1900
NOTE
This is simply a running list (in chronological order) of all events within the file. Links and sources to each event can be found in subcategories.
1740
1740 Cuba was a major hub for the transatlantic slave trade.
1856
All Middle East history is in the “Foreign Affairs” section. It is extensive. I will only be adding current events from Trump’s first presidency forward. It is highly recommended to look at the historical timeline leading up to most recent events, it explains a lot.
1898
1898-02-15 The US sent USS Maine to Cuba. It exploded while at port in Havana, killing 260 Americans.
1898-12-10 Spain submitted to the Treaty of Paris and gave up their colonies in the Caribbean and West Indies.
1901
1901 (Platt Amendment) Cuba negotiated its own independence from the US under the agreement that both countries keep exclusive trade relations and the US would have the right to intervene in Cuban affairs. Also it leased Guantanamo Bay to the US military. This gave the US the upper hand to meddle in any movements that would threaten US business interests.
1909
1909 (historical context) The Ango-Persian Oil Company was incorporated in the United Kingdom. Renamed to Anglo-Iranian Oil Company in 1935.
1914 Sykes-Picot Agreement
1914-01-01 European imperial powers began plans to partition up the Ottoman Empire region after World War I, including holding secret negotiations in 1915 called the Sykes-Picot Agreement which was signed May 16, 1916. This caused much resentment from Arabs and Muslims.
1917 Balfour
1917-11-02 The British Foreign Secretary Arthor Balfour pledged British support for establishing a national home for the Jewish people, AKA Israel, to support Zionist aspirations. This led to plans to divide up the heart of the region in places where Palestinians already lived. This was created without local consent and against the will of the region’s inhabitants.
1918 European Colonialism
1918-11-11 World War I ended, but much of the Arab region did not regain independence. Rather, control was handed over to European colonial powers and carved up amongst themselves. Most Arab nations did not gain independence until after World War II.
1920
1920 If you pay attention to the eugenics movement, Americans considered whites “the right people”. Charles Davenport proposed building a wall too, to “keep out the cheaper races” as he put it. If a history lesson doesn’t make clear the racist implications of not welcoming migrants, keep in mind news outlets began to report in October 2025 how the Trump administration began work to overhaul the refugee system so it would favor white people.
1943 Lebanon Independence
1943-11-22 Lebanon gained its independence.
1946 Syria, Jordan Independence
1946-04-17 Syria gained their independence.
1946-05-25 Jordan gained their independence.
1947 Nakba Ethnic Cleansing
1947-12-31 Israel began carrying out the Nakba, or ethnic cleansing, of Palestinian Arabs in the region. It began with displacement of 700,000 people and grew into a genocide which lasted all the way through 2026.
1948
1948-05-14 The State of Israel was created without the consent of the people who lived there, involving things like mass displacement, dispossession, military defeat, occupation, and watching Western powers impose their will on the region.
1948-05-15 Arabs went to war with Israel for the first time. Israel expanded. For clarity, the Arab nations like Egypt, Syria, Jordan and Iraq were all secular nationalist governments, not religious regimes. Many of them were openly against Islamist movements like the Muslim Brotherhood. The conflict with Israel was not a religious holy war. It was a political and anti-colonial struggle. Zionism was seen as a geopolitical project backed by Western powers for domination.
1952
1952 The US put support behind Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista.
1953 US CIA Coup
1953-08-15 The coup was organized by the US CIA. After the Iranian coup, the US framed the Middle East as inherently chaotic and a threat to Western interests. The US toppled a democratically elected government August 19, 1953 after the leader, Mosaddegh, threatened Wester oil interests by nationalizing the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company. Prior to this coup, Christians, Jews and Muslims coexisted in the region. The US intended to install a Western-friendly monarchy. The US backed the Shah of Iran and put him into power to rule for the next 25 years.
1954
1954-01-01 The American Israel Public Affairs Committee was founded and would become the second most powerful lobbyist group in America, promoting pro-Israel including advancement in Israel’s interests. One of the prominent sponsors of AIPAC was Charles Kushner, father of Jared Kushner.
1954-05-17 The Supreme Court case Brown v Board of Education desegregated schools. Megachurch founder and televangelist Jerry Falwell stated in a sermon, “If Chief Justice (Earl) Warren and his associates had known God’s word and had desired to do the Lord’s will, I am quite confident that the 1954 decision would have never been made. The facilities should be separate. When God has drawn a line of distinction, we should not attempt to cross that line”.
1955
1955-01-01 For context only, the anti-LGBTQ Westboro Baptist church was founded. They are known for their picketing, harassment, and slogan “God hates f-gs”.
1955-05-04 The CIA trained Fulgencio Batista’s torturers in Cuba.
1956 Suez Crisis
1956-10-29 Israel launched an attack on Egypt, the Suez Crisis.
