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Amir is born (1963) Hassan is born (1964)
Amir and Hassan being born is an important event in the timeline because they are the two protagonists of the book. Hosseini says, "It was there, in that little shack, that Hassan was born in the winter of 1964, just one year after my mother had died giving birth to me" (Hosseini 6). From this quote, we can gather that Hassan was born in 1964 and that Amir was born in 1963. This shows another reason that Amir would feel superiour to Hassan, because Amir is a year older than Hassan. -
Hassan gets his cleft lip fixed
Hassan getting his cleft lip fixed makes people not judge him at first glance. Hosseini says, "Soon it was just a pink jagged line running up from his lip. By the following winter, it was only a faint scar. Which was ironic. Because that was the winter Hassan stopped smiling" (Hosseini 47). It is implied that Hassan stops smiling because he is raped, meaning that is the next winter. This quote also plays on the idea of irony again which is a reoccurring theme throughout the book. -
Trip to Jalalabad
The trip to Jalalabad occurs after the kite-fighting tournament. We know this because the quote, "For a week, I barely saw Hassan... That night I asked Baba if we could go to Balabad on Friday" (Hosseini 80-81) This means this is a week after Hassan was raped, meaning this is a week after the kite race. The kite race was sometime in early winter meaning this is later, maybe midway though winter. -
The Kite Race/ Kite Fighting tournament/ Hassan getting raped
We know this tournament happens in early winter because, "Every Winter, districts in Kabul held a kite-fighting tournament" (Hosseini 49). The tournament happens sometime after the first snowfall in this year. Then after the tournament, Hassan tries to run the last kite and is raped by Assef. This is when the main conflict of the story is introduced, Amir coming to terms with his mistake here, he regrets that he didn't do anything at all to try to stop Assef and help Hassan. -
Ali and Hassan leave
After the tension between Hassan and Amir builds to a breaking point, Amir launches a plan to get Ali and Hassan removed, leading to this exchange. Ali says, "'We are leaving, Agha sahib'" and a startled Baba says, "'What?' ... the color draining from his face" (Hosseini 106). This is Hassan's final sacrifice for Amir, he is throwing himself and Ali out of Amir's life just so Amir won't feel so much guilt. Hassan tells his father everything that has happened and they decide to leave Baba. -
Soviet troops parachute into Kabul
The article says, "The first Soviet troops parachuted into Kabul on Dec. 27, 1979, to assist Babrak Karmal, who had become president in a coup within the Afghan Communist leadership" (New York Times) -
Baba and Amir leave Kabul
Amir and Baba leaving Kabul marks a change in their characters, they are running away from their home, and their problems. Hosseini says, "My innards had been rolling since we'd left Kabul just after two in the morning" (Hosseini 110). The date above this chapter says this takes place in March of 1981, and this is when they leave Kabul. This is also the night that a Russian guard tries to rape a woman in the truck and Baba stops him. -
Baba and Amir make it California
Baba and Amir moving to America, and more specifically California shows the final piece of change in them. Amir says, "Bba loved the idea of America" (Hosseini 125). Baba leaves his homeland, that has become infected/ corrupted by Russians. He moves to America with Amir, and he loves the idea of it, even though it gave him cancer. -
Amir graduates high school
Amir graduating high school is one of the few times Baba is proud of him. Amir says, "That summer of 1983, I graduated from high school at the age of twenty" (Hosseini 131). This is one of the few times Baba accepts Amir for who he is, shown when he throws a "party" for him in the bar. Baba is normally reserved, and doesn't think to highly of his son, but here he is proud. -
Amir meets Soraya
Amir meets Soraya at a swap meet with Baba. Amir thinks, "Lying awake in bed that night, I thought if Soraya Taheri's sickle-shaped birthmark, her gently hooked nose, and eh way her luminous eyes had fleetingly held mine. My heart stuttered at the thought of her. Soraya Taheri. My Swap Meet Princess" (Hosseini 142). This is the first time Amir's attraction to Soraya is mentioned. This is important because this is his future wife. -
