On This Day

Arab Federation of Iraq & Jordan forms

The Hashemite Arab Federation was a short-lived confederation that lasted from 14 February to 2 August 1958, between the Hashemite kingdoms of Iraq and Jordan.

The Hashemite Arab Federation was a short-lived confederation that lasted from 14 February to 2 August 1958, between the Hashemite kingdoms of Iraq and Jordan. Although the name implies a federal structure, it was de facto a confederation.

The Federation was formed on 14 February 1958, when King Faisal II of Iraq and his cousin, King Hussein of Jordan, sought to unite their two Hashemite kingdoms as a response to the formation of the United Arab Republic between Egypt and Syria. The union lasted only six months. Faisal II was deposed by a military coup on 14 July, and the new Iraqi government officially dissolved the Federation on 2 August 1958.

Historical Significance

The Hashemite Arab Federation was a short-lived confederation that lasted from 14 February to 2 August 1958, between the Hashemite kingdoms of Iraq and Jordan.

Events Before

  1. Sputnik 1 Launch

    The Soviet Union launches Sputnik 1, the world's first artificial satellite, igniting the Space Age and the US-Soviet Space Race.

  2. An Irish Republican Army (IRA) unit attacks Brookeborough Royal Ulster Constabulary barracks in one of the most famous i

    An Irish Republican Army (IRA) unit attacks Brookeborough Royal Ulster Constabulary barracks in one of the most famous incidents of the IRA's Operation Harvest

  3. Aviator Howard Hughes marries 2nd wife actress Jean Peters

    Aviator Howard Hughes marries 2nd wife actress Jean Peters

  4. South African golfer Gary Player (21) weds childhood sweetheart Vivienne Verwey, until her death in 2021

    South African golfer Gary Player (21) weds childhood sweetheart Vivienne Verwey, until her death in 2021

  5. English-American actress Elizabeth Taylor's 2nd divorce from English actor Michael Wilding, after almost 5 years of marr

    English-American actress Elizabeth Taylor's 2nd divorce from English actor Michael Wilding, after almost 5 years of marriage

Events After

  1. Johnny Cash performs the first of many free concerts behind bars at San Quentin State Prison in California

    Johnny Cash performs the first of many free concerts behind bars at San Quentin State Prison in California

  2. Chad becomes an autonomous republic in the French Community

    The French Community (French: Communauté française) was the constitutional organization set up in October 1958 between France and its remaining African colonies, then in the process of…

  3. USSR's Luna 1 becomes the first spacecraft to escape Earth's gravity

    A gravity assist, gravity assist maneuver, swing-by, or generally a gravitational slingshot in orbital mechanics, is a type of spaceflight flyby which makes use of the relative movement (e.g.

  4. TV western "Rawhide," starring Clint Eastwood, premieres on CBS

    TV western "Rawhide," starring Clint Eastwood, premieres on CBS

  5. Plane crash known as "The Day the Music Died" kills musicians Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, J. P. Richardson (aka The Big

    Plane crash known as "The Day the Music Died" kills musicians Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, J. P. Richardson (aka The Big Bopper), and the pilot near Clear Lake, Iowa

More from the 1950s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on February 14, 1958?
The Hashemite Arab Federation was a short-lived confederation that lasted from 14 February to 2 August 1958, between the Hashemite kingdoms of Iraq and Jordan. Although the name implies a federal structure, it was de facto a confederation. The Federation was formed on 14 February 1958, when King Faisal II of Iraq and his cousin, King Hussein of Jordan, sought to unite their two Hashemite kingdoms as a response to the formation of the United Arab Republic between Egypt and Syria.
Why is Arab Federation of Iraq & Jordan forms significant?
The Hashemite Arab Federation was a short-lived confederation that lasted from 14 February to 2 August 1958, between the Hashemite kingdoms of Iraq and Jordan.

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