1957 Atoms for Peace
Eisenhower created the Atoms for Peace, where we gave Iran their first nuclear reactor and nuclear materials under the Western-friendly Shah installed in 1953 under the US CIA Iranian coup.
1959
1959 Fulgencio Batista fled Cuba under pressure from Castro who assumed power. The US also imposed embargos on Cuba.
1961
1961-09-01 USAID was created by John F. Kennedy with bipartisan support for humanitarian reasons and has since then saved hundreds-of-thousands of lives, provided miraculous aid, and has bonded the United States to other countries by making a wonderful impression.
1966
1966-01-01 Jerry Falwell founded the whites-only Lynchburg Christian Academy to circumvent the 1954 ruling to ban segregation. He wrote in his book ‘America Can Be Saved’, “I hope I live to see the day when, as in the early days of our country, we won’t have any public schools. The churches will have taken them over again and Christians will be running them”. In 1977 courts ruled that segregated private religious schools could not qualify as charitable organizations or retain tax exempt status.
1967
1967-01-01 Interesting FYI: Project Rebound was founded, offering hope and higher education opportunities for formerly incarcerated individuals. Project Rebound Metrics from 2016 to 2016 had an astounding recidivism rate of 0%, meaning all students enrolled in their program did not re-offend, which also by that metric means the project has a 100% success rate. It assisted with books, school supplies, and help with childcare during school. https://www.calstate.edu/impact-of-the-csu/student-success/project-rebound
1967-06-05 During the “Six Day War” Israel captured territory from Arabs in under a week. To be clear, this war was not about religious fundamentalism. The slogan “Palestine is Arab” became a rallying cry, not because of religious fundamentalism or anti-Jewish sentiment, but in attempt to reclaim a sense of pride and agency.
1969
1969-01-01 History Lesson: The Black Panthers started the free breakfast program for children in 1969 because they didn’t want to see kids going to school hungry.
1970
1970 Donald J Trump has faced numerous allegations of sexual assault dating back to the 70’s.
1972
1972-01-01 Nixon said, “The press is the enemy…the establishment is the enemy…the professors are the enemy…write that on a blackboard 100 times and never forget it”.
1973
1973-01-01 Wikipedia overview explains DJT has been involved in over 4000 legal cases.
1973-01-22 Roe v. Wade legalized abortion.
1973-10-06 Yom Kippur War: Arab states led by Egypt and Syria launched a surprise attack on Israel. The US airlifted arms to Israel (Operation Nickel Grass), and the 1973 oil crisis was prompted. Israel won, although there were heavy casualties on both sides.
1979
1979-07-03 The US launched Operation Cyclone to destabilize the Soviets before they invaded Afghanistan and to arm and finance Afghan fighters after the invasion. The US, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan funneled billions of dollars into it. Fighters saw themselves as religious freedom fighters against the Soviets, then later against the West and Israel. Religious fundamentalism was not noted by the US, so long as the fighters were anti-communist.
1979-11-04 The US Embassy was seized in Tehran with support from Ayatollah Khomeini. The Shah of Iran was swept out of the country and sent to the US for protection. Sixty-six (66) Americans were held hostage for 444 days. After this was the rise of the Iranian or Islamic revolution and eventual rise of Islamist movements like Hamas. This was the first time an Islamic movement successfully overthrew a secular Western-backed monarchy. Led by Ayatollah Khomeini.
1979-11-20 The Siege of Mecca: Saudi Arabia had complicit military and economic ties with the US including enriching themselves with oil money, which Islamic radicals despised. Armed Islamic radicals seized Mecca.
1979-12-01 The Saudi royal family made a bargain on the ultra-conservative religious doctrine Wahhabi Islam and export this ideology to places like Pakistan, Afghanistan, Egypt, Sudan, and others. In exchange, it would try to keep local radicals in check and maintain their control.
1979-12-24 The Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan.
1979-12-31 Osama bin Laden, the son of a wealthy Saudi businessman, emerged. He used his family wealth to build a jihadist infrastructure and network.
1981
1981-05-25 The Gulf Cooperation Council was established in the Middle East to unionize Gulf states.
1981-08-05 President Ronald Regan fired 11,345 air traffic controllers who were on strike demanding better pay, and shorter workweek, and improved working conditions.
1982
1982-01-01 Televangelist Jerry Falwell created the Liberty Godparent Home in Virginia as an “alternative” to abortion for unwed mothers. Several mothers and podcasters alleged the home used shame, coercion, forced birth, manipulation and faith to force adoptions.
1982-01-01 (for context) The Federalist Society was founded by Yale, Harvard and Chicago law school students to challenge liberal or left-wing ideology. Several members and supporters of Trump are current or former members of this organization. Leonard Leo, a financial backer of Project 2025, helped found the Federalist Society to select and groom law students and promote conservative values.
1982-03-01 Regan added Cuba to the state sponsor of terrorism list.
