Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini

1977

Khomeini’s son Mustafa

dies mysteriously

1980 – 1988

Iran-Iraq War

1989

Death of

Khomeini

1979

Shah Pahlavi leaves the country to the

revolutionaries; Khomeini returns;

Iran becomes an Islamic republic

1963

Khomeini and other religious

leaders start riots against

Pahlavi’s “White Revolution”

1964

Khomeini is exiled

1900 1925 1950 196019601960 197519751975 199019901990

680 An army of the caliph Yezid annihilates the much smaller

force of Husain, a rival Islamic leader; Shiite Muslims

today consider Husain a martyr, and the caliphs who

succeeded Yezid pretenders to Islamic leadership

1501 Beginning of the Safavid Dynasty; the Shiite branch of

Islam becomes the state religion of what is now Iran

1890 –1892 The Tobacco Rebellion successfully challenges a British

business interest in Persia

c. 1902 Birth of Ruhollah Khomeini

1903 Ruhollah’s father is killed

91

CHRONOLOGY & TIMELINE

1977

Khomeini’s son Mustafa

dies mysteriously

1980 – 1988

Iran-Iraq War

1989

Death of

Khomeini

1979

Shah Pahlavi leaves the country to the

revolutionaries; Khomeini returns;

Iran becomes an Islamic republic

1963

Khomeini and other religious

leaders start riots against

Pahlavi’s “White Revolution”

1964

Khomeini is exiled

19001900 1900 19251925 1925 19501950 1950 1960196019601960 1960 1975197519751975 1975 1990199019901990 1990