2015 Event King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al Saud of Saudi Arabia dies at age 90 after hospitalization for pneumonia three weeks earlier; he has been succeeded by his half brother Salman of Saudi Arabia 2014 Event Ashraf Ghani is sworn in as Afghanistan's new president; Ghani will share power with runner-up candidate Abdullah Abdullah, who has taken the position of chief executive 2014 Event Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah have agreed to share power in a unity government, with Ghani as president and Abdullah as chief executive officer of Afghanistan; both men claimed fraud after the election, prompting a U.N.-monitored recount 2014 Event Afghan presidential candidates Abdullah Abdullah and Ashraf Ghani agree to an election vote recount to settle allegations of fraud after Ghani was declared the winner; the process could take weeks, requiring the inauguration ceremony to be postponed 2013 Event Saudi Arabia appoints Fahd bin Abdullah as its new deputy defense minister 2012 Event A letter written by Manal al Sharif, and signed by hundreds, urges Saudi King Abdullah to give women the right to drive 2011 Event Abdullah Gul, President of Turkey, begins a three-day visit to the United Kingdom 2011 Event In Saudi Arabia, King Abdullah announces reforms that give women the right to vote and run in municipal elections 2011 Event Yemen President Ali Abdullah Saleh orders the country's security forces to protect protesters 2011 Event Anti-government protesters in Yemen call for President Ali Abdullah Saleh to step down from his regime; Ali has ruled the country since 1978 2005 Event King Fahd of Saudi Arabia dies and is succeeded by Prince Abdullah 1994 Death Abdullah Al-Sallal, President of Yemen (1962-67), dies 1993 Death Basuki Abdullah, Indonesian painter, murdered at 78 1962 Event Military uprising under Col Abdullah as-Sallal North Yemen 1962 Birthday King Abdullah II, Jordanian Statesman 1960 Death Harry St. John Philby, sheik Abdullah, British explorer, dies 1955 Death Abdullah Seif el-Islam, brother of Yemenite king Ahmed, beheaded 1955 Event Yemen: failed coup by Abdullah Seif el-Islam 1953 Event Premier Mohammed Abdullah of Kashmir, fired 1951 Death Abdullah Ibn Hussein, Jordan's King (1946-51), killed in Jerusalem 1951 Death Mustafa Shuqri Ashu, tailor/murderer of king Abdullah, shot to death 1948 Event Arabic Congress names Abdullah of Trans Jordan, King of Palestine 1946 Event Abdullah ibn Hussein becomes king of Jordan 1930 Birthday Robert Joffrey, Abdullah Jaffa Anver Bey Khan, U.S., dancer 1923 Event Britain recognizes Transjordan with Abdullah as its leader 1899 Death Abdullah ibn Mohammed al-Ta'a'ishi, mahdi of Sudan (1883-99), dies 1885 Birthday Harry St. John Philby, sheik Abdullah, British explorer
