History of Jordan Timeline

(c. 10,000 BCE – Present)

The history of Jordan spans thousands of years, encompassing ancient kingdoms such as Ammon, Moab, and Edom, the Nabataean civilization centered at Petra, Roman and Byzantine rule, and later Islamic caliphates. After centuries under Ottoman control, the region became the Emirate of Transjordan in 1921 under British mandate, led by Emir Abdullah I. Jordan gained full independence in 1946 and became the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, navigating regional conflicts, including the 1948 Arab-Israeli War and the 1967 Six-Day War, while developing into a stable modern monarchy under King Hussein and later King Abdullah II. More Less

Go to: Timeline | Event List | Key Facts | Directory

Ancient and Classical Era

Rise of the Ammonite kingdom

1000 BC

The Ammonites established a kingdom centered on Rabbath Ammon (modern Amman), becoming one of several Iron Age states in the southern Levant alongside Moab and Edom.

Kingdom of Edom flourishes in southern Jordan

800 BC

The Edomite kingdom prospered in the rugged terrain south of the Dead Sea, controlling trade routes between Arabia and the Mediterranean and profiting from copper production.

Image source: Edom

Nabataeans establish their capital at Petra

312 BC

The Nabataeans carved a wealthy trading empire from the rose-red cliffs of Petra, dominating caravan routes for incense, spices, and silk across the Arabian desert.

Image source: Nabataean Kingdom

Construction of Roman Decapolis cities

63 BC

Cities such as Gerasa (Jerash), Gadara (Umm Qais), and Philadelphia (Amman) joined the Decapolis league, becoming centers of Greco-Roman culture with theaters, temples, and colonnaded streets.

Image source: Decapolis

Roman annexation of Nabataea

106 AD

Emperor Trajan annexed the Nabataean Kingdom, creating the Roman province of Arabia Petraea. Petra declined as trade routes shifted, while cities like Jerash flourished under Roman rule.

Image source: Roman Empire

Byzantine Christian era in Jordan

330 AD - 636 AD

After Christianity became the Roman state religion, churches and monasteries spread across Jordan, including the mosaic-rich Church of Saint George in Madaba with its famous map of the Holy Land.

Image source: Byzantine Empire

Battle of Yarmouk brings Arab Muslim conquest

Aug 15, 636 AD - Aug 20, 636 AD

A decisive victory by Arab Muslim forces over the Byzantine army near the Yarmouk River ended Byzantine rule in the region and brought Jordan under Islamic control.

Image source: Battle of the Yarmuk

Umayyad desert castles built

661 AD - 750 AD

The Umayyad caliphs constructed palatial complexes such as Qasr Amra and Qasr Hiran al-Sharqi in Jordan's eastern desert, adorned with remarkable frescoes and mosaics.

Image source: Desert castles

Mamluk fortifications strengthen Jordan's castles

1250 AD - 1516 AD

Under Mamluk rule, castles like Ajloun and Karak were expanded to protect pilgrimage routes and defend against Crusader incursions from the west.

Image source: Mamluk Sultanate

Ottoman Period

Ottoman incorporation of Transjordan

1516

Following the Ottoman conquest of the Mamluk Sultanate, Transjordan became part of the Ottoman Empire, administered loosely for centuries as a frontier region.

Image source: Ottoman Syria

Hejaz Railway construction begins

1900 - 1908

Sultan Abdul Hamid II ordered the railway from Damascus toward Medina, passing through Transjordan to facilitate pilgrimages to Mecca and project Ottoman authority into the region.

Image source: Hejaz railway

Arab Revolt against Ottoman rule

Jun 1916 - Oct 1918

Sharif Hussein of Mecca launched an uprising against Ottoman rule, supported by Britain and famously aided by T.E. Lawrence, paving the way for Arab self-rule ambitions in the Levant.

Image source: Arab Revolt

British capture of Amman

Sep 1918

British and Arab forces took Amman during the final offensive of World War I in the Middle East, ending four centuries of Ottoman control over Transjordan.

Image source: Capture of Damascus (1918)

Emirate of Transjordan

San Remo conference assigns Mandate for Palestine

Apr 1920

The Allied powers assigned the Palestine Mandate, which initially included Transjordan east of the Jordan River, to British administration under League of Nations auspices.

Image source: San Remo conference

Arab Legion founded

Oct 22, 1920

The Arab Legion was established as a small police force under British command, later growing under John Bagot Glubb ('Glubb Pasha') into one of the most effective armies in the Middle East.

Image source: Arab Legion

Abdullah ibn Hussein arrives in Transjordan

Nov 1920

Emir Abdullah, son of Sharif Hussein, arrived in Ma'an with a small force intending to advance on Damascus; instead he stayed and became the founder of the Emirate of Transjordan.

