1925. Saturday December 12,: Ahmad Shâmlu is born in Tehran to Kowkab and Haydar Shâmlu. His father, Haydar, is an army officer.

1943-4. Ahmad is arrested in Tehran and sent to prison in Rasht. He is then released.
Shortly after his release he is arrested together with his father by the separatist local government of Azarbaijan.
They are kept waiting for execution in front of a firing squad. for hours before the order of release arrives.

1945. Moves with his family to Rezâ'ieh (Orumieh) to go to secondary school again, but returns to Tehran and leaves school for good.

1947. Marries for the first time. This marriage gives him four children: Siavash, Cyrus, Sâmân, and Sâqi

1954. After the CIA-backed coup in 19 August,1953 and overthrow of Mosaddeq's government, which was the most popular government since the 1906 revolution, Shâmlu had to live in hiding for six months. Then he was arrested and sent to prison to be released 13 months later.

1958. His father dies.

1961-63 . Divorces his second wife. Falls in love with Âidâ.

1964 . Marries Âidâ.

1965 . Research on Ketâb-e Kucheh (Book of Street), his monumental encyclopedia of folklore, is started for the third time (his documents and notes have twice been lost in police raids and family disputes).

1971 . His mother dies.

1972. Goes to Paris for a back operation.

1977. Leaves Iran in protest to repression there.

1979-80 The Islamic Revolution succeeds.
Shâmlu returns to Iran, full of skeptical concerns.

1997. Undergoes two other major operations:

1. Semoropoplytieal by-pass grafting as treatment of a gangrenous foot.
2. Through-knee amputation of the right leg.

and now ...
Recovers from the initial shock and Resumes work on Ketabeh-Kucheh .