# Canonical recap data for Tunisian Revolution & Arab Spring (2010)
# Source: https://recap.at/2010/tunisian-revolution
# Format: YAML 1.2 (UTF-8). Generated at request time.
slug: tunisian-revolution
canonicalUrl: "https://recap.at/2010/tunisian-revolution"
title: Tunisian Revolution & Arab Spring
aliases:
- Jasmine Revolution
- Tunisian Revolution of Dignity
- Ben Ali's Fall
- Sidi Bouzid Uprising
subtitle: Street protests and civil unrest toppled President Ben Ali, igniting a cascade of revolutions across the Arab world.
recapType: global_event
eventStatus: concluded
startDate: 2010-12-24
endDate: 2011-01-14
datePrecision: day
year: 2010
decade: 2010
country:
name: Tunisia
slug: tunisia
summaryShort: The Tunisian revolution, also called the Jasmine Revolution and Tunisian Revolution of Dignity, was an intensive 28-day campaign of civil resistance. It included a series of street demonstrations which took place in Tunisia, and led to the ousting of longtime dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in January 2011. It eventua
summaryLong: The Tunisian revolution, also called the Jasmine Revolution and Tunisian Revolution of Dignity, was an intensive 28-day campaign of civil resistance. It included a series of street demonstrations which took place in Tunisia, and led to the ousting of longtime dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in January 2011. It eventually led to a thorough democratization of the country and to free and democratic elections, which had led to it being described as the only successful movement in the Arab Spring.
lede: In December 2010, street protests erupted across Tunisia over unemployment and police brutality, spiraling into a nationwide uprising that toppled President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali after 23 years in power. The 28-day revolt—sparked by a fruit vendor's self-immolation in Sidi Bouzid—became the first successful Arab Spring revolution and destabilized authoritarian regimes across the Middle East and North Africa.
heroImageUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/04/Zabadehors.JPG/1280px-Zabadehors.JPG"
heroImageCredit: Wikipedia · "Tunisian revolution"
importance: 81
sourceConfidence: 75
keyFacts:
- label: Duration
  value: 28 days (December 17, 2010–January 14, 2011)
- label: Catalyst
  value: Mohamed Bouazizi's self-immolation on December 17, 2010 in Sidi Bouzid
- label: Regime tenure
  value: Zine El Abidine Ben Ali ruled for 23 years (1987–2011)
- label: Reported deaths
  value: Approximately 338 killed during the uprising
- label: Departure date
  value: January 14, 2011
- label: Immediate successor
  value: Prime Minister Mohamed Ghannouchi (interim)
- label: Population affected
  value: "Tunisia: ~10.5 million"
- label: Regional contagion
  value: Protests erupted in Egypt, Libya, Syria, Yemen, Bahrain, and Morocco within weeks
timeline:
- date: 2010-12-17
  title: Mohamed Bouazizi Self-Immolates
  description: Fruit vendor Mohamed Bouazizi sets himself on fire in Sidi Bouzid after police confiscate his cart and humiliate him. He dies January 4, becoming the revolution's symbolic catalyst.
- date: 2010-12-18
  title: Protests Begin in Sidi Bouzid
  description: Demonstrations erupt in the rural town of Sidi Bouzid, initially focused on unemployment and police abuse. Security forces use tear gas and live ammunition.
- date: 2010-12-22
  title: Unrest Spreads Nationwide
  description: Protests expand from Sidi Bouzid to Kasserine, Gafsa, and other governorates. Labor unions join demonstrations. Ben Ali orders security crackdown.
- date: 2011-01-03
  title: Ben Ali Declares 'War on Terrorism'
  description: President Ben Ali characterizes protesters as terrorists and deploys military units alongside police. Promises 300,000 new jobs fail to quell unrest.
- date: 2011-01-10
  title: General Strike Called
  description: Tunisia's largest labor federation, the UGTT, calls for a national strike. Massive demonstrations occur in Tunis and other cities.
- date: 2011-01-13
  title: Prime Minister Promises Government Dissolution
  description: PM Mohamed Ghannouchi announces the government will be dissolved and replaced, attempting to appease protesters. The concession fails to stop demonstrations.
- date: 2011-01-14
  title: Ben Ali Flees Tunisia
  description: After 28 days of escalating protests, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali boards a plane and flees to Saudi Arabia. The government collapse is confirmed by nightfall.
