1964    The Palestine Liberation Organization is formed.

1969    In Cairo, Yasser Arafat is appointed Palestine Liberation Organization leader at the Palestinian National Congress.

1969    Yasser Arafat takes over as chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization.

1974    The United Nations General Assembly grants the Palestine Liberation Organization observer status.

1976    The UN Security Council votes 11-1 to allow the Palestine Liberation Organization to participate in a Security Council debate (without voting rights).

1976    Air France Flight 139 (Tel Aviv-Athens-Paris) is hijacked en route to Paris by the PLO and redirected to Entebbe, Uganda.

1982    Lebanese Civil War: a multinational force lands in Beirut to oversee the Palestine Liberation Organization's withdrawal from Lebanon.

1985    The ''Achille Lauro'' is hijacked by Palestine Liberation Organization.

1993    The Palestine Liberation Organization officially recognizes Israel as a legitimate state.

1994    Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and PLO leader Yasser Arafat sign a peace accord regarding Palestinian autonomy granting self-rule in the Gaza Strip and Jericho.

2005    Elections are held to replace Yasser Arafat as head of the Palestine Liberation Organization. He is succeeded by Rawhi Fattouh.