KUWAIT, Aug 19 (KUNA) --
1961 -- Kuwait Amir Sheikh Abdullah Al-Salem Al-Sabah signed a decree to establish the Foreign Affairs Department, appointing Sheikh Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah as the first head of this department.
1995 -- First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah inaugurated the Aqua Park, adjacent to Kuwait Towers.
1996 -- Kuwait Amir Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah signed a law for establishing the Telecommunications Company.
1998 -- Kuwait Amir Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah signed a decree appointing Mohammad Al-Ojairi as board chairman of Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) and its general director with an Undersecretary's rank.
2003 -- Kuwait Amir Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah signed a decree establishing a panel to manage municipal affairs as of the expiry of the Municipal Council's mandate. The panel was tasked to serve for a year or until issuance of a new municipal law.
2006 -- Religious scholar Ali Abdulatif Al-Jassar passed away at the age of 84. He served at Kuwait Television in 1961 and later worked at the radio station.
2009 -- The Ministry of Health declared the first death due to infection with swine flu. It was the first fatality caused by the epidemic among citizens.
2013 -- Kuwait celebrated the World Humanitarian Day by establishing a UN office for humanitarian affairs' coordination in the country.
2014 -- Boubyan Bank launched the first money withdrawal system from ATMs with civil ID cards.
2020 -- The National Assembly approved bills stipulating amendments of some regulations for work in the private sector, domestic violence, publishing and next generations' reserves.
2021 -- Kuwait granted Tukiye six fire engines and equipment to help combat wildfires.
2024 -- Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR) announced that Manager of the Energy Efficiency Technologies Program at KISR Dr. Fotouh Al-Ragom was chosen by the American Association of Energy Engineers (AEE) as the 2024 Energy Managers Hall of Fame Inductee. (end) gta