April 9th 2003 - Three weeks after US and British forces invade from Kuwait, US troops sweep into central Baghdad as Saddam Hussein's three-decade rule crumbles into chaos and looting.
July 13th - The Iraqi Governing Council - 25 Iraqis chosen under US supervision - holds inaugural meeting.
December 13th - US troops seize Saddam near Tikrit. US governor Paul Bremer breaks news: "We got him."
2004
March 8th - Governing Council signs interim constitution.
May 17th - Bomb kills Governing Council head.
June 1st - Governing Council dissolved to make way for interim government led by Iyad Allawi. Ghazi al-Yawar named president.
June 28th - US formally returns sovereignty to Allawi's government. Coalition Provisional Authority dissolves.
Bremer leaves Iraq.
2005
Jan 30th - Shia-led coalition wins election for interim parliament. Most Sunnis fail to vote.
March 16th - National Assembly holds first meeting. On April 6th it elects Kurd Jalal Talabani as president and later approves cabinet led by Ibrahim al-Jaafari, a Shia.
August 22nd - Just before already delayed deadline, parliament accepts draft constitution opposed by many Sunni Arabs.
October 15th - Referendum ratifies constitution by 78 per cent, despite Sunni Arab opposition which nearly vetoes it.
October 19th - Saddam Hussein goes on trial.
December 15th - Parliamentary poll under new constitution.