Egypt
History Timeline
Travel through our timeline of major events in Egypt's history.
3100-332 B.C.:
B.C. Ancient Egypt is established when a king named Narmer unifies the Upper and Lower kingdoms. Egyptians develop hieroglyphic writing. The pyramids and the Sphinx are built.
332 B.C.:
Alexander the Great, of Macedonia, conquers Egypt. He begins a dynasty that rules for 300 years.
30 B.C.:
After romances with Romans Julius Caesar and Marc Antony, Queen Cleopatra is believed to have killed herself with the bite of a snake. Rome takes control of Egypt.
642-1517 A.D.:
Arab leader Amr Ibn al-As captures Alexandria. During this period, many people convert to Islam.
1869:
The Suez Canal opens, linking the Mediterranean with the Red Sea. The canal took 10 years to build and cut in half the distance ships travel between Europe and parts of Asia.
1914:
Egypt is declared a protectorate of Britain, giving Britain control over Egypt.
1922:
Egypt declares independence from Britain. A monarchy is established, and Fuad I is named king.
1952:
The Egyptian army seizes power. Later, Gamal Abdel Nasser becomes president.
1967:
Israel defeats Egypt, Jordan and Syria in the Six-Day War. Israeli troops occupy Egypt's Sinai Peninsula.
1970:
President Nasser dies and is replaced by his Vice-President, Anwar Sadat.
1971:
The Aswan High Dam is completed. It improves irrigation, agriculture and industry in Egypt.
1978:
Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin sign the U.S.-sponsored Camp David Peace Accords. Israel returns the Sinai to Egypt in exchange for a promise of peace.
1999:
President Hosni Mubarak begins his fourth term in office.
2002:
A giant library, called the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, opens in Alexandria. With room for about five million books, the library is built partly to pay tribute to the ancient library that stood in Alexandria some 2,500 years ago. That library was destroyed by fire.