1744: Saudi-Wahhabi alliance forged.
1926: Ibn Saud proclaimed king of Hijaz.
1929: Saudis put down Wahhabi rebellion.
1931: American phlianthropist Charles Crane is invited to Saudi Arabia to search for water (he finds oil instead).
1932: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia formed.
1938: Americans strike oil in S. Arabia.
1945: Saudi-American alliance.
1953: Death of King Abd al-Aziz, accession of King Saud.
1964: King Saud is forced to abdicate.
1969: Organization of the Islamic Conference.
1975, March 25: King Faisal is assassinated by a nephew.
1979: Great Mosque in Mecca seized by Wahhabi dissidents (Sunni Saudi claim to leadership of Islam worldwide challenged by Shiite Iran). More on Iran. See also origins of Sunni-Shia Fitna ("civil strife").
1982: Death of King Khalid, accession of King Fahd.
1987: Hajj riots (Shia again challenge Saudi Sunni authority).
1990: U.S. troops deployed to Saudi Arabia to defend against Saddam Hussein.
1994: Buraydah Uprising: Wahhabi dissidents.
1995: Riyadh bombing: U.S. military targeted.
1996, June 26: A massive truck bomb kills U.S. soldiers in Dharan.
2001: September 11 and Saudi citizens.
2002, August: U.S. families of victims killed in 9/11 attacks sue Saudi government.
2002, October 29: Saudi prince urges kingdom to embrace globalization.
2003, May 12: Riyadh bombing targets foreigners.
2003, September: American troops pull out of Saudi Arabia.
2003, November 9: Bombing in Riyadh targets foreigners.
2004, April 24: Attack on security headquarters in Riyadh.
2005, August 1: King Fahd dies and is succeeded by Crown Prince Abdullah.
2005, November: Tensions between religious conservatives and reformers.
2006, April: Talks on Oil Deal Between China and Saudi Arabia.
2007, November: Controversy over woman sentenced in a rape case.
2008, March: Saudis to retrain 40,000 imams in efforts to promote religious tolerance.