Herewith a chronology of the major dates in Saddam's presidency:

1979

July 16: Saddam Hussein, vice-president of the Revolutionary Command Council (RCC), becomes president of Iraq, secretary-general of the Baath party and president of the RCC.

1980

March 18: A law is adopted which provides for the creation of a National Assembly elected by universal suffrage for a mandate of four years.

Sept 22: The Iran-Iraq war breaks out.

1981

June 7: "Operation Babylon" is launched by the Israeli airforce which destroys a nuclear reactor at Osirak, which had been constructed by the French and would have allowed Iraq to make nuclear bombs.

1988

March 17-18: Kurds supporting an Iranian offensive in northern Iraq are brutally supressed by Baghdad. Some 5,000 are killed in the village of Halabja alone by chemical weapons.

Aug 20: A ceasefire ends the war with Iran. Some 300,000 Iraqis perished in the conflict.

1990

Aug 2: Iraqi troops invade Kuwait.

Aug 6: The United Nations imposes an embargo against Iraq.

1991

Jan 17: US-led Operation "Desert Storm" is launched against Iraq.

Feb 27: Kuwait is liberated and Baghdad accepts ceasefire conditions on February 28.

March 7: Following a Kurdish uprising in the north and a Shiite one in the south the allied forces install a no-fly zone to the north of the 36th parallel and begin the humanitarian mission "Provide Comfort" to aid Kurdish refugees.

1992

Aug 27: A no-fly zone is created in southern Iraq, to the south of the 32nd parallel, to protect the Shiite population.

1993

Nov 26: Baghdad accepts unconditionally UN resolution 715 which provides for the supervision of Iraqi disarmament.

1994

Nov 10: Baghdad formally recognises Kuwait and its established frontiers.

1995

Oct 15: The first presidential referendum since 1979 results in a 99.96 percent "yes" vote in favour of Saddam remaining in power. His mandate is extended for a further seven years.

1996

Feb 23: Two sons-in-law of Saddam, Hussain and Saddam Kamel who had defected to Jordan in August 1995, are murdered three days after their unexpected return to Iraq, provoking international condemnation.

May 20: The UN and Iraq sign the oil-for-food programme (resolution 986) which allows Iraq to export two billion dollars worth of crude oil every six months in exchange for food and medical equipment.

Dec 12: Saddam's elder son Uday Hussein survives assassination bid.

1997

Nov 17: American arms inspectors in the UN inspection team, UNSCOM, are expelled triggering an international crisis. The crisis is resolved in the coming days through the intervention of Russia, which wins Baghdad's agreement for the return of the inspectors.

1998

Dec 16-19: Operation Desert Fox. Some 500 missiles are launched on Iraq over four days following new tensions between the United States and Iraq, and the departure of the UN inspectors.

1999

Dec 17: The UN Security Council adopts Resolution 1284 setting up a new disarmament regime for Iraq.

2001

May 22: The United States and Britain propose to the Security Council a new sanctions regime for Iraq which would lift restrictions on civilian trade, but would strengthen controls on military items and clamp down on contraband oil sales. Iraq rejects the project in October.

2002

Oct 15: Saddam is re-elected as president for another seven years, winning 100 percent of the vote with a 100 percent turnout.

Nov 27: UN weapons experts resume their inspections in Iraq.

Dec 7: Saddam apologises to the Kuwaiti people for invading their country in 1990.

2003

March 20: The United States launches war on Iraq after Saddam ignores a US deadline to leave the country. It says it launched a limited strike on a Baghdad building where Saddam was believed to be staying.

Hours later Saddam appears on state television to vow the devil will be defeated. US officials say the recording was genuine.

April 4: Iraqi state television shows Saddam touring Baghdad, just hours after US forces announce the capture of the city's main airport.

April 7: US officials say they launched a strike on a building where Saddam was meeting with his two sons. But it remains unclear whether he survived the attack.

April 9: Thousands of Iraqis cheer US Marines sweeping through Baghdad as the Iraqi regime collapses. US forces topple a giant statute of Saddam in the city centre to scenes of wild jubilation.

SPACE.WIRE