| 1905–1907 | Constitutional Revolution ends the absolute powers of the Qajar king |
| 1908 | Discovery of oil in Persia |
| 1909 | Anglo-Iranian Oil Company founded |
| 1925 | Qajar dynasty abolished in favor of the Pahlavi dynasty |
| 1926 | Coronation of Reza Shah |
| 1935 | Official name of Persia changed to Iran in diplomatic circles |
| 1939 | Iran’s crown prince, Mohammad Reza, marries Princess Fawzia of Egypt |
| 1941 | Russia and Britain invade Iran and force the pro-German Reza Shah Pahlavi to abdicate in favor of his son Mohammad Reza Shah |
| 1946 | Azerbaijan Crisis |
| 1948 | The shah divorces Princess Fawzia and marries Soraya Esfandiyari three years later |
| 1951 | Prime Minister Mossadegh nationalizes Iran’s oil industry |
| 1953 | Mossadegh government overthrown by royalists and CIA and MI6 agents |
| 1958 | The shah divorces Queen Soraya and a year later marries Farah Diba |
| 1963 | Ruhollah Khomeini is arrested for attacking the White Revolution, launched by the shah that same year. Prime Minister Alam puts down a serious revolt in Tehran. |
| 1964 | Khomeini is exiled from Iran |
| 1965 | Amir Abbas Hoveyda is named prime minister after the assassination of Ali Mansour |
| 1967 | Coronation of Mohammad Reza Shah |
| 1971 | Persepolis celebrations |
| 1974 | The shah is diagnosed with cancer by his doctors, who keep the illness a secret from their patient and his wife until 1977 |
| 1975 | The shah dissolves the Iran Novin Party and its opposition elements, creating the Rastakhiz Party |
| 1977 | June 12 Three National Front leaders write to the shah demanding an end to royal despotism, and respect for human rights and the constitution |
| August 6 Hoveyda resigns as prime minister and is replaced by Amouzegar. Hoveyda becomes court minister. |
| October 23 Death of Mostafa Khomeini, the ayatollah’s son, triggers demonstrations against the shah |
| 1978 | January 9 A day after Ettela‘at newspaper prints a scathing article against Khomeini, several religious protestors are killed by the police in Qom |
| February 21 Demonstrations in Tabriz with dozens killed and many more injured |
| May 10 Major unrest in Tehran and other major cities |
| August 5 The shah pledges free elections for 1979 |
| August 19 Islamists set fire to Cinema Rex in Abadan, killing 477 people |
| August 27 Sharif-Emami replaces Amouzegar as prime minister |
| September 8 Black Friday |
| October 6 Nationwide strikes paralyze the country. Khomeini arrives in France and calls for the overthrow of the shah. |
| November 8 Several days after a military government under General Azhari is installed, a number of former officials, including Hoveyda are arrested |
| December 10–11 Millions of Iranians march across the country, demanding an end to the shah’s rule and the return of Khomeini |
| December 30 Bakhtiar accepts the shah’s offer to become prime minister |
| 1979 | January 4 U.S General Huyser arrives unannounced in Tehran, while U.S. President Carter and the leaders of West Germany, France, and Britain discuss Iran. BBC speculates shah will leave. |
| January 16 The shah departs Iran for Egypt |
| February 1 Khomeini returns to Iran |
| February 5 Prime Minister Bakhtiar rejects Khomeini’s appointment of a provisional revolutionary government headed by Bazargan |
| February 9, 10, 11 After three days of fighting in Tehran between the Imperial Guard and armed revolutionaries together with rebel air force personnel, the shah’s senior generals declare the “neutrality” of the armed forces and order their military units back to the barracks, effectively yielding to the revolution. Bakhtiar’s 37-day government collapses. |
| February 15–16 Four pro-shah generals executed after a summary trial, ushering the start of a wider purge of former officials |
| April 1 Iran is declared an Islamic Republic after a nationwide referendum |
| April 7 Hoveyda is executed shortly after sentencing |
| November 4 Revolutionary students storm the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and take 52 diplomats hostage, demanding the shah’s extradition |
| 1980 | July 9–10 Nowjeh Plot |
| July 27 Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi dies in Egypt aged sixty |
| September 22 Iraq invades Iran |
