Cairo in History

Proclaims Egypt independent from Turkey

Al-Nasir Muhammad continues his long third reign in Egypt

Al-Ashraf Shaban continues ruling the Mamluk Sultanate

Is recognized as Wali after Cairo's political leaders demand his appointment.

Expands state control over agricultural land and tax collection.

Eliminates leading Mamluk rivals during a ceremony at the Cairo Citadel.

Puts down a rebellion of Albanians in his army in Cairo

Reorganizes central departments to strengthen state control over finance, education and the military.

Defends Egypt's state trading monopolies against British pressure for freer commerce.

Accepts hereditary rule in Egypt while surrendering most territories gained from the Ottoman Empire.

Accepts Ottoman and European limits on Egyptian autonomy after the Eastern Crisis, shaping later canal sovereignty questions.

Receives an Ottoman firman establishing hereditary succession within his family.

Succeeds his father as Wali while Muhammad Ali remains seriously ill.

Succeeds Ibrahim Pasha as hereditary ruler of Egypt.

Authorizes construction of a railway linking Alexandria with Cairo.

Succeeds Abbas I and becomes Wali of Egypt.

Grants the first concession for construction of the Suez Canal.

Grants de Lesseps a concession that gives a foreign company rights to build and operate the future Suez Canal.

Issues a second canal concession requiring equal access for merchant vessels.

Approves a second concession defining the Suez Canal Company's rights and obligations under Egyptian authority.

Succeeds Said Pasha while construction of the Suez Canal remains underway.

Succeeds Said Pasha as Wali and begins an ambitious modernization programme.

Challenges concession terms and forced labour arrangements connected with Suez Canal construction.

Convenes Egypt's first representative consultative assembly.

Receives formal Ottoman recognition of the title Khedive.

Expands roads, schools, irrigation works and urban development during his modernization campaign.

Completes the sale of Egypt's Suez Canal Company shares to the British government.

Sells Egypt's Suez Canal Company shares to the British government because of severe financial pressure.

Transfers Egypt's major Suez Canal shareholding to the British government through the completed sale.

Accepts an international debt commission supervising Egyptian revenues.

Accepts the Caisse de la Dette, increasing European supervision over Egyptian finances.

Forms a cabinet under European financial pressure and becomes Egypt's first modern Prime Minister.

Is deposed by the Ottoman Sultan after British and French intervention.

Succeeds Ismail as Khedive after Ottoman deposition of his father under British and French pressure.

Leads an army demonstration demanding dismissal of the cabinet and constitutional government.

Challenges foreign influence in Egypt, leading Britain to intervene and occupy the canal zone.

Returns to Cairo under British protection after the defeat of Urabi's forces.

His surrender effectively ends organized military resistance.

Returns to Cairo after the defeat of Urabi's forces.

British victory restores Tewfik's authority under military protection.

Surrenders after British forces enter Cairo.

His death sentence is immediately commuted to perpetual exile.

Pleads guilty to rebellion before an Egyptian court-martial.

Accepts the international convention guaranteeing free navigation through the Suez Canal.

Succeeds Tewfik as Khedive of Egypt.

Approves the condominium agreement establishing joint British-Egyptian authority over Sudan.

Faces nationalist outrage after harsh punishments imposed following the Dinshaway incident.

Becomes Prime Minister and leads a government closely associated with British authority.

Is assassinated by nationalist Ibrahim al-Wardani outside the Ministry of Justice.

Is deposed after supporting the Ottoman Empire during the First World War.

Becomes Sultan under the British protectorate, replacing Ottoman suzerainty over Egypt and the canal zone.

Becomes Sultan when Britain declares a protectorate over Egypt.

Succeeds Hussein Kamel as Sultan of Egypt.

Faces nationwide protests after British authorities deport Saad Zaghlul and other nationalist leaders.

Assumes the title King after Britain recognizes Egyptian independence with reserved powers.

Becomes King as Britain recognizes Egypt as an independent sovereign state, subject to reserved matters.

Promulgates a constitution establishing a hereditary constitutional monarchy and elected Parliament.

Forms the first Wafd government after a decisive parliamentary election victory.

Introduces a constitution strengthening royal power and limiting parliamentary representation.

Restores the 1923 Constitution after sustained nationalist pressure.

Succeeds Fuad I as King while still a minor.

Accepts the treaty that limits British troops mainly to the Suez Canal Zone while recognising Egyptian sovereignty.

Britain signs a Treaty with Egypt agreeing independence

Is formally crowned after reaching the constitutional age of majority.

Forms a government during the early stages of the Second World War.

Accepts a Wafd government after British forces surround Abdeen Palace.

Forms a Wafd government after British pressure at Abdeen Palace before the El Alamein campaign.

Rules Egypt while the First Battle of El Alamein halts the Axis advance west of Alexandria.

Remains Egypt's monarch as the Second Battle of El Alamein is fought in the Western Desert.

Maintains Egypt's wartime government during the Allied offensive at El Alamein.

Forms a government after King Farouk dismisses Mostafa el-Nahas.

Represents Egypt's government as the Arab League is founded in Cairo.

Represents Egypt as the Arab League is formally established in Cairo.

