International Relations Timeline

1949 Aug 12 Geneva Conventions Adopted
Various coventions to protect those involved in armed conflict were adopted from the mid-19th century onwards. However, they did not apply to civilian populations. The adoption of the 194...
1961 Aug 17 Alliance for Progress is Signed at an Inter-American Conference in Uruguay
" ...we propose to complete the revolution of the Americas, to build a hemisphere where all men can hope for a suitable standard of living and all can live out their lives in dignity and i..." —John F. Kennedy
1989 Feb 14 Ayatollah Rohollah Khomeini Issues a Fatwa Calling For The Death of Salman Rushdie
While there was already a considerable amount of protest by Muslims in the first months after the book's publishing, the fatwa issued by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the Supreme Leader of...
2009 Jul 8 World Leaders Arrive in Italy for G8 Summit
Leaders of the world's most powerful economies were Wednesday gathering in the center of an Italian earthquake zone for a summit that, despite an agenda tackling the financial crisis, wor...
2009 Aug 10 President Barack Obama, Prime Minister Stephen Harper, and President Felipe Calderon Convene in Mexico for North American Summit
President Barack Obama huddled Monday with the leaders of Mexico and Canada for a swift North American summit, where the swine flu epidemic and knotty disputes over cross-border trade dom...
2009 Sep 23 President Obama Delivers First Address to United Nations General Assembly, Urges New Era of Cooperation
President Obama's speech to the United Nations this morning borrowed thematically from Woodrow Wilson, Franklin Roosevelt, and John F. Kennedy. It was an example of American idealism, and...
2009 Sep 24
to 2009 Sep 25
 G-20 Pittsburgh Summit
The Pittsburgh G20 Summit appears to have made some progress towards reshaping global power structures to make them more representative, said anti poverty campaign group ONE. But media re...
2009 Nov 13 President Obama Arrives in Tokyo to Begin East Asia Tour
President Barack Obama on Friday arrived in Tokyo, the first stop in a week-long tour that will also take him to Seoul, Singapore and Beijing to tackle the global economic recovery, clima...
2009 Nov 15 President Arrives in China for First Visit to Country
U.S. President Barack Obama arrived in China on Sunday, taking his push to energise ties with Asia to the region's emerging super-power and world's third biggest economy. Late in the e...
2009 Nov 16 President Obama Arrives in Beijing During First Trip to China
One of Chinese people’s favorite pastimes is to “kan renao,” or “watch the hubbub” and travelers on Beijing’s East Third Ring Road got that chance Tuesday when traffic came to a standstil...
2009 Nov 16 President Obama Holds Town Hall Meeting with Chinese Youths in Shanghai
Mr. Obama held a “town hall” meeting with students on Monday. But they were carefully vetted and prepped for the event by the government, participants said. And the Chinese authorities, w...
2009 Nov 18 President Obama Arrives in South Korea During East Asia Tour
President Barack Obama can expect the warmest reception of his swing through East Asia Thursday morning when he meets South Korea's conservative President Lee Myung-bak – a welcome contra...
2011 Nov 19 Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao and President Obama Hold Impromptu Summit on Economic and Security Issues
President Obama and Prime Minister Wen Jiabao of China held an unscheduled meeting on Saturday at the end of an Asian forum to discuss economic issues and China's festering disputes with ...