Short answers, pulled from the story.
The 9th century BC marked the founding of Carthage by Phoenician settlers from Tyre. Legend attributes this foundation to Queen Dido, who arrived with her followers and established a settlement that would grow into a dominant Mediterranean power.
Following the Third Punic War which began in 149 BC, Rome conquered Carthage in 146 BC and renamed the province Africa. The Romans left behind architectural legacies such as the Amphitheatre of El Jem, one of the largest amphitheaters in the empire.
In 670 AD, Uqba ibn Nafi constructed the Mosque of Uqba, also known as the Great Mosque of Kairouan, which remains the oldest standing minaret in the world today. This mosque is considered the most prestigious sanctuary in the Muslim West and a masterpiece of Islamic art and architecture.
Tunisia achieved independence from France on the 20th of March 1956 with Habib Bourguiba serving as Prime Minister. French forces had invaded Tunisia in 1881 using the pretext of a Tunisian incursion into Algeria to force Bey Muhammad III as-Sadiq to agree to the Treaty of Bardo.
Mohamed Bouazizi, a 26-year-old Tunisian street vendor, set himself afire on the 17th of December 2010 in protest against the confiscation of his wares by municipal official Faida Hamdy. His death triggered mass demonstrations that intensified following events on the 4th of January 2011, ultimately leading President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali to flee the country on the 14th of January 2011 after 23 years in power.