Formation of the Libyan Liberation Committee in Cairo under the leadership of Bashir al-Sa`dawi. The organization proposed a union between Tripolitania and Cyrenaica under Sanusi rule.
Defeat of the Bevin-Sforza Plan in the UN. The British-Italian scheme would have split Libya into three trusteeships: Cyrenaica for the British, Tripolitania for the Italians, and Fezzan for the French. TheUN instead adopted a resolution calling for Libyan independence by 1952 (Nov. 21, 1949).
Official INDEPENDENCE OF LIBYA. The country emerged as a federal monarchy dominated by a clique of conservative notables. It essentially retained the administrative divisions (Tripolitania, Cyrenaica, and Fezzan) inherited from the colonial period.
Granting of the first oil concessions. The first strike was at Bir Zelten in 1959. The oil industry was primarily developed during 1961–69 as foreign firms, especially independent companies, moved into the country to conduct intensive exploration.
MILITARY COUP against the monarchy. The plot was organized by a group of army officers directed by MU`AMMAR AL-QADHAFI. One of the first acts of the new regime was to abolish the monarchy. In its place emerged the Libyan Arab Republic. Effective authority was vested in a Revolutionary Command Council headed by Qadhafi, who officially became prime minister on Jan. 16, 1970.
Completion of the British military withdrawal, as demanded by the Libyan government. The U.S. pulled out the last of its troops less than three months later (June 11).
