History of Jordan

Before 1500 BCE  
The territory comprising modern Jordan was occupied by the Ammonites, the Moabites and various other migrating tribes passing through the desert, This area, situated east of the Jordan River, was divided into five kingdoms: Bashan, Edom, Gilead, Moab and Midian. These kingdoms are referred to in the Bible.

14th cent. BCE  
The Israelites conquered Canaan; the northern districts east of the Jordan River were given to Naphtali, Manasseh was given a district around the Sea of Galilee, Gad had nearly the entire portion of land on the east bank of the Jordan River, and Reuben had a district around the Dead Sea. South of these areas was ruled by the Moabites and the Edomites.

333 BCE  
Alexander the Great invaded Syria, Palestine and conquered Egypt. At his death, Alexander’s Empire was divided, after many struggles, between his generals. Ptolemy retained Palestine and Jordan.

168 - 31 BCE  
Antioch from Syria succeeded to take Palestine and Jordan and form the Greek Antioch Kingdom. After his death the Nabatean Arab Empire gained control of the area and made its capital at Petra.

31 BCE - 633 CE  
The area came under the rule of the Byzantine Empire. During this period of Christianity became a major religion in the Mid-East. Continuous wars with the Persians weakened the Byzantine Empire.

633 - 900 CE  
The Arabs invaded from the south and conquered Syria and Palestine. Under the rule of the Arab caliphs, the Muslim religion gained native support and the Arabic language was used. 

10th - 11th cent.  
The Crusaders briefly govern parts of Jordan and make Kerak their capital, until it fell to the Muslim warrior Saladin.

11th - 16th cent.  
Jordan came under the control of the Egyptian Fatimidis Caliphat.

1517 - 1918  
The Turks invaded the Middle East and destroy the Fatimid Empire. The Ottoman Turks ruled Jordan. The Young Turk Revolution deposed the Sultans and the Ottoman Empire declines.

Sept. 1918  
During WW I, joint action of Arab and British troops liberate Jordan from Turkish sovereignty. Jordan and the territory comprising modern Israel awarded to Great Britain by the League of Nations. The area was divided into two parts: West of the Jordan River became Palestine; East of the Jordan River became Transjordan.

Feb. 1928  
Transjordan obtains qualified independence in a treaty concluded with Great Britain. (During World War II, Transjordan cooperated with the British.)

1945  
Transjordan becomes a member of the Arab League, an organization created to co-ordinate Arab policy in international affairs.

March 22, 1946  
Britain relinquished its mandate over Transjordan. The nation gained full independence as a Sovereign State - The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

May 1946  
Ab’dullah Ibn Hussein proclaimed king.

1948  
The Arab league (the Jordanian army combined with other Arab nations) attacked Israel. 

1949  
Armistice signed with Israel.

1950  
King Ab’dullah formally merged all of Arab held Palestine with Transjordan.

1951  
King Ab’dullah assassinated by rival Arabs, his son Tallal succeeded to the throne but only temporarily due to illness.

August 11, 1952
Jordan's parliament forces Tallal to abdicate, then names 17- year-old Crown Prince Hussein as king. A Regency Council is appointed to govern until the prince comes of age.

May 2, 1953
King Hussein bin Tallal assumes full constitutional powers.

Early 1952-6  
Frequent frontier clashes between Jordanian and Israeli troops. The major sources of friction were the Israeli irrigation and hydroelectric schemes that would reduce the volume of water available to Jordan.

1958  
Egypt and Syria merge to form the United Arab Republic. Jordan and Iraq (more conservative nations) form the Arab Federation. The Arab Federation did not last because the Iraqi government was overthrown. Relations between Hussein and President Nasser of the U.A.R. remained strained.

1961-1962  
Relatively free of domestic and political strife.

1964  
Pressure from the U.A.R. to Jordan for Arab League unity against Israel. During the fighting with Israel, Arab unity was hard to maintain. Jordan suffered much from Israeli reprisals toward Syrian PLO attacks.

1966  
Jordan withdraws support of the PLO and there are increased clashes with the Syrians.

1967  
Hussein signs defense treaty with Nasser committing Jordan to active involvement in the Six Day War.

June 1967  
War with Egypt, Syria and Jordan against Israel. The Jordanian air force was destroyed and the West Bank occupied. Jordan accepts a UN cease-fire. Post war diplomacy was aimed at reinforcing ties with the West an achieving an Israeli withdrawal from the occupied area.

1972  
Hussein proposed creation of a federated Arab state comprising of Jordan and Israeli-occupied West Bank but the Arab governments opposed.

1978  
An Arab summit conference was held and the PLO recognized as representative of the Palestinians. Jordan relinquished its claim to Israel occupied West Bank.

1991  
The Gulf War put King Hussein in the most difficult of places, with his economy very dependent upon Iraq and sanctions cutting off many avenues of revenue.

1994  
Jordan and Israel signed a peace treaty, dropping economic barriers and cooperate on security and water. Jordan has also increased links with Yasser Arafat's Palestine National Authority.

February 7, 1999  
Serving his country since his ascension to the throne in 1952, King Hussein, Ab’dullah's grandson, ruled as constitutional monarch and achieved a remarkable measure of peace, stability, and economic growth. Upon his death, King Ab’dullah II Bin Al Hussein rose to the throne.