Muhammad Ali becomes governor of Egypt under nominal Ottoman rule, launching modernising reforms and founding a dynasty that ruled until 1952.
French forces under Napoleon Bonaparte occupy Egypt but are eventually forced out; the expedition sparks European Egyptology.
Using the Rosetta Stone, Jean-François Champollion announces his decipherment of ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs.
The Suez Canal linking the Mediterranean and the Red Sea opens, greatly shortening the sea route between Europe and Asia.
Archaeologist Howard Carter discovers the nearly intact tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun in the Valley of the Kings, causing a worldwide sensation.
Neighbouring Arab states go to war with Israel; the war ends with the 1949 armistice agreements, and about 700,000 Palestinians flee or are expelled from their homes.
The Free Officers Movement overthrows King Farouk; Egypt becomes a republic and Gamal Abdel Nasser soon rises to lead it.