Image source: Abdullah I of Jordan

Establishment of the Emirate of Transjordan

Apr 11, 1921

Britain recognized Abdullah as Emir of Transjordan, creating a semi-autonomous polity east of the Jordan River under British supervision, separate from Palestine proper.

Image source: Emirate of Transjordan

Transjordan gains formal independence

May 25, 1946

Transjordan achieved full independence from Britain, and Abdullah was proclaimed King, transforming the emirate into the Hashemite Kingdom of Transjordan.

Image source: History of Jordan

Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan

Assassination of King Abdullah I

Jul 20, 1951

King Abdullah was shot by a Palestinian gunman at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, reportedly due to anger over his alleged negotiations with Israel. His son Talal briefly succeeded him.

Image source: Assassination of Abdullah I of Jordan

Hussein becomes King of Jordan

Aug 11, 1952

After his father Talal abdicated due to illness, seventeen-year-old Hussein bin Talal ascended the throne, beginning a reign that would last nearly half a century.

Image source: Hussein of Jordan

Country renamed Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan

Jan 26, 1958

Jordan formally adopted its current name, reflecting the expansion of the kingdom after 1949 to include territory west of the Jordan River captured in the 1948 war.

Image source: Jordan

Black September conflict with Palestinian fedayeen

Sep 16, 1970 - Jul 1971

Clashes erupted between King Hussein's government and armed Palestinian organizations based in Jordan, resulting in thousands of deaths and the expulsion of the PLO leadership to Lebanon.

Syrian invasion attempt repelled during Black September

Sep 22, 1970

Syrian armored forces entered northern Jordan in support of Palestinian fighters but withdrew after Jordanian air strikes and international pressure, including American and Israeli warnings.

Image source: Black September

Jordan disengages from the West Bank

Jul 31, 1988

In response to the First Intifada and Palestinian aspirations for statehood, King Hussein severed administrative and legal ties with the West Bank, ceding claims to the PLO.

Image source: Jordanian annexation of the West Bank

Modern Jordan

First general elections since 1956 held

Nov 8, 1989

King Hussein restored parliamentary democracy amid economic crisis, holding multiparty elections that produced a strong Islamist bloc and launched a period of political liberalization.

Image source: 1989 Jordanian general election

Jordan signs peace treaty with Israel

Oct 26, 1994

King Hussein and Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin signed a comprehensive peace treaty at Wadi Araba, normalizing relations, settling border disputes, and establishing water-sharing arrangements.

Image source: Israel–Jordan peace treaty

Death of King Hussein and accession of Abdullah II

Feb 7, 1999

King Hussein died after a long battle with cancer, and his son Abdullah II succeeded him, continuing Jordan's pro-Western orientation and economic reform agenda.

Image source: Abdullah II of Jordan

Petra designated a New Seven Wonders finalist

Jul 7, 2007

Petra was named one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in a global poll, boosting tourism and cementing the ancient city's status as Jordan's most iconic landmark.

Image source: New 7 Wonders of the World

Petra designated a New Seven Wonders finalist

Arab Spring protests in Jordan

Jan 2011 - 2012

Inspired by regional uprisings, Jordanians demonstrated for political reform. King Abdullah II responded by dismissing governments, amending the constitution, and initiating gradual reforms.

Image source: 2011–2012 Jordanian protests

Jordan hosts Syrian refugees fleeing civil war

2011

Hundreds of thousands of Syrians fled to Jordan, with the Zaatari camp becoming one of the world's largest refugee settlements, placing significant strain on Jordanian resources.

Image source: Zaatari refugee camp

Pilot Muath al-Kasasbeh murdered by ISIS

Feb 3, 2015

ISIS released a video showing the burning alive of captured Jordanian pilot Muath al-Kasasbeh, prompting Jordan to intensify airstrikes against the group and rally national unity.

Image source: Muath al-Kasasbeh

Pilot Muath al-Kasasbeh murdered by ISIS

Key Facts

Jordan's territory was home to ancient biblical kingdoms including Ammon, Moab, and Edom during the Iron Age.
The Nabataeans built Petra around the 4th century BCE, a famous rock-cut city now recognized as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.
The Emirate of Transjordan was established in 1921 under British Mandate authority with Abdullah I as its ruler.
Jordan gained full independence from Britain on May 25, 1946, becoming the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.
Jordan lost control of the West Bank to Israel during the 1967 Six-Day War, an event that continues to shape its politics and refugee population.

Source

This History of Jordan timeline was generated with the help of AI, using information found on the internet.

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