Afghanistan

Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
Flag
Location   Asia
Capital   Kabul
Area  652,230 sq km
Population  29,835,392

"All things come to those that wait"
(Proverb/Quote of the Week)

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January

January 1 January 2 January 3 January 4 January 5 January 6 January 7 January 8 January 9 January 10 January 11 January 12 January 13 The Afghanistan Football Federation won the FIFA Fair Play award at the FIFA Ballon d’Or soccer awards ceremony in Zurich on 13 January 2014. January 14 January 15 January 16 January 17 On 17 January 2012 Mohammad Sabir Khedri, an Afghan calligrapher, revealed the world's biggest Qur'an in a bid to show the world that Afghanistan's rich cultural heritage and traditions have been damaged but not destroyed by 30 years of war. Mohammad worked for five years with nine students to create the masterpiece which has pages 2.28 meters (90 inches) by 1.55 meters (61 inches) in size to break the previous record of 2 meter by 1.5 meter copy unveiled earlier in Russia's Tatarstan region. January 18 Afghan cricketer Rashid Khan was named as the ICC Men’s Associate Cricketer of the Year on 18 January 2018. January 19 January 20 January 21 January 22 January 23 January 24 January 25 January 26 January 27 January 28 January 29 January 30 January 31

February

February 1 February 2 February 3 February 4 February 5 February 6 February 7 February 8 February 9 February 10 February 11 A newly-constructed building for the Syed Jamaludin Afghan University was inaugurated on 11 February 2013 in eastern Kunar province. The Afghan Ministry of Higher Education funded the project cost $550,000 in a sign of Afghanistan's interest in investing in the country's education sector. February 12 February 13 February 14 February 15 The government of Afghanistan was awarded the prestigious Annual Global Mobile Award in Government Leadership Award category at the Mobile World Congress held in Barcelona on February 15, 2011. The award was given to the Afghan government because of their ten years of efforts to take a country with no mobile infrastructure to a point where 80 per cent of the population is now covered by telecommunications networks. February 16 Last Soviet soldier left Afghanistan after a decade of fighting guerillas for occupation on February 16, 1989. That marked the end of "Soviet war in Afghanistan" for Communist influence in Afghanistan. February 17 February 18 Afghanistan made their Cricket World Cup debut on 18 February 2015 playing their maiden match against Bangladesh in Canberra, Australia. Afghanistan lost the match to Bangladesh by 105 runs. February 19 February 20 February 21 February 22 February 23 February 24 Afghan boxer Hamid Rahimi won the World Boxing Union (WBU) Championship by defeating his Belarusian rival in Hamburg on 24 February 2012. February 25 February 26 Afghanistan claimed a 3-2 one-day cricket series triumph over Zimbabwe with a crushing 106-run victory in a rain-affected fifth one-day international in Harare on 26 February 2017. Afghan cricket heroes clinched their first ever World Cup victory on 26 February 2015 beating Scotland by one wicket, chasing down the 211 target with three balls to spare. February 27 February 28 February 29

March

March 1 Afghanistan cricket team recorded a historic victory as they beat hosts Bangladesh by 32 runs at the 2014 Asia Cup. It was Afghanistan's first win against a Test-playing nation since the national team was formed in 2001. March 2 March 3 March 4 March 5 Captain Niloofar Rahmani, the first female fixed-wing Afghan Air Force pilot in the history of Afghanistan, was honored with the 2015 International Women of Courage Award by the United States Department of State at a presentation ceremony in Washington. March 6 March 7 March 8 Second Lieutenant Malalai Bahaduri was honored with the 2013 International Women of Courage Award by the United States Department of State at a presentation ceremony in Washington for her courageous role as the first female member of the Afghan National Interdiction Unit (NIU) amid death threats. Honorable Maryam Durani, Kandahar provincial council member in Afghanistan, was honored with the 2012 International Women of Courage Award by the United States Department of State for speaking out for the rights of Afghan women and girls. Maria Bashir of Afghanistan was awarded the 2011 International Women of Courage Award at a ceremony on 8 March 2011 for her determination in educating local girls and campaign against crime and corruption. March 9 March 10 Afghanistan became the undefeated champion at the Asian Cricket Council Under-16 Challenge Cup by beating Qatar in the final on 10 March 2012 by 92 runs. March 11 Dr. Sakena Yacoobi, the Executive Director of the Afghan Institute of Learning (AIL), received the inaugural Enterprising Women’s 2011 Global Women’s Hall of Fame award on March 11, 2011 at the 9th Annual Enterprising Women of the Year Awards Celebration in Boca Raton, Florida. She was recognized for her role to facilitate leadership training, teacher training, education and health services to Afghan women and children. March 12 March 13 March 14 March 15 March 16 March 17 March 18 Afghanistan claimed their first ever victory in Test cricket beating fellow newcomers Ireland by seven wickets on 18 March 2019. Afghanistan claimed their first ever victory in Test cricket beating fellow newcomers Ireland by seven wickets on 18 March 2019. The governments of Japan, United Kingdom (UK), and the United States (US) will continue their support for improving and maintaining Afghanistan’s key roads, power plants, and other infrastructure by providing an additional $286 million to the Afghanistan Infrastructure Trust Fund (AITF), managed by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) on behalf of the Government of Afghanistan and donors, according to an official announcement on 18 March 2014. March 19 March 20 March 21 March 22 Afghanistan on 22 March 2013 signed an agreement with the Pakistan Cricket Board to provide greater support for cricket in Afghanistan by training players and staff to help lift the sport in the war-torn country. March 23 March 24 March 25 Afghanistan emerged as the champions of the ICC World Cup Qualifier competition defeating West Indies by seven wickets in the final in Harare, Zimbabwe on 25 March 2018. March 26 March 27 March 28 March 29 March 30 March 31

