Chronology: Important Events
| 1990 | Hussein accuses Kuwait on 17 July of oil overproduction and theft of oil from the Rumailia Oil Field. |
| 1990 | On 25 July US Ambassador to Iraq, April Glaspie, tells Hussien that the Iraq/Kuwaitt dispute is an Arab matter, not one that affects the United States. |
| 1990 | Hussein invades Kuwait on August 2. President Bush freezes Iraqi and Kuwatti assets. The United Nations calls on Hussien to withdraw. |
| Aug 6,1990 | Economic sanctions are authorized. |
| Aug 7, 1990 | Secretery of Defense Cheny visits Suadi Arabia. The 82nd Airborne and several fighter squadrons are dispatched. |
| Aug 8. 1990 | Iraq annexes Kuwait |
| Aug 9, 1990 | The UN declare's Iraq's annexation invailid |
| Aug 12, 1990 | The USA announces intrediction program of Irai shipping. |
| Aug 22, 1990 | President Bush authorizes call up of reserves. |
| Aug 25, 1990 | Military interdiction authorized by the UN |
| Sep 14, 1990 | Iraqi forces storm a number of diplomatic missions in Kuwait City. |
| Nov 8, 1990 | Bush orders aditional deployments to give "offensive option" to US forces. |
| Nov 20, 1990 | 45 Democrats file suit in Washington to have President Bush first seek Congressional approval of military operations. (eventually thrown out) |
| Nov 22, 1990 | President Bush visits the troops for Thanksgiving. |
| Nov 29, 1990 | UN Security Council authorizes force if Iraq doesnt withdraw from Kuwait by midnight EST Janu. 15. |
| Nov 30, 1990 | Bush invites Tariq Aziz to Washington and offers to send Secretary of State James Baker to Baghdad. |
| Jan 9, 1991 | Baker and Aziz meet in Geneva. The meeting is 6 hrs, but no results. |
| Jan 12, 1991 | Congress votes to allow for US troops to be used in offensive operations. |
| Jan 15, 1991 | The deadline set by the UN Resolution 678 for Iraq to withdraw. |
| Jan 16, 1991 | First US government statement of Operation Desert-Storm made.
Marlin Fitzwater announces, "The liberation of Kuwait has begun..." The air war started Jan 17 at 2:38 a.m. (local time) or January 16 at 6:38PM EST due to an 8 hour time difference, with an Apache helicopter attack. US warplanes attack Baghdad, Kuwait and other military targets in Iraq. |
| Jan 17, 1991 | Iraq launches first SCUD Missle attack. |
| Jan 30, 1991 | US forces in the Gulf exceed 500,000. |
| Feb 6, 1991 | Jordan King Hussein lashes out against American bombardments and supports Iraq. |
| Feb 13, 1991 | US Bombers destroy a bunker complex in Baghdad with several hundred citizens inside. Nearly 300 die. |
| Feb 17, 1991 | Tariq Aziz travels to Moscow to discuss possible negotiated end to the war. |
| Feb 22, 1991 | President Bush issues an ultimatum of Feb 23 for Iraqi troops to withdraw from Kuwait. |
| Feb 23, 1991 | Ground war begins with Marines, Army and Arab forces moving into Iraq and Kuwait. |
| Feb 25, 1991 | Iraqi SCUD missle hits a US barracks in Saudi Arabia killing 27. |
| Feb 26, 1991 | Kuwaiti resistence leaders declare they are in control of Kuwait City. |
| Feb 27, 1991 | President Bush orders a cease fire effective at midnight Kuwaiti time. |
| Mar 3, 1991 | Iraqi leaders formally accept cease fire terms |
| Mar 4, 1991 | Ten Allied POWs freed |
| Mar 5, 1991 | 35 POWs released |
| Mar 8, 1991 | First US combat forces return home. |