April 28, 1937: Born in al-Awja village outside Tikrit, 150 kilometres north of Baghdad.

October 1956: Joins uprising against pro-British royalist rulers and then becomes a militant in the pan-Arab, secular Baath Party.

October 1959: A year after overthrow of monarchy, takes part in attempt to kill Prime Minister Abdel-Karim Kassem. Flees abroad.

Feburary 1963: Returns to Baghdad when the Baath Party seizes power in a military coup but nine months later Baathists are toppled. Caught and jailed. Elected deputy secretary-general of the party while in prison.

July 1968: Saddam helps plot the coup that puts the Baath Party back in power, deposing President Abdul-Rahman Aref.

March 1975: As vice-president of the Revolutionary Command Council (RCC), signs border agreement with the Shah of Iran, who ends support for an Iraqi Kurdish revolt, causing its collapse.

July 16, 1979: Takes power after President Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr steps aside as chairman of the RCC.

September 22, 1980: Following border skirmishes, Saddam launches war on Iran that lasts eight years.

March 16, 1988: Iraqi forces reportedly launch chemical attack on Iraqi Kurdish town of Halabja, killing about 5,000 people.

August 20, 1988: A ceasefire is officially implemented in the Iran-Iraq War.

August 2, 1990: Launches invasion of Kuwait, prompting UN Security Council to impose sanctions on Iraq.

January 17, 1991: US-led forces start Gulf War with air attacks on Iraq and occupied Kuwait. Hostilities end on February 28 with eviction of Iraqi forces from Kuwait.

October 15, 1995: Saddam wins a presidential referendum and is elected unopposed with more than 99 per cent of the vote.

October 15, 2002: Official results show Saddam wins 100 per cent of votes in a referendum for a new term in office.

December 7, 2002: Saddam apologises for invasion of Kuwait but blames the emirate's leadership. Kuwait rejects the apology.

February 2003: In first interview in more than a decade, Saddam denies Baghdad has any banned weapons or links to al-Qaida.

March 20, 2003: US launches war against Iraq.

April 9, 2003: US forces sweep into the heart of Baghdad as Saddam Hussein's 24-year rule crumbles.

July 22, 2003: US military confirms Saddam's two sons, Uday and Qusay, were killed in gun battle in Mosul.

December 14, 2003: US officials announce capture of Saddam.

October 19, 2005: Trial opens with Saddam charged with crimes against humanity for the killing of 148 Shi'ite men in Dujail after a 1982 assassination attempt. He pleads not guilty.