Gamal Abdel Nasser Biography

Gamal Abdel Nasser is born in Alexandria to a postal worker's family.

Receives serious wounds during the Battle of Faluja

Heads a group of officers dedicated to Egyptian nationalism

Heads a group of officers dedicated to Egyptian nationalism

Becomes deputy chairman of the Revolutionary Command Council and its principal strategist.

Nationalists overthrow Farouk & push aside the WAFD Party in favor of Nasser

Places Major General Mohammed Naguib in powers as titular leader. Nationalists overthrow Farouk & push aside the WAFD Party in favor of Nasser

Nasser supports technical examination of the proposed High Dam and its development benefits.

The Revolutionary Command Council dissolves existing political parties and begins creating a new political system.

Nasser's government adopts construction of the High Dam as a national development priority.

Becomes Prime Minister after Mohamed Naguib temporarily resigns.

Takes office as Prime Minister during his power struggle with Mohamed Naguib.

Signs an agreement requiring British evacuation from the Suez Canal base under specified conditions.

Signs terms requiring British forces to evacuate the Suez Canal base within twenty months.

Signs an agreement establishing a timetable for British withdrawal from the Canal Zone.

Consolidates control of the government after President Naguib is removed and placed under house arrest.

Nasser negotiates with the World Bank, United States and Britain over project finance.

Attends the Bandung Conference and promotes Afro-Asian cooperation and non-alignment.

Announces an arms agreement with Czechoslovakia that reduces Western influence over Egyptian defence procurement.

Accepts United Nations forces in Sinai following the withdrawal of invading Israeli troops.

Regains Egyptian administration of Sinai after Israeli forces withdraw under international pressure.

Nationalizes the canal after Western financing for the High Dam is withdrawn, prompting British, French and Israeli military action.

Concludes a defence agreement with Saudi Arabia amid growing regional tensions.

Signs a defence agreement with Saudi Arabia as Egypt expands regional military cooperation.

Announces that Egypt will not renew the Suez Canal Company's concession when it expires.

Marks the departure of the final British troops from the Suez Canal base.

Wins approval for a new republican constitution establishing a strong presidential system.

Promulgates the republican constitution after its approval in a national referendum.

Wins the presidential referendum held alongside approval of the new constitution.

Wins the referendum establishing him as President under the new constitution.

Becomes President of Egypt after winning a national referendum.

Nasser confronts withdrawal of American and British support for financing the High Dam.

Nasser's government loses the proposed American and British financing package for the High Dam.

Nasser orders Egyptian authorities to secure the assets and offices of the Suez Canal Company.

Nasser presents Suez Canal income as a source of funding for national development projects.

Nasser nationalises the Suez Canal Company and links its revenues to financing national development.

Nationalizes the Suez Canal Company and transfers its assets and operations to the Egyptian state.

Announces the nationalization of the Suez Canal Company in a speech at Alexandria.

Issues the decree nationalizing the Suez Canal Company.

Places the Suez Canal Company under Egyptian state ownership by presidential decree.

Frames nationalization of the Suez Canal Company as an act restoring Egyptian sovereignty over a foreign-controlled asset.

Announces the nationalization of the Suez Canal Company, a joint British-French enterprise that operated the canal.

Nasser announces nationalisation after Western financing for the High Dam is withdrawn.

Nasser links national control of canal revenues with financing the High Dam.

Orders measures affecting British and French nationals after the Suez crisis escalates.

Oversees evacuation of British civilians from the Canal Zone during the crisis.

Rejects proposals from the London conference intended to place the canal under international control.

Boycotts the London conference on international control of the Suez Canal.

Nasser rejects the five-nation committee's proposal for international management of the canal.

Nasser's government demonstrates that Egyptian personnel can continue operating the canal after the pilot resignations.

Nasser's government enters negotiations framed by six principles adopted through Security Council diplomacy.

Israel invades Sinai under Operation Kadesh; Nasser's government faces a rapid Israeli advance.

Egyptian forces mobilise as the Israeli invasion of Sinai begins.

Egyptian forces mobilise during the Suez-Sinai Campaign as Israel begins its advance across Sinai.

Rejects the Anglo-French ultimatum demanding withdrawal from the canal zone.

Egypt comes under British and French air attack after rejecting the ultimatum.

Faces British and French air attacks during Operation Musketeer after the Israeli invasion of Sinai.

