Timeline of the Iranian Revolution
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1978
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January
- opens the door to more protests
February
June
August
September
October
November
December
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1979
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
January
February
April
June
August
November
December
1978
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January
- 4000 students and religious leaders protest a newspaper article that slandered and criticized Ayatollah Khomeini
- opens the door to more protests
February
- people around the country march to honor those killed in the earlier protests
- more demonstrations follow
June
- head of SAVAK (secret police) is dismissed
August
- Shah pledges free elections
September
- Shah declares martial law
- Ayatollah Khomeini is forced to leave Iraq... ends up settling outside Paris
October
- a series of labor strikes sweeps the country
November
- during strikes and protests citizens burn building and loot shops; military allows it
- Shah addresses country on TV, says he understands and approves of the revolution
- Shah has 13 members of his own regime arrested
December
- To appease the protesters, Shah appoints the opposition leader Bakhtiar as prime minister
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1979
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January
- Shah leaves Iran for "extended vacation"; will seek medical treatment for cancer in the U.S.
February
- Ayatollah Khomeini returns to Iran
- government declares a curfew, but Khomeini tells the people of Iran to defy it
- rebels seize weapons from police stations and military personnel
- army officially declares its neutrality (not supporting the current government or the Ayatollah-led rebels)
- without support of the military, regime collapses
April
- in national referendum 98.2% vote in favor of creating an Islamic republic in Iran
June
- Ayatollah begins to push out moderate leaders of the revolution
- secular liberal groups (moderates) are called "counter-revolutionaries"
August
- Ayandegan newspaper is banned for criticizing the idea of using Islamic law to rule the country
November
- 52 workers in the U.S. diplomatic services are taken hostage when the U.S. embassy is stormed by students and rebels angry that he U.S. has allowed the Shah to stay in the U.S. to receive treatment for cancer
- at first, Khomeini is reluctant to support the hostage-takers, but then changes his mind
- prime minister of interim government resigns
December
- new constitution of Iran is approved
- Ayatollah Khomeini becomes Supreme Leader