From the 9th century AD the Zaydi dynasty ruled Yemen, until their defeat by the Ottoman Turks in 1517. The Turks were expelled by the Zaydi Imams in 1636.
* 1839 Britain occupies Aden.
* 1918 Yemen secures independence.
* 1937 Aden made a Crown Colony, the hinterland a Protectorate.
* 1962 Army coup. Imam deposed and Yemen Arab Republic (YAR) declared in the North.
* 1962รป1970 Northern civil war between royalists and republicans.
* 1963 Aden and Protectorate united to form Federation of South Arabia.
* 1967 British troops leave Aden.
* 1970 South Yemen renamed the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen (PDYR). Republicans victorious in the North.
* 1971 Civilian elections in the YAR.
* 1972 September: war between YAR and PDYR. October: peace signed.
* 1974 Army coup in YAR.
* 1975 Sultan of Oman defeats PDYR-backed revolt in Dhofar province.
* 1978 Lt.-Col. Ali Saleh YAR president. Coup in PDYR. Radical Abdalfattah Ismail in power.
* 1979 February: war breaks out. March: peace. October: PDYR signs 20-year treaty with USSR.
* 1980 Ismail replaced by moderate Ali Muhammed.
* 1982 President of PDYR Ali Muhammed signs peace treaty with the Sultan of Oman.
* 1984 YAR signs 20-year cooperation treaty with USSR.
* 1986 January: coup attempt against President Muhammed in PDYR develops into civil war. Rebels take control of Adan. February: rebels install Haydar Al Attas as president. July: presidents of PDYR and YAR meet.
* 1987 Oil production starts in YAR.
* 1988 YAR holds elections for a consultative council, Muslim brotherhood gains influence.
* 1989 Unification process speeds up dramatically. June: telephone links established. July: PDYR publishes a program of free-market reforms. November: YAR and PDYR sign agreement to unify the two states. December: constitution of unified Yemen published.
* 1990 January: restrictions on travel between YAR and PDYR end. Growing opposition to unification inside Yemen from fundamentalists against the secular constitution. May 22: unification of PDYR and YAR. Ali Saleh becomes president of the Republic of Yemen. August: Yemen criticizes Western response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait.
* 1991 Yemeni guest workers expelled by Saudi Arabia in retaliation for Yemen's position over the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Arab states boycott independence celebrations.
* 1992 Assassinations and political unrest delay elections.
* 1993 April: elections leave the ruling parties still in power. Islamic fundamentalists gain influence in President Saleh's government. May: civil war breaks out.
