Anti-government protests are challenging Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi's 42-year grip on power. As demonstrations spring up across Libya, government violence against citizens has also escalated: the military has opened fire on funeral processions with live ammunition, and gunships have attacked demonstrators from the air. Unrest turned into open civil war, and the National Transitional Council (NTC) became the internationally-recognized government of Libya.

Gaddafi and his loyalists held on for months, as Libyan rebels and NATO forces cornered them in Sirte. Muammar Gaddafi was killed on October 20, 2011, and a new chapter in Libyan history is beginning.

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