Declares emergency measures during the British, French and Israeli attack on Egypt.

Orders resistance to the Anglo-French assault and blocks the canal during Operation Musketeer.

Britain and France bomb Egypt after Nasser rejects their ultimatum; Egyptian forces block the canal by sinking ships.

Nasser insists that British and French forces must leave Egyptian territory completely.

Israel captures Gaza and the Gaza Strip during the Suez crisis.

Israel captures much of Sinai during the Suez crisis.

Nasser accepts deployment of UNEF on Egyptian territory under arrangements preserving Egyptian sovereignty.

Orders obstruction of the Suez Canal by sinking ships to deny use of the waterway to the invaders.

Nasser's government expands the sinking of vessels and obstructions to block canal navigation.

Nasser calls on Egyptian forces and civilians to resist the Anglo-French assault on Port Said.

Calls for resistance as British and French forces begin landings near Port Said.

Nasser praises military and civilian resistance at Port Said as international pressure forces a ceasefire.

Accepts a ceasefire after United Nations action and international pressure force an end to the invasion.

Nasser emerges politically strengthened in Egypt after the invading powers accept a ceasefire.

Nasser retains Egyptian control of the Suez Canal after the Anglo-French withdrawal.

Nasser continues High Dam planning after Egypt emerges from the Suez conflict.

Restores international navigation after wrecks from the Suez conflict are cleared.

Reopens the Suez Canal under Egyptian administration after wrecks from the invasion are cleared.

The canal reopens after clearance operations, with Egypt retaining control of the waterway.

Opposes Iraqi communist influence after Abd al-Karim Qasim takes power in Baghdad.

Becomes President of the United Arab Republic following union with Syria.

Accepts Syria's proposal for immediate union with Egypt.

Completes political union with Syria in the United Arab Republic.

Agrees with Syrian leaders to unite Egypt and Syria as the United Arab Republic.

Proclaims the United Arab Republic after Egypt and Syria approve their union.

Proclaims the union of Egypt and Syria as the United Arab Republic.

Nasser's government signs a Soviet credit agreement supporting the first construction phase.

Egypt requests international assistance to protect Nubian monuments threatened by the reservoir.

Nasser's government signs the agreement allocating Nile waters and enabling reservoir construction.

Nasser's government plans relocation of communities threatened by the future reservoir.

Nasser marks the start of construction by initiating blasting at the project site.

Nasser inaugurates major construction work on the Aswan High Dam.

Nasser reviews excavation, diversion channels and foundation works during the first construction stage.

Issues decrees nationalizing banks, insurance companies and major industrial enterprises.

Continues using the United Arab Republic name after Syria withdraws from the union.

The government accelerates construction of replacement settlements for Egyptian Nubian communities.

Secures approval of a National Charter defining Arab socialist policy.

Nasser's government cooperates with international teams relocating temples from the reservoir zone.

Promulgates a provisional constitution maintaining the official United Arab Republic name.

Nasser attends the closure of the river channel and beginning of reservoir storage.

Nasser praises Egyptian and Soviet workers after the Nile diversion milestone.

Reservoir storage expands behind the dam and creates the lake later bearing Nasser's name.

Wins another presidential term through an uncontested referendum.

Nasser's government prepares to use regulated releases for year-round irrigation.

Maintains emergency law, allowing expanded police powers, censorship and restrictions on political organization.

The power station produces its first electricity during October 1967.

Israel captures the city of Gaza and the Gaza Strip

Nasser orders the United Nations peacekeeping force out of the Sinai

Nasser moves 100,000 men with tanks & artillery guns into the Sinai

Closes the Suez Canal after the Six-Day War, leaving the waterway blocked for years.

Israel launches pre-emptive air strikes & ground attacks against Egypt

Announces his resignation after defeat, then remains in office following mass demonstrations.

The government begins full water storage as the dam approaches its final profile.

Additional turbines enter service and expand electricity supplied by the High Dam.

Announces intensified operations against Israeli forces along the Suez Canal.

Nasser oversees completion of the main High Dam construction project.

The principal High Dam construction works are declared complete under Nasser.

Accepts the American Rogers Plan and extends the ceasefire during the War of Attrition.

Gamal Abdel Nasser dies in Cairo and is succeeded by Anwar Sadat.

Death of Gamal Abdel Nasser