journalist published a rich modern Arabic translation of the Bible. His works were also crucial to the establishment of the Arabic typewriter 1909 to 1921 – Arab nationalist organizations Al-Fatat and Al-'Ahd are established to liberate and unify Arab territories that were under Ottoman rule 1914 to 1918 – Middle Eastern theatre of World War I 1917 – Arthur Balfour, Foreign Minister of Great Britain, in a letter to Lord Rothschild, gives British government approval to Zionist's goal of building a "national home" in Palestine 1918 to 1922 – Defeat and dissolution of the Ottoman Empire 1918 – Britain and France occupy former Ottoman Empire lands 1919 to 1921 – Franco-Syrian War 1919 to 1923 – Asia Minor Catastrophe reshapes Anatolia, as continuous fighting incorporates the newly founded Republic of Turkey, Armenia, France, Greece 1922 – Egypt is granted nominal independence from the United Kingdom. 1922 to 1923 – Mandate for Syria and the Lebanon and British Mandate of Palestine and the Emirate of Transjordan come into effect. 1924 – abolition of the Caliphate as part of Atatürk's Reforms 1925 to 1927 – Great Syrian Revolt against the French Mandate for Syria and the Lebanon 1925 – Sheikh Said rebellion of Kurds against Turkey 1925 – Deposition of the Qajar dynasty of Iran 1927 to 1930 – Ararat rebellion of Kurds, as Republic of Ararat is declared, but dissolved upon defeat 1932 – Kingdom of Saudi Arabia declared in unification of Najd and Hejaz 1933 to 1936 – Tribal revolts in Iraq of Assyrians in Simele, Shia in the south and Kurds in the north 1934 – Saudi–Yemeni War 1935 – Persia becomes Iran 1936 to 1939 – Arab revolt in Palestine 1937 – Dersim rebellion, is the largest uprising of the Kurds against Turkey, massive casualties 1939 to 1945 – Mediterranean and Middle East Theatre of World War II 1946 – Emirate of Transjordan becomes Kingdom of Jordan (named Transjordan until 1948) 1946 – Kurdish Republic of Mahabad declared along with Azerbaijan People's Government, but defeated by Iranian military forces and dissolved 1947 – UN General Assembly proposes to divide Palestine into an Arab and Jewish state 1948 – Israel declares independence and Arab–Israeli war erupts 1952 – After a revolution in Egypt the monarchy is overthrown 1953 – The coup d'état in Iran 1954 – Gamal Abdel Nasser becomes president of Egypt 1954 – Central Treaty Organization 1956