CAIRO - After the violent protests that broke out on January 28, blood of the Egyptian protesters and riot police troops stained Tahrir Square in downtown Cairo. It oozed through the bandages wrapping the heads of the protesters and crusted around their bleary eyes. The Egyptians walked around in a daze, barely able to articulate what had been done to them or what they had dealt out in return. On that day, a massive demonstration blossomed in Tahrir Square. A week later, long-time Egyptian dictator Hosni Mubarak announced he would not seek re-election in September. On Feb. 11, Mubarak stepped down. Here is a timeline of events in Egypt since protests against former President Hosni Mubarak began. January 25 - Anti-government protests began across Egypt following the January 14 overthrow of Tunisia's president in the first of the "Arab Spring" uprisings. Major nationwide protests started calling for the ouster of Mubarak. An estimated 850 people were killed and around 8,000 injured in clashes with police over the next 18 days. January 28 - Mubarak ordered troops and tanks into cities to quell demonstrations. Thousands cheered at news of intervention of the army, which was widely seen as a neutral force in politics. January 31 – The new government of Ahmed Shafiq was sworn in. New vice president, Omar Suleiman, hitherto intelligence chief said Mubarak had asked him to start dialogue with political forces. February 1 - More than a million people around Egypt called for an end to Mubarak's rule. Mubarak announced that he would not stand for re-election in September and would work to prepare for an orderly transition, eliciting jeers from protesters in the street who continue to demand that he leaves immediately. February 2 - In the battle for Tahrir Square, the protesters took on and ultimately prevailed over the pro-Government gangs sent in to beat them. In a highly choreographed but primitive siege, played out before a worldwide television audience, the attackers launched gasoline bombs and skull-sized stones from rooftops and bridges or galloped through the teeming square on horses and camels. When dawn broke the following day, the square was smoldering, shaken and heavily damaged, but the protesters were unmoved. At the north end, in the shadow of Egypt's world-famous antiquities museum, a line of young male demonstrators stood behind a wall of metal sheets that they used as shields, two vehicles they'd set ablaze as a barricade burned down to their hulls?, ?their attackers seemingly melted away. The battle had clearly exhausted protesters as they tried to assemble another massive demonstration for the following Friday, which they've dubbed Mubarak's "Day of Departure." February 4 - Thousands of Egyptians gathered in Tahrir Square to press again for an end to Mubarak's rule in a "Day of Departure." February 10 - Mubarak said national dialogue under way, transferred powers to vice president Omar Sulieman. February 11 - Mubarak stepped down and the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) started running the country's affairs. February 15 – Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, the SCAF Chairman, issued a decree ordering the Constitutional Amendment Commission to finish its work within 10 days. February 22 - Tantawi swore in the Ahmed Shafiq cabinet but Muslim Brotherhood and other political forces wanted it purged of ministers appointed by Mubarak. March 3 - Prime Minister Shafiq resigned and SCAF asked former Transport Minister Essam Sharaf to form new government. March 19 - Big majority of Egyptians approved amendments to the constitution in referendum. The amendments were designed to pave way for parliamentary and presidential elections. March 23 – The Government approved law easing curbs that choked political life under Mubarak's 30-year-old rule. April 8 - Thousands protested in Tahrir Square against delays in putting Mubarak on trial. August 3 - Mubarak trial started. Wheeled into a courtroom cage on a bed, Mubarak denied charges of killing the protesters and abuse of power. October 9/10 - Coptic Christians turned their fury against the army after at least 25 Christians were killed when troops broke up a protest outside the TV building in Cairo. November 18. - Thousands of people, frustrated with military rule, protested in Tahrir Square and in other cities. November 21 – The Essam Sharaf Cabinet resigned. November 22 - Tantawi promised that a civilian president would be elected in June 2012, six months sooner than the army had planned. Tantawi confirmed parliamentary elections would begin on November 28 as planned. November 25 - Thousands demanding an end to military rule packed Tahrir Square in the biggest turnout of a week of protests and violence that had killed 42 people. - Kamal Ganzouri was named by SCAF to head a national salvation cabinet. He had served as prime minister under Mubarak from 1996 to 1999. November 28 - First voting in elections for the lower house started. The election would run through January. December 7 - The Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) won 34 individual seats of the 45 it contested in the first run-off vote of the election. December 14-15 - Polls opened in the second round of elections for the lower house. - The Muslim Brotherhood's FJP said they had received about 40 per cent of votes cast for party lists in the second round of voting. December 23 - Thousands of Egyptians rallied in Cairo and other cities to demand that the military give up power, and vented their anger after 17 people were killed in days of protests near el-Kasr el-Aini Street in Cairo. December 28 - Mubarak arrived in court on a hospital trolley as his trial resumed after two months. The trial will be resumed on Jan. 2. December 29 - An Egyptian court cleared five police officers of criminal charges over the killing of five protesters during the revolt. Also, on the same day Egyptian justice officials and police raided offices of 10 civil society organisations as part of an investigation into foreign funding of such groups in Egypt. December 30 - Several Egyptian rights groups claimed that SCAF was using "repressive tools" in waging an "unprecedented campaign" against pro-democracy organisations.