1985 Iran Contra Affair
1985-11-01 The Iran-Contra affair took place. The Regan administration sold arms to Iran in exchange for securing the release of American hostages in Lebanon. The funds helped support Nicaraguan rebels. This was the same era that the US was sending weapons to Iraq during the Iran-Iraq war.
1987
1987 For context, Regan warned back in the 80’s that tariffs are dangerous.
1987-03-01 Multimillionaire televangelist Jim Bakker was accused of drugging and raping a 21-year-old woman Jessica Hahn in 1980 in a Florida hotel room.
1987-12-01 Hamas was founded by Sheikh Ahmed Yassin and members of the Muslim Brotherhood. This is when religion became central to the narrative of the resistance in the Middle East, right after multiple failed attempts to regain freedoms, agency, and hope. Basically, messages became “you tried it their way, now try it our way”. This is when places like the Mosque became a place for political refuge and social cohesion, much like Black churches during the Civil War.
1988
1988-01-01 Doug Wilson - founder of Canon Press - tried to buy Christianity Today. You know - Canon Press - where you can get the book “It’s Good to be a Man”.
1989
1989 Trump called for the reinstatement of the death penalty and paid for full-page advertisements in several New York City newspapers. For context, in
1989 five Black and Latino boys were wrongfully convicted of raping a woman.
1989-02-15 The Soviets withdrew from Afghanistan.
1989-06-12 Megachurch founder and televangelist Jerry Falwell stated, “Our goal has been achieved. The religious right is solidly in place and religious conservatives in America are now in for the duration”. Jerry Falwell’s “Moral Majority” campaigned to support Reagan’s election and re-election, calling him “God’s instrument”, calling the Democratic Party “radical”, and instrumentalizing religion for political power.
1990
1990-01-01 Trump told Playboy during a 90’s interview that he praised the Chinese government for their show of strength and paramilitary action during a pro-democracy student protest in 1989 at Tiananmen Square.
1990-08-02 The US installed military bases during the Gulf War on places Muslims considered sacred land.
1991
1991 thru 2009 – For context, Trump bankrupted at least 4 of his own casinos.
1992
1992 George Bush barred US companies from selling goods to Cuba.
1992-08-17 Pat Buchanan declared a cultural and religious war, defining his “Make America First Again” campaign.
1992-08-17 During an interview on Face the Nation, Pat Buchanan was asked about a racist memo against Jewish, Black, and Gay Americans. He replied he wrote “tough” memos and would not “apologize for any of them.
1994
1994-01-01 Televangelist Jerry Falwell stirred up conspiracy mongering when he produced and promoted The Clinton Chronicles, a documentary (or mockumentary) that accused Bill Clinton of crimes of drug addiction, affairs and harassment, misuse of state funds, money laundering, profiting from drug smuggling, witness murders, cover ups of suspicious deaths, and destruction of incriminating documents.
1995
1995 Trump tried to sell Trump Ice water.
1995 Peter Thiel (co-founder of Palantir) published a book called “The Myth About Diversity”.
1996
1996 Epstein had been accused of sexual assault dating back to 1996.
1996 Peter Wagner started the New Apostolic Reformation. Context: They follow the Seven Mountain Mandate, dominion theology, and they make up approximately 41% of America.
1996-06-06 Antitrust Enforcement in the Meat Packing Industry (archived DOJ document)
1997
1997-05-07 Alan Dershowitz wrote an article arguing that “statutory rape is an outdated concept” and that sexual consent should be lowered to age 15. Context: Dershowitz was a member of the team that got convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein a plea deal.
1998
1998-01-01 Trump supporter and mega-donor Peter Thiel wrote, “The purpose of the rape crisis movement seems as much about vilifying men as about raising ‘awareness’.” He also wrote in his book “The Diversity Myth: Multiculturalism and political Intolerance on Campus” that the definition of rape had been expanded to include “seductions that are later regretted”. He later gave a statement to Forbes magazine saying he wish he had never written those things and admitted that rape in all forms is a crime.
1999 February
1999-02-01 The National Liberty Journal, owned by televangelist Jerry Falwell, alleged that the Teletubby character was teaching kids to be gay because it was purple and carried a purse.
1999 June
1999-06-20 The National Liberty Journal, owned by televangelist Jerry Falwell, alleged that the all-women’s music festival was demonic because it was named after Adam’s first wife Lillith.
1999 August
1999-08-16 David Horowitz wrote an article in Salon.com titled, “Guns don’t kill black people, other blacks do” and the caption below said, “The NAACP’s ludicrous idea to sue gun manufacturers is yet another attempt by the left to avoid personal responsibility for some individuals’ bad behavior”. Another excerpt of this article read, “If blacks are oppressed in America, why isn’t there a black exodus? Why do all those black Haitians want to come here? To be oppressed?”.