April

April 1 The International Cricket Council (ICC) on 1 April 2021 awarded the prestigious Test status to the Afghanistan Women’s cricket team. April 2 April 3 Afghanistan cricket team beat Nepal by seven wickets to win the 2013 ACC Twenty20 Cup. Batting first Nepal posted 135 for six in its 20 overs and in its response, Afghanistan achieved the target in 17.5 overs to end at 137 for three. April 4 April 5 Presidential election in Afghanistan was held on 5 April 2014 that marks the first democratic transfer of power in Afghan history since U.S.-backed President Hamid Karzai was elected after the fall of the Taliban in late 2001. April 6 April 7 April 8 April 9 April 10 April 11 April 12 April 13 April 14 April 15 Several courageous Afghan women on 15 April 2024 received the Kosovo Presidential Medal of Courage in recognition of their services. Zahra Nader, editor-in-chief of Zan Times, Medina Darwazi, Arefa Fatimi, and other Afghan women were given the covetous award by Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani. April 16 April 17 Afghan photographer Massoud Hossaini on 17 April 2012 won the Pulitzer Prize in the "Breaking News" category. Massoud won the prestigious prize in journalism for his picture of a girl screaming in the aftermath of a suicide attack in Kabul in December 2011. April 18 April 19 April 20 April 21 April 22 Prince Mostapha Zaher of Afghanistan received the prestigious Champions of the Earth Award by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) on April 22, 2010. He won in the Inspiration and Action category. On 22 April 2009, Afghanistan declared Band-e-Amir, a series of intensely blue lakes created by natural dams high in the Hindu Kush, as the country's first national park - 36 years after a previous attempt to do so was interrupted by political strife and decades of war. April 23 April 24 April 25 April 26 April 27 Afghan rugby team made international debut on 27 April 2012 with their first official match against a United Arab Emirates side in Dubai. April 28 April 29 April 30

May

May 1 May 2 Afghanistan’s Khalida Popal won the Best Sports Book Award for My Beautiful Sisters, highlighting her fight for women’s football in Afghanistan, in London at the 2025 Charles Tyrwhitt Sports Book Awards. May 3 May 4 May 5 May 6 May 7 May 8 May 9 May 10 May 11 May 12 May 13 May 14 May 15 May 16 May 17 May 18 May 19 May 20 May 21 Zan TV ("Women's TV”), a new TV channel dedicated to women, was launched on 21 May 2017 in Afghanistan with a staff of all female presenters and producers. May 22 May 23 May 24 May 25 May 26 May 27 The United Nations awarded three fallen peacekeepers from Afghanistan posthumously with the Dag Hammarskjöld Medal on 27 May 2021. May 28 May 29 May 30 May 31

June

June 1 June 2 June 3 June 4 The 42 megawatt hydroelectric Salma dam in western Herat province of Afghanistan was officially opened on 4 June 2016 by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani. The dam was dubbed as Afghan-India Friendship Dam. Afghanistan’s National Environment Protection Agency (NEPA), in an effort to safeguard its natural heritage, released the country’s first-ever list of protected species, on 4 June 2009, now banned from hunting or harvest. June 5 Afghanistan cricket team secured their first ever T20 series win by taking a 2-0 lead against Bangladesh with a 6 wickets victory on 5 June 2018. June 6 June 7 June 8 June 9 June 10 June 11 June 12 June 13 June 14 June 15 AFP's Kabul bureau won the prestigious Society of Publishers in Asia (SOPA) award for "Excellence in Human Rights Reporting" on 15 June 2017 for their exclusive on how the Taliban exploit child sex slaves to infiltrate security ranks. June 16 June 17 June 18 The Afghan government took control of nationwide security from NATO on 18 June 2013 for the first time since the Taliban were ousted in 2001, marking a major milestone ahead of the pull-out of U.S.-led NATO forces after 12 years of war. June 19 June 20 June 21 June 22 Afghanistan was voted in as full member of the International Cricket Council on 22 June 2017, meaning it can play test matches against the other test playing nations. June 23 June 24 Afghanistan on 24 June 2012 started operations in its first oil project in northern region. The project in Sar-e-Pul province is seen as yet another milestone forward for Afghanistan's economy that is expected to produce 150,000 barrel of crude oil in an annual capacity and the amount is to increase to 200,000 in the next two years. June 25 June 26 June 27 June 28 June 29 June 30

