Key dates in the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria, where monitors say violence has killed more than 10,000 people and more than 100,000 have been detained over the past year.
March 15, 2011: First protests after a Facebook call for a "Day of Dignity."
March 18-27: Crackdowns in Damascus, Banias and Daraa, cradle of the uprising where 100 are reportedly killed on the 23rd. Deadly violence also in Latakia.
April 18: Damascus vows to crush what it calls an "armed revolt" by "Salafists."
April 25-26: Protests spread and strengthen, with calls for the regime's fall.
July 15: More than one million protest, notably in Hama and Deir Ezzor. On the 31st, the army kills 100 in Hama.
August 18: US President Barack Obama and his allies urge Assad to quit. Western and Arab states later impose sanctions on his regime.
November 16: Rebel Free Syrian Army attacks a Damascus military base.
December 23: Twin bombs in Damascus kill 44.
January 6, 2012: Damascus car bomb kills 26.
February 4: China and Russia veto a UN Security Council resolution on Syria for the second time in four months.
February 10: Twin car bombs in Aleppo kill 28.
February 12: The Arab League says it will begin contacts with the opposition, offering political and financial support. In January it offers a power transfer plan.
February 22: An American and a French journalist killed in Homs, after another French journalist was killed there in January.
March 1: Regime forces seize Homs' Baba Amr district after a 27-day assault rights groups say killed hundreds.
March 14: Forces seize Idlib city after a four-day assault.
March 17: Two bombs in Damascus kill 27.
March 21: The Security Council demands Syria immediately implement international envoy Kofi Annan's peace plan, and urges Assad to work towards a ceasefire and democratic transition.
April 5: The Security Council formally backs an April 10 deadline Annan agreed with Damascus to end its attacks on protest hubs and on the opposition to do the same at the latest 48 hours later.
April 8: Damascus says it will not withdraw forces without "written guarantees" the opposition will also lay down arms.
April 9: Surge in violence kills at least 105 people. Shots fired across the border wound six in Turkey and kill a cameraman in Lebanon.
April 10: 52 killed. Annan says he has received reports of troops moving into other parts of the country and tells the UN Syria has not sent a "signal of peace." The UN Security Council calls on Damascus to keep a Thursday 0300 GMT deadline for a complete ceasefire.
April 11: The regime presses its assaults on protest hubs, more than a day after the peace plan was scheduled to enter into effect. It says that it will cease military operations against rebel fighters from Thursday, but will retaliate against any attack by the armed terrorist groups.
April 12: Annan-brokered ceasefire comes into effect at 6:00 am (0300 GMT).