2002
January 29, 2002: President George W. Bush calls Iraq, Iran, and North Korea an “axis of evil” in his State of the Union address.
October 10, 2002: Congress passes a joint resolution authorizing use of force against Iraq and giving Bush the power to take preemptive military action against Iraq.
November 8, 2002: The U.N. Security Council approves Resolution 1441, requiring Iraq to comply with arms inspections and disclose all weapons of mass destruction within a month.
November 27, 2002: U.N. experts and the International Atomic Energy Agency resume inspections in Iraq.
December 21, 2002: Bush authorizes the deployment of U.S. troops to the Gulf.
2003
January 27, 2003: U.N. inspectors file a formal report, saying that Iraq has not sufficiently disarmed.
February 24, 2003: The U.S., Spain, and Great Britain submit a resolution to the U.N. Security Council that would authorize use of military force against Iraq for failing to comply with Resolution 1441. The resolution is never passed.
March 17, 2003: Bush issues an ultimatum: Saddam Hussein and his sons have 48 hours to leave Iraq or it will mean war.
March 19, 2003: United States launches the invasion of Iraq.
April 9, 2003: Saddam Hussein’s government loses control of Baghdad, and a statue of the former Iraqi president is toppled with the help of U.S. soldiers in what becomes one of the iconic moments of the war.
April 15, 2003: In a U.S.-organized meeting, Iraqi representatives agree to work towards a democratic new government.
April 16, 2003: Bush signs a $79 billion supplemental spending bill for Iraq.
May 1, 2003: Bush declares the “end of major combat operations” in Iraq.
May 22, 2003: The U.N. lifts economic sanctions on Iraq.
July 13, 2003: The Iraqi Governing Council (IGC), a group of 25 Iraqis chosen by the U.S.-led coalition, has its first meeting.
July 22, 2003: Saddam Hussein’s sons, Qusay and Uday, are killed by U.S. forces in Mosul.
August 22, 2003: Ali Majid (“Chemical Ali”) is captured by U.S. forces.
October 16, 2003: The U.N. Security Council passes Resolution 1511, recognizing the legitimacy of Iraq’s interim government and calling for a schedule for U.S. withdrawal.
November 6, 2003: Bush signs an $87 billion supplemental spending bill.
November 28, 2003: Bush makes a surprise Thanksgiving visit to troops in Iraq.
December 13, 2003: Saddam Hussein is captured.
2004
March 1, 2004: The Iraqi Governing Council agrees on an interim constitution that includes a bill of rights and grants Kurds some autonomy.
April 29, 2004: Photos emerge of the abuse of detainees at Abu Ghraib prison, sparking controversy over American interrogation techniques.
April 30, 2004: U.S. forces pull back from Falluja after weeks of conflict in the area.
May 28, 2004: Iyad Allawi, a Shia, is named prime minister of the interim government.
June 28, 2004: The coalition hands over power to Iraq’s interim government. The new prime minister and his cabinet are sworn in.
September 7, 2004: Death toll of U.S. soldiers is at 1000.
2005
January 12, 2005: Search for WMDs is declared over.
January 30, 2005: Millions of Iraqis vote in the first general elections with more than one party in 50 years.
April 7, 2005: The Iraqi Parliament elects Jalal Talabani, a Kurdish leader, as Iraq’s new interim president.
May 11, 2005: Bush signs $76 billion supplemental spending bill to aid U.S. operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
July 19, 2005: The U.K.-based Iraq Body Count and Oxford Research group releases a report estimating that nearly 25,000 Iraqi civilians have been killed since the U.S. invasion.
October 15, 2005: Iraqis vote to ratify new constitution.
October 26, 2005: Death toll of US troops climbs to 2000.
December 15, 2005: Iraqis go to the polls in large numbers to choose leaders to replace the interim government.
2006
January 21, 2006: Election results are announced. The Shia-led United Iraqi Alliance wins a plurality of seats in the government, but not a majority.
April 22, 2006: Nouri al-Maliki is appointed the new prime minister of Iraq.
June 8, 2006: Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, considered the leader of the Sunni insurgency, is killed in a U.S. air strike.
November 5, 2006: Saddam Hussein is sentenced to death by hanging, convicted of crimes against humanity.
December 6, 2006: Iraq Study Group Report released, urging new diplomatic efforts across the Middle East.
December 30, 2006: Saddam Hussein is executed on a Sunni religious holiday not observed by Shi'ites, creating a new wave of violence. Video footage of the execution leaks out.
2007
January 3, 2007: Death toll of U.S. troops reaches 3000.
January 10, 2007: Bush announces a troop surge. 21,000 additional U.S. troops are deployed in Iraq.
February 10, 2007: General David Petraeus officially takes charge of U.S. forces in Iraq, replacing General George Casey.
April 5, 2007: 12,000 additional National Guard troops are deployed in Iraq.
May 1, 2007: Bush vetoes a Congressional bill that would set a timeline for U.S. withdrawal.
September 10, 2007: General Petraeus reports to Congress on Iraq, saying that the military objectives of the surge have, for the most part, been met.
2008
February 22, 2008: Turkey launches ground incursion into northern Iraq to combat Kurdish separatists.