HISTORY IN BRIEF 814 BC: Foundation of Carthage by Phoenician settlers led by Queen Dido. 264 BC to 146 BC: The Punic Wars: Three wars with Rome, including elephant-mounted expedition by Hannibal across the Alps (218-202 BC,) end with the defeat of Carthage. 146 BC-439: Establishment of the first Roman Colony, Africa, and its attachment to the Roman Empire. 439: Takeover of Carthage by the Vandals. 533: Takeover of Carthage by the Byzantines. 647-698: Advent of the Arab-Islamic period. Foundation of Kairouan by Oqba lbn Nafaa (670), and takeover of Carthage by the Arabs (698). 800-909: Expansion of Islam and establishment of the Aghlabid Dynasty. (Construction of the Zitouna Mosque in Tunis). 909-1159: Fatimid and Zirides dynasties. Foundation of Mahdia (921). 1159-1230: Almohads unify the Maghreb countries and Moslem Andalusia. 1230-1574: The Hafsids break away from Almohads and establish new dynasty based in Tunis. 1574: Tunisia becomes part of the Ottoman Empire. 1705-1881: Husseinite Dynasty. 1881-1956: French Protectorate (established 12 May 1881). Anti-colonial resistance, led mostly by the Neo-Destour party, persisted for most of the 75 years of French domination. 1956 (20 March): Independence from France. 1957 (25 July): Proclamation of the Republic. Habib Bourguiba becomes first President of Independent Tunisia. 1959 (1st June): Adoption of the first Constitution of the Republic of Tunisia. 1963 (15 October): The French evacuate Bizerta, their last base in the country. 1987 (7 November): In conformity with the Constitution, Prime Minister Zine El Abidine Ben Ali succeeds President Bourguiba who is declared by his physicians unable to continue assuming the duties of the Office. President Ben Ali is sworn-in by Parliament. 1989 (2 April): Presidential and legislative elections. Zine El Abidine Ben Ali elected President. 1994 (20 March) : Presidential and legislative elections. Re-election of President Ben Ali and accession of the opposition to Parliament, for the first time in the history of independent Tunisia. 1999 (24 October) : After first-ever pluralistic presidential elections, President Ben Ali is re-elected by an overwhelming majority for a third term. the Democratic Constitutional Rally keeps its majority in the Chamber of Deputies but the opposition garners 20% of the 182 seats. 2002 (26 May) : Major constitutional reform adopted by popular referendum in May 2002. 2004 (24 October) : President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali is elected for a fourth term in office, following the second pluralistic presidential election in the history of independent Tunisia.