Tune in to any news outlet these days and you’re sure to get an earful of a couple of common words. “Trump” “Russia” “Election scandal” “Protests” “Corruption.” All of those words can be easily connected to events in America, but a common word nowadays that doesn’t quite seem to fit in with all of this? “Syria.” A small country located in the Middle East, just south of Turkey? What does that have to do with us? A lot. Here’s a quick look at what’s going on.

• March 2011: Peaceful protests erupt in Syria as its citizens call for reforms of freedom and democracy. They also call for an end to the brutal Assad dynasty. Uprisings spread and government forces crack down. Tensions rise all summer and violence increases, with large demonstrations in Damascus, Daraa and Aleppo.
• August 2011: President Obama, the Arab League, members of the UN and many other important members of the global community condemn the violence and the actions of the government in Syria.
• July 2012: Aleppo is split with violence and bloodshed as rebels fight to kick government forces out of the city. This battle is still being fought today.
• August 2012: Obama declares that if Syria uses chemical weapons, the US policy towards Syria would change and action would be planned.
• Early 2013: Syrian refugees amount to over 1 million. A large part of that number are children. Rumors of chemical weapon use abound.
• Fall 2013: Reports of large-scale chemical weapons usage in a suburb area of Syria, some numbers amount to about 1,000+ dead. The UN plans thorough investigation.
• January 2014: Syrian rebels have another enemy: The Islamic State, a terrorist group that rose from the ashes of al-Qaeda. UN peace talks continue to fail as Syria refuses to adhere to set conditions.
• June 2014: Assad wins election again
• Summer of 2014: Islamic State seizes territory in Iraq and a large Syrian oil field, then releases video of the beheading of an American journalist.
• September 2014: US and  begins airstrikes against Islamic State.
• Early 2015: Statistics: At this point at least a third of the Syrian population is displaced.
• September 2015: Russia claims to strike Islamic State bases, but reports say that they they actually targeted anti-Assad groups.
• December 2016: Syrian rebels lose Aleppo o Syrian government, which is backed by Russia and Iran.
• April-June 2017: President Trump orders missile attack on an airbase where Syrian government reportedly planned chemical attack. The US backs Syrian Democratic Forces and captures Tabqa dam from Islamic State.
• Dec. 2017: Russia supports Syrian government troops as they continue to take rebel territory back.
• March-April 2018: Reports of chemical attack in suburb of Douma surface. During UN meetings, various countries including Russia urge against airstrikes in Syria. US, UK and France launch precision strikes on Syrian chemical weapon facilities.