |
| 18 C | British and Russian imperial rivalries over Afghanistan |
| 1839-1842 | First British-Afghan War |
| 1878-1880 | Second British-Afghan War - creation of the Wakhan Corridor: a buffer zone between areas of British and Russian control |
| 1919 | Third British-Afghan War Afghanistan gains independence - Treaty of Rawalpindi |
| 1931 | Afghanistan recognizes autonomy of local leaders following internal revolution |
| 1953 | U.S. funds state modernization program Chador (veil) wearing abolished legally Afghanistan attempts to remain neutral in Cold War between U.S. and Soviet Union military reorganized with Soviet assistance |
| 1973 | Monarchy overthrown by military coup Society divided between worker/peasant alliance and military/bourgeoisie |
| 1977-79 | Series of military-appointed leaders |
| 1979 | Following kidnap of U.S. Ambassador, U.S. withdraws economic assistance Afghanistan becomes Cold War battleground Soviet troops enter Afghanistan the Mujahedin, Muslim fundamentalists, mobilized by Soviet invasion -- receive Saudi funding to fight Soviets |
| 1987 | Soviets begin to withdraw following ceasefire |
| 1991 | Breakup of Soviet union causes end to foreign aid for Afghanistan |
| 1992 | Mujahedin continue to fight Afghan government |
| 1994 | Taliban establish a stronghold in Qandahar and begin civil war against moderate Islamic groups |
| 1996 | Taliban expand power base, pushing the opposition north (Northern Alliance) Osama Bin Laden moves to Afghanistan from Sudan Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates recognize Taliban government UN imposes sanctions on Taliban for sheltering Bin Laden |
| 2001 | Afghanistan, suffering from drought and isolated by sanctions faces crisis World Trade Center bombing leads U.S. to demand Taliban surrender Bin Laden U.S. and British forces attack Taliban on October 7 |
