RIYADH, Aug 1: Saudi Arabia’s King Fahd died on Monday, bringing to an end a 23-year reign that saw the kingdom confronted with the most tumultuous years of its existence. Here are the key dates in modern Saudi history:

— 1932: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is established and Abdul Aziz bin Saud proclaimed king, succeeded upon his death in 1953 by his eldest son, Saud.

— 1962: Slavery is abolished.

— 1964: King Saud is deposed by his brother, Faisal.

— 1975: King Faisal is assassinated by his nephew and succeeded by his brother Khaled.

— 1979: Riyadh breaks off ties with Egypt, the first Arab country to recognize Israel.

Extremists seize the Grand Mosque of Makkah. The government regains control and around 100 rebels are executed.

— 1980: Prince Fahd declares holy war against Israel when it declares Jerusalem its capital.

Saudi Arabia takes full control of the Arabian-American Oil Co.

— 1982: King Khaled dies and is succeeded by Prince Fahd.

— 1987: More than 400 people are killed in clashes between Iranian pilgrims and Saudi police in Makkah.

— July 1990: More than 1,420 pilgrims die in a human stampede in Mina during Haj.

— Aug 1990: Saudi Arabia condemns the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, asks Washington to intervene and fights alongside US troops in the 1991 Gulf War for which its territory is used as the main launch pad.

— Nov 1990: First demonstration by women, in Riyadh.

— 1992: King Fahd announces the Basic System of Government and decides to create a consultative council.

— 1994: Saudi-born Osama Bin Laden, leader of the Al Qaeda terror network, is stripped of his Saudi nationality.

— 1995: Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz effectively takes over power from ailing King Fahd

— 1996: Nineteen US military personnel are killed and hundreds wounded when a van packed with explosives blows up on a US military base.

— 1997: King Fahd boosts to 90 the 60-member consultative council and to 120 in 2001.

— 1999: Twenty Saudi women attend a session of the consultative council for the first time.

— 2000: A law allows 100-per cent foreign ownership of industrial companies.

— 2002: Saudi Arabia proposes normalization of ties with Israel, offering a peace plan to end the Arab-Israeli conflict.

— April 2003: The United States transfers its military headquarters in the Gulf to Qatar, ending a 13-year US army presence in the country.

— May 2003: Thirty-five people, including nine Americans, are killed in triple suicide bombings in Riyadh, blamed on Al-Qaeda.

— Nov 2003: Seventeen people are killed and a hundred wounded in a Riyadh car bombing at a residential compound that Al Qaeda says it carried out.

King Fahd increases the power of the consultative council.

— March 2004: King Fahd approves the creation of the first Saudi non-governmental organization to defend human rights.

— May 2004: Twenty-two people, including four westerners, are killed in clashes and hostage takings in Khobar.

— July 2004: Riyadh and Baghdad re-establish diplomatic relations after a 13-year hiatus.

— Dec 2004: Assailants claiming to represent Al Qaeda attack the US consulate in Jeddah, the first assault on a diplomatic mission in the country. Nine people are killed, including four of the attackers.

— Feb 2, 2005: US President George W. Bush calls in his State of the Union speech for Saudi Arabia to adopt democratic reforms.—AFP