The ‘modern pharaoh’

With the longest tenure since King Farouk was ousted in 1952, President
Hosni Mubarak has maintained stability, peace with Israel and ties with
the U.S., but has incited anger at home as he jailed opponents, rigged
elections and failed to bring prosperity to many Egyptians.

1980s 1990s 2000s

1981 Assumes 1995 Survives 2005 Wins fifth
presidency after Anwar assassination attempt term despite street
Sadat is assassinated in Ethiopia, one of at protests; has
1987 Elected to second least six attempts on constitution
of five terms his life rewritten to limit
1997 58 tourists killed competition
1989 Helps create Arab
Cooperation Council in Luxor by Islamist 2006 Says he will
(financial market); militants in attempt to retain presidency
rejoins Arab League topple Mubarak for life

2011: Protests against government

Jan. 25, 2011 Thousands demand an end to President Hosni
1 Mubarak’s; police use tear gas to disperse crowds
Mohamed
ElBaradei, Jan. 26 Thousands continue to protest across the country despite
the leading 2 a government ban; hundreds arrested
opposition
figure, has Jan. 27 Reform campaigner Mohamed ElBaradei arrives in Cairo;
called for a 3 government shuts down Internet access, Twitter blocked
clear and
independent Jan. 28 Protests turn into riots, police
Protester demands
transitional 4 overwhelmed; Mubarak says he will
process appoint a new cabinet • Presidential decree to
change succession rules
Jan. 29 Omar Suleiman named to allow for caretaker
vice president; looters break into government until free and fair
5 Cairo’s Egyptian Museum; the elections can be held
army is called in
• Amend constitution to allow
Jan. 30 U.S. President Barack all political parties to field
Obama urges an “orderly candidates in elections, impose
6 transition” to democracy; term limits, allow election
ElBaradei joins protests monitors
Jan. 31 Mubarak swears in new • End President Mubarak‘s
30-year reign
7 cabinet; army pledges it will not
use force against protesters • Lift the emergency law,
in place since 1981, that bans
Feb. 1 Mubarak says he will step public assembly, lets authorities
down after September elections; arrest and hold people
8 protesters throughout country call indefinitely
for him to step down immediately • Release the thousands held
Feb. 2 Violence breaks out between in administrative detention
9 pro- and anti-Mubarak groups without charge
Protester in Feb. 3 Mubarak says he’d like to step down now but can’t risk
Tahrir Square in 10 Egypt falling into chaos; protesters retake Tahrir Square; supporters,
downtown Cairo, many thought to be police, attack, detain foreign journalists
Feb. 5
Feb. 4 Protesters gather in Tahrir Square for “day of departure”
11 rally to call for Mubarak’s immediate resignation
Feb. 5 Entire leadership of Egypt’s ruling party, including Gamal
12 Mubarak, son of the president, resign
Feb. 6 Opposition groups hold talks with government, chaired by
More than 13 vice president; sides set up committee to study constitutional issues
130,000
people have Feb. 7 Protesters gather in Tahrir Square for “day of departure”
joined a 14 rally to call for Mubarak’s immediate resignation; Wael Ghonim,
Facebook page
nominating Wael
an online activist who helped spark the protests, released from jail
Ghonim as the Feb. 8 Vice President Suleiman says Egypt has a timetable for
spokesman
of uprising
15 the peaceful transfer of power; Ghonim addresses crowd, saying
“We won’t give up”
Feb. 9 Labor strikes, worker protests provide burst of momentum
© 2011 MCT 16 to movement; thousands protest outside parliament building in
Source: McClatchy Washington Bureau, Cairo to demand the assembly’s immediate dissolution
BBC, Reuters, MCT Photo Service,
Google, New York Times, Egyptian
Initiative for Personal Rights, NPR Feb. 10 Defying expectations, Mubarack says he will not step
Graphic: Melina Yingling, Judy Treible, 17 down but will hand over some powers to his vice president now,
Lee Hulteng, Pat Carr
transfer all power in September after the election