Rules Egypt as the war ends with the Suez Canal still occupied and defended under British military arrangements.

Negotiates unsuccessfully for British evacuation and revision of the Anglo-Egyptian relationship.

Returns as Prime Minister and opens negotiations with Britain.

Commits Egyptian forces to the war following the end of the British Mandate in Palestine.

Is assassinated by a member of the Muslim Brotherhood.

Becomes Prime Minister after Mahmoud el-Nokrashy's assassination.

Forms a Wafd government after the party wins the parliamentary election.

Forms a Wafd cabinet after the party's decisive election victory.

Announces abrogation of the 1936 Anglo-Egyptian Treaty and demands British evacuation from the Canal Zone.

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

Faces a breakdown of order as major buildings burn during the Cairo Fire.

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

Becomes public leader and chairman of the Revolutionary Command Council.

Is overthrown by Free Officers whose programme includes ending British dominance in the canal zone.

Forms a government immediately after the Free Officers seize power.

Promulgates a land reform law limiting individual agricultural holdings.

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

Becomes the first President when the monarchy is abolished and a republic proclaimed.

Proclaims the Egyptian republic, changing the state framework for canal sovereignty negotiations.

Implements land reform limiting large estates and redistributing agricultural land.

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

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

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

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

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

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.

Commands Egypt's armed forces as the Israeli invasion of Sinai begins.

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

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

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

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

Amer shifts attention to defending the canal zone as the Sinai withdrawal accelerates.

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.

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.

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

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

Secures approval of a National Charter defining Arab socialist policy.

Serves briefly as Vice President of Egypt during Nasser's presidency.

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

Wins another presidential term through an uncontested referendum.

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

Is appointed Vice President for a second time.

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

Assumes presidential responsibilities after Gamal Abdel Nasser's death.

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

Death of Gamal Abdel Nasser

Removes leading rivals from government and consolidates his control of the presidency.

Promulgates the permanent constitution after referendum approval.

Orders most Soviet military advisers to leave Egypt.

Provides military estimates that help convince President Sadat that Egypt can fight a limited war against Israel.

Decides that Egypt must prepare for war if diplomacy cannot recover territory lost in 1967.

Directs Egypt's armed forces as supreme commander during preparations for war.

Meets President Hafez al-Assad in Cairo to secretly discuss the joint Egyptian-Syrian war plan.

Egypt and Syria publicly describe troop concentrations as routine maneuvers while preparing for war.

Soviet advisers and dependants begin leaving Egypt, a move later read by foreign observers as a warning sign.

Authorizes the attack across the Suez Canal that opens the war.

Helps plan and direct the Egyptian canal crossing under the protection of missile defenses.

Serves in the Egyptian operations command during the opening of Operation Badr.

Orders preparation for an eastward Sinai offensive intended to relieve pressure on Syria and draw Israeli air power.

Receives Soviet Premier Alexei Kosygin during ceasefire diplomacy.

Disagrees with Sadat and Ismail Ali over the response to the Israeli crossing west of the canal.

Considers the US-Soviet ceasefire proposal later embodied in Resolution 338.

Accepts the United Nations ceasefire resolution after the Israeli canal crossing changes the battlefield.

Accepts a renewed ceasefire as fighting continues around the Egyptian Third Army.

Attempts to manage the crisis created by the Israeli encirclement of Third Army.

Faces crisis as the Egyptian Third Army becomes surrounded east of Suez.

Introduces the economic opening known as infitah to attract private and foreign investment.

Is appointed Vice President of Egypt by President Anwar Sadat.

Abrogates the 1971 Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation with the Soviet Union.

Withdraws subsidy cuts after widespread protests and rioting over food prices.

Faces Egypt's suspension from the Arab League after signing peace with Israel.

Is assassinated by Islamist army officers during a military parade in Cairo.

Assassinated by extremist Muslim soldiers

Dies after being shot during the annual military parade commemorating the October War.

Death of Anwar Sadat

Assassinated by extremist Muslim soldiers

Wins confirmation as President in a national referendum after Sadat's assassination.

Welcomes Egypt's restoration to full Arab League membership.

Welcomes the decision to return the Arab League headquarters from Tunis to Cairo.

Supports Arab participation in the coalition opposing occupation.

Mubarak maintains Egyptian military participation in the coalition opposing Iraq.

Accuses Sudanese authorities of supporting the plot to assassinate him in Addis Ababa.

Supports Egyptian diplomatic efforts encouraging implementation of the Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement.

Supports the Interim Agreement as Egypt encourages Israeli-Palestinian implementation and regional stability.

Resigns with his cabinet after nearly ten years as Prime Minister.

Wins Egypt's first presidential election allowing multiple approved candidates.

Assumes executive authority for the military council after Hosni Mubarak resigns.

Takes office after winning the first competitive presidential election following the 2011 uprising.

Is sworn in as interim President after the armed forces remove Mohamed Morsi.

Takes office after winning the May presidential election.

Wins approval for constitutional amendments extending presidential terms and strengthening executive authority.

Former President Hosni Mubarak dies in Cairo at the age of ninety-one.

Orders suspension of schools and universities as Egypt responds to the COVID-19 pandemic.