Amir and Soraya get married
Amir and Soraya getting married is important because it is one of Amirs biggest motivation going on. Hosseini says, "'No Soraya. Not even close,' I said, 'Nothing you said changes anything. I want us to marry.'" (Hosseini 165). Amir is dead set on marrying Soraya, and they do. He is motivated for the rest of the novel to get back to Soraya. Their relationship is one of the most important relationships in the book, and their marrirage strenghtens this. -
Soviet Air force made useless by US missiles
The article says, "After 1986, the Soviet Air Force was also rendered largely useless by advanced Stinger antiaircraft missiles supplied by the United States to the rebels" (New York Times). -
Baba dies
Baba dies a month after Soraya and Amir get married. Hosseini says, "A month after the wedding, the Taheris... came over to our apartment for dinner... She pulled up the blanket. We closed the door. Baba never woke up" (Hosseini 173). Baba's death pushes Amir' growth forward. If Baba was still alive, Amir wouldn't fight his own fights, because Baba would do it for him. -
Amir finishes his novel
A few years after Amir and Soraya get married Amir publishes his first novel. Amir thinks, "In the Summer of 1988, about six months before the Soviets withdrew from Afghanistan, I finished my first novel, a father-son story set in Kabul" (Hosseini 182). This shows how much Amir misses Baba, he writes his first novel about him. This also shows how much self confidence Amir has grown after Baba's death. -
The Soviets leave Afghanistan
The article says, "Eventually, after peace talks moderated by the United Nations, the last Soviet troops left Afghanistan in February 1989" (New York Times). -
Mullah Omar moves East
The article says, "By the end of 1994 Mullah Omar had nearly 12,000 followers and was rolling up the warlords to the north and east" (New York TImes). -
Taliban takes over Afganhastan, in 1996
After many years of civil war, the extremist Islamic group called the Taliban, took over Afghanistan. -
Hassan dies
Amir goes to Afghanistan to see Rahim Khan, and Rahim tells him that Hassan died. Rahim says, "'So they took him to the street... and order him to kneel... and shot him in the back of the head'" (Hosseini 219). Amir is ready to see Hassan, and apologize to him. But then Rahim drops the bombshell of Hassan's death on Amir, breaking him. -
Hamid Karzai put in charge
The article says, "In December 2001, Hamid Karzai, a supporter and relative of Mohammad Zahir Shah, the exiled former king of Afghanistan, was named chairman of an interim government that replaced the defeated Taliban" (New York Times). -
Taliban continues to fight after 2001
The article says, "Despite their defeat in 2001, the Taliban continued to wage a guerrilla warfare" (New York Times) -
Assef and Amir meet again
Amir goes to the Taliban base to get Sohrab back, but then the Talib shows up and its Assef. Amir thinks, "But he was already here, in the flesh, sitting less than ten feet from me, after all these years. His name escaped my lips: 'Assef'" (Hosseini 281). Amir meets his "arch rival" again, the one that really messed up Amir's life by raping Hassan. And now they meet again, and Amir gets stomped, but he takes it, because he feels like he deserves it, its his atonment for his past sins. -
Sorhab slits his wrists
After Amir "threatens" to put Sohrab back into an orphanage, Sorhab goes to the bathroom and slits his wrists. This causes Amir to suddenly start, "Screaming through clenched teeth. Screaming until I thought my throat would rip up and my chest explode" (Hosseini 343). Amir was so happy, happy he would get the chance to bring Sohrab back to America with him. Then he walks into the bathroom, and his hopes are crushed. -
The Twin Towers get hit by terrorist attacks
The article says, "The United States has been militarily involved in Afghanistan since 2001, when it led an invasion after the Sept. 11 attacks by Al Qaeda" (New York Times). -
Obama deploys more troops
The article says, "In a speech delivered Dec. 1, 2009, at West Point, Mr. Obama announced his plan to deploy 30,000 additional troops" (New York Times) -
Obama removes general McChrystal
The article says, "In June 2010, President Obama removed Gen. McChrystal" (New York Times)