- date: 2011-01-15
  title: Transitional Government Forms
  description: Mohamed Ghannouchi becomes interim president. Constitutional Council declares Ben Ali's departure official. Martial law remains in effect.
- date: 2011-10-23
  title: Constituent Assembly Elections
  description: Tunisia holds its first free elections. Ennahda (Islamist party) wins plurality with 37% of seats. Process sets stage for democratic constitution.
- date: 2014-01-26
  title: New Constitution Adopted
  description: Tunisia adopts a new democratic constitution, establishing separation of powers and protecting civil liberties. Distinguishes Tunisia's transition from other Arab Spring outcomes.
sources:
- url: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tunisian_revolution"
  title: Tunisian revolution
  provider: Wikipedia
related: []
impactStatement: Tunisia's revolution proved that entrenched Arab autocrats could be removed through sustained civil resistance, emboldening protesters across Egypt, Libya, Syria, and Yemen. The uprising exposed how economic desperation and state repression could trigger cascading political collapse, reshaping geopolitics for a decade. It also produced Tunisia's democratic transition—the Arab Spring's most stable outcome.
categories:
- revolution
- protest
taxonomy:
domain: social_movement
eventTypes:
- protest
- civil_disobedience
- riot
canonicalClasses:
- mobilization
- conflict
- transformation
- collapse
impactRadius: global
velocity: cascading
predictability: emergent
intentionality: spontaneous
domainCoupling: multi_domain
lifecycleClass: birth
metaDescription: How a fruit vendor's protest sparked Tunisia's 28-day revolution that toppled Ben Ali and ignited the Arab Spring.
wikidataQid: Q46959
mediaCoverage:
- publisher: Al Jazeera
  publisherSlug: al-jazeera
  headline: Tunisia's Ben Ali flees as protests intensify
  publishedAt: 2011-01-14
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - archive.aljazeera.net
  excerpt: Tunisia's President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali fled the country on Friday after weeks of escalating street protests and civil unrest. The unprecedented uprising marked a dramatic turning point in the Arab world's relationship with authoritarian rule.
  significance: 92
  type: tv
  region: Middle East / North Africa
- publisher: The New York Times
  publisherSlug: new-york-times
  headline: Tunisia's Leader Flees and Prime Minister Vows to Steer Nation to Democracy
  publishedAt: 2011-01-15
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - nytimes.com/world
  excerpt: President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali of Tunisia fled to Saudi Arabia on Friday after nearly a month of street protests, leaving behind a nation in turmoil and a power vacuum now filled by an interim government pledging democratic reforms.
  significance: 89
  type: newspaper
  region: United States
- publisher: BBC News
  publisherSlug: bbc-news
  headline: Tunisia's President Ben Ali 'flees country'
  publishedAt: 2011-01-14
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - bbc.co.uk/news
  excerpt: Tunisia's authoritarian ruler has reportedly fled the country following weeks of sustained anti-government protests. The uprising, triggered by economic hardship and political oppression, has sent shockwaves across the Arab region.
  significance: 91
  type: tv
  region: United Kingdom
- publisher: Reuters
  publisherSlug: reuters
  headline: Tunisia's Ben Ali ends 23-year rule, heads to Saudi Arabia
  publishedAt: 2011-01-14
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - reuters.com
  excerpt: Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, who ruled for over two decades, departed the country on Friday as a popular uprising threatened his grip on power. The Jasmine Revolution marks the first major anti-authoritarian victory in the modern Arab world.
  significance: 90
  type: newspaper
  region: Global
- publisher: France 24
  publisherSlug: france24
  headline: Ben Ali s'exile en Arabie Saoudite apres quatre semaines de revolte
  publishedAt: 2011-01-14
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - france24.com
  excerpt: "FR: 'Ben Ali s'exile en Arabie Saoudite apres quatre semaines de revolte' / EN: 'Ben Ali exiles himself to Saudi Arabia after four weeks of uprising'. Tunisia's longtime president has abandoned his nation as a sustained popular movement demanding dignity and economic justice overwhelms state security forces."
  significance: 88
  type: tv
  region: France
archiveSnapshots:
- url: "https://web.archive.org/web/20110130090759/http://en.wikipedia.org:80/wiki/Tunisian_Revolution"
  capturedAt: 2011-01-30
  label: Tunisian revolution
  originalUrl: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tunisian_revolution"
