A LOT happened prior to season 1 episode 1.

Lyana's "kidnapping" wasn't the only event that lead to war. Ned's father Rickard, and brother Brandon both went to Kings Landing to get Lyana back and Aerys had them burned alive*, and demanded that John Arryn (whose death is seen in the first episode) send him Ned and Robert's heads, Arryn refused and war errupted.

*Rickard was roasted alive in a suit of armor by King Aerys. Aerys offered to let Brandon save him, but tied a string of rope around his neck and placed a sword just out of his reach, so Brandon ended up strangling himself to death trying to save his father. Sad.

The chart clears some things up ;)

I know, right? I was excited when I found it!

I never knew the whole succession of kings story, bit's of it, but this lays it out, and it makes more sense now ;)

Agreed. This is a simplification but actually that helps!

It's even more interesting in the context of figuring out "whodunnit?" in Game of Thrones S4E2:

http://pandawhale.com/post/41082/game-of-thrones-season-4-episode-2-the-lion-and-the-rose-gifs-and-memes

More fodder for the prequel is Aegon Targaryen, first of his name:

http://pandawhale.com/post/41466/game-of-thrones-prequel-aegon-targaryen-first-of-his-name

What's the succession order after Joffrey?

http://pandawhale.com/post/41527/who-succeeds-joffrey-on-the-iron-throne-succession-order-after-game-of-thrones-season-4-episode-2

Elia and Rhaegar had two children:

http://grantland.com/hollywood-prospectus/ask-the-maester-answers-to-nagging-questions-about-the-game-of-thrones-season-premiere/

Here's the relevant passage:

*We put an asterisk here because we’re about to go deep: In many ways, the marriage of Elia and Rhaegar is the seed from which the entire narrative structure sprouts. To recap: Elia Martell of Dorne married Rhaegar Targaryen, son of the Mad King and the crown prince of Westeros. She loved him and bore him two children, but … something happened, that something caused a separation, and that separation became a war. In the Season 4 premiere, Oberyn says, flat-out, that Rhaegar left Elia for another woman. Thinking back to Season 1, we know that Ned’s father and brother went south to King’s Landing to protest something involving Rhaegar and Ned’s sister Lyanna, who was betrothed to Robert Baratheon. The death of Ned’s father and brother at the hands of the Mad King sparked Robert’s rebellion, which ended with Robert as king and Elia and her babes murdered. Coincidently, Ned Stark, a.k.a., The Most Honorable Man in the Realm, returned from said war with a bastard child whose mother he refuses to speak of. It all comes back to Rhaegar and Elia.

This is something that has not yet been returned to by the end of book 5.

But many believe we will revisit this in book 6 or 7.

More on the Jon Arryn reveal of season 4 episode 5:

http://pandawhale.com/post/42963/littlefingers-grand-plan-an-in-depth-look-at-the-events-leading-up-to-the-s4e5-first-of-his-name-reveal-chaos-isnt-a-pit

If you have read the books, check this link -- speculation of what happened pre-AGOT (spoilers):

http://towerofthehand.com/blog/2012/01/05-southron-ambitions/index.html

Basically "For those who don't know about this theory, a quick summary would be that several houses, most notably Stark, Arryn, and Baratheon, conspired at the Tourney at Harrenhahl to overthrow the Mad King and possibly place Rheagar in charge."

That summary courtesy of /u/connorjacobs22 found here (spoilers all books post on /r/asoiaf)

The tragedy of Robert Baratheon: "You want to know the horrible truth? I can't even remember what she looked like. I only know she was the one thing I ever wanted... someone took her away from me, and seven kingdoms couldn't fill the hole she left behind."

“We’re flawed because we want so much more. We’re ruined because we get these things and wish for what we had.” — Don Draper

That is a great line. Don Draper would have been great in Westeros.

I liked your quote so much I stashed it:

http://pandawhale.com/post/41071/were-flawed-because-we-want-so-much-more-were-ruined-because-we-get-these-things-and-wish-for-what-we-had-don-draper

:). Thank you, Mr. Rifkin

Back to the original topic:  I agree with jahmakinmecrazy that the casting of Oberyn Martell is perfect.  

He really is!

Btw I missed this back story from season 2:

Season 2 

Tyrion Lannister announces his plan to marry Myrcella Baratheon to Prince Trystane Martell of Dorne. The alliance is intended to take advantage of the historical enmity between Dorne and the Reach, to keep the Dornish from siding with their enemies in the War of the Five Kings, and to ensure the survival of a Baratheon/Lannister heir should King's Landing fall. Cersei is shocked, and tells her brother that the Martells hate them. Tyrion concurs, but says that this is exactly why they need to seduce the Martells back into allegiance, by offering them a royal marriage alliance.[3]

Some weeks later, Tyrion, Cersei, and Joffrey see Myrcella off from the docks at King's Landing for the first stage of her journey to Dorne.[4]

Season 4

Prince Oberyn Martell, along with a retinue of Dornish lords and knights, arrives to King's Landing to attend the royal wedding in the place of his brother, Prince Doran Martell.[5]

Well you know that this is the start of something bigger!

More comments on the Imgur page: http://imgur.com/xijQomM

Man there are a lot of main characters in this cast:

http://pandawhale.com/post/42711/game-of-thrones-characters-faces-with-names-hbo-cast

Map and more history: http://pandawhale.com/post/41081/easy-to-read-map-of-westeros

Cleaned up version of the infographic atop this page:

http://pandawhale.com/post/43722/before-game-of-thrones-s1e1-prequel-infographic

Spoilers: Theories about Jon Snow's parents...

http://pandawhale.com/post/47669/got-spoliers-who-are-jon-snows-parents