Morocco: timeline and key events
1st century
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Politics
Rome annexes Mauretania
Emperor Caligula had Ptolemy, the last king of Mauretania and a grandson of Cleopatra, put to death. Soon afterwards, under Claudius, the kingdom became the Roman province of Mauretania Tingitana, whose leading cities included Volubilis, near present-day Meknes.
8th century
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Politics
Idris I founds the Idrisid dynasty
A descendant of the Prophet who had taken refuge in the Maghreb, Idris I was recognised as leader by Berber tribes near Volubilis. He founded Fez, which his son Idris II expanded, and laid the foundations of Morocco's first Muslim state.
9th century
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Culture
Founding of al-Qarawiyyin in Fez
Fatima al-Fihri, the daughter of a wealthy merchant from Kairouan, founded a mosque in Fez that grew into a major centre of learning. Al-Qarawiyyin is often described as the oldest university in the world still in operation.
11th century
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Politics
The Almoravids found Marrakesh
Around 1070, the Almoravids, a Berber dynasty from the Sahara, founded Marrakesh, the city that would later give the country its name. Under Yusuf ibn Tashfin, their empire stretched from Senegal to al-Andalus.
12th century
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Politics
The Almohads take Marrakesh
Caliph Abd al-Mu'min overthrew the Almoravids and made the Almohads the dominant power in the Maghreb and al-Andalus. The dynasty undertook major building projects, including the Koutoubia Mosque in Marrakesh.
16th century
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War
Battle of the Three Kings
On 4 August, near Ksar el-Kebir, the Saadian army crushed the expedition of King Sebastian of Portugal. All three sovereigns involved died in the battle; Ahmad al-Mansur, brother of the late sultan, succeeded him and began a prosperous reign.
17th century
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Politics
Rise of the Alaouite dynasty
Moulay al-Rashid seized Fez and was proclaimed sultan, founding the Alaouite dynasty that still reigns over Morocco. His brother Moulay Ismail (1672-1727) made Meknes his imperial capital.
18th century
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Politics
Morocco recognises the United States
Sultan Mohammed III opened his ports to American ships, making Morocco one of the very first states to recognise the independence of the United States. The treaty of friendship signed in 1786 remains one of the oldest US treaties still in force.
19th century
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War
Battle of Isly
After Morocco gave refuge to the Algerian emir Abdelkader, General Bugeaud's French army defeated the sultan's troops near Oujda. The ensuing Treaty of Tangier forced Morocco to end its support for the emir.
20th century
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Politics
Algeciras Conference
Following the German Emperor Wilhelm II's visit to Tangier in 1905, an international conference held in Algeciras upheld the sultan's independence while granting France and Spain a privileged role in Morocco.
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Politics
Treaty of Fez: the French protectorate
On 30 March, Sultan Abd al-Hafid signed the treaty placing Morocco under a French protectorate, with Lyautey as the first resident-general. Spain received one zone in the north and another in the south, and Tangier was given international status in 1923.
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War
Rif War: the Battle of Annual
Abd el-Krim's Rifian fighters inflicted a crushing defeat on the Spanish army, in which several thousand soldiers were killed. Abd el-Krim proclaimed a Republic of the Rif before surrendering in 1926 to a joint Franco-Spanish offensive.
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Politics
Independence Manifesto
The Istiqlal Party, founded a few weeks earlier, demanded Morocco's independence under the authority of Sultan Mohammed ben Youssef. 11 January is now a public holiday in Morocco.
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Politics
Exile of Sultan Mohammed ben Youssef
The French authorities deposed the sultan, who had become the symbol of the nationalist movement, and exiled him to Corsica and then to Madagascar. His triumphant return in November 1955 paved the way for independence.
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Politics
Independence of Morocco
France recognised Morocco's independence on 2 March, followed by Spain on 7 April for its northern zone; Tangier was reintegrated in October. Sultan Mohammed V took the title of king in 1957.
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Politics
Hassan II ascends the throne
On the death of Mohammed V, his son Hassan II succeeded him and gave the country its first constitution in 1962. His long reign was also marked by the repression of opponents, a period known in Morocco as the “Years of Lead”.
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Politics
The Green March
At Hassan II's call, some 350,000 Moroccans crossed the border into Spanish Sahara. Spain withdrew from the territory, which is claimed both by Morocco and by the Algerian-backed Polisario Front; its status has since been the subject of a dispute followed by the United Nations.
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Politics
Accession of Mohammed VI
On the death of Hassan II, his son Mohammed VI became king. In 2004, an Equity and Reconciliation Commission was set up to investigate human rights abuses during the Years of Lead, and a new family code strengthened women's rights.
21st century
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Politics
New constitution
Following the protests of the 20 February Movement, in the context of the Arab Spring, a new constitution was approved by referendum on 1 July. It strengthened the role of the head of government and recognised Amazigh as an official language alongside Arabic.
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Sport
Morocco reach the World Cup semi-finals
In Qatar, the Atlas Lions knocked out Spain and then Portugal to become the first African and Arab team to reach a World Cup semi-final, before losing to France.