July

July 1 July 2 July 3 July 4 Despite the U.S. led invasion of Afghanistan since 2001 The Faculty of Public Health for students of preventive medicine was inaugurated at the Kabul Medical University on 4 July 2010. Kabul Medical University, started in October 1932, is the first higher education institution across the country. July 5 July 6 July 7 July 8 July 9 Farida Nekzad, a female journalist from Afghanistan, won the 2008 Courage in Journalism Award from the International Women's Media Foundation (IWMF) for her courageous journalism amidst threats and intimidations. IWMF officially announced the award in a press release on July 9, 2008. Later in the year, the award was presented in United States. July 10 July 11 July 12 July 13 July 14 July 15 July 16 The Afghan all-female robotics team won a silver medal in the Courageous Achievement category at the FIRST Global robotics competition in Washington DC on 16 July 2017. July 17 July 18 July 19 On 19 July 2012 it is reported that 843 looted artefacts returned to Afghanistan, almost 20 years after they were stolen or smuggled abroad. July 20 July 21 July 22 July 23 July 24 Afghanistan cricket team made history by recording their first ever draw One Day International (ODI) series against a Test playing member beating Zimbabwe by 100 runs on 24 July 2014. The series ended 2-2. July 25 Habiba Sarabi from Afghanistan was announced as of one of the recipients of the prestigious 2013 Ramon Magsaysay Award for her bold exercise of leadership to build up a functioning provincial government against great odds—intractable political adversities, a harsh and impoverished environment, and pervasive cultural discrimination—serving her people with a hopeful persistence grounded in her abiding commitment to peace and development in Afghanistan. The Ramon Magsaysay Award is often considered Asia's Nobel Prize. July 26 July 27 July 28 July 29 July 30 July 31 Masuada Karokhi from Afghanistan was announced as one of the winners of the N-Peace Awards on 31 July 2013 for her unwavering activities for women’s rights. N-Peace is a multi-country network of peace advocates in Asia seeking to advance Women, Peace & Security (WPS) issues.

August

August 1 August 2 August 3 August 4 August 5 August 6 August 7 August 8 August 9 August 10 August 11 August 12 August 13 August 14 August 15 August 16 August 17 August 18 August 19 Independence Day. After decades of war against different invaders Afghanistan achieved full independence from the reigns of British Empire on 19th August 1919. August 20 Afghanistan staged their first international soccer match at home for 10 years when they played Pakistan in a friendly on 20 August 2013. The match was billed as an indication of Afghanistan's return to normality after decades of war and Afghanistan triumphed over Pakistan 3-0. August 21 August 22 August 23 August 24 August 25 August 26 NATO has closed more than 200 bases in Afghanistan and transferred nearly 300 others to local forces, a concrete milestone achieved toward its handing over security responsibility to Afghan forces, after U.S. led invasion of Afghanistan since 2001, according to an official announcement on 26 August 2012. August 27 August 28 August 29 August 30 August 31

September

September 1 September 2 September 3 September 4 In a rare victory for Afghan women, the government of Afghanistan on 4 September 2020 accepted a proposal to put mothers' names on their children's birth certificates. Afghanistan may hold one of the richest troves of minerals in the world, valued at nearly $1 trillion, according to a survey revealed on 4 September 2014 by U.S. scientists. The survey finds Afghanistan may hold 60 million tons of copper, 2.2 billion tons of iron ore, 1.4 million tons of rare earth elements such as lanthanum, cerium and neodymium, and lodes of aluminum, gold, silver, zinc, mercury and lithium. September 5 September 6 September 7 September 8 September 9 Afghanistan cricket team beat Bangladesh by 224 runs to record their second win in their third ever Test match in Chittagong on 9 September 2019. September 10 September 11 Afghanistan won its first international football trophy, beating India 2-0 in the South Asian Football Federation Championship final on 11 September 2013. September 12 Salma Niazi of Afghanistan won the Journalist of the Year award at the 2025 One Young World 'Lyra McKee Award for Bravery' for her work reporting on the rights of women in Afghanistan. September 13 September 14 September 15 Afghan refugee teacher Aqeela Asifi, who has dedicated her life to bringing education to refugee girls in Pakistan, won the 2015 UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award. September 16 September 17 September 18 Afghanistan cricket team scripted history with first ever win over South Africa in international cricket with a 6 wickets victory in an ODI in Sharjah on 18 September 2024. September 19 September 20 Afghanistan cricket team on 20 September 2024 sealed a historic first-ever one-day international series win against South Africa with a 117-run victory in the second match in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. September 21 September 22 September 23 September 24 September 25 A multimillion dollars private salt refinery was inaugurated on 25 September 2011 in Afghanistan’s northern province of Balkh. The refinery created 200 jobs and that number would be raised to 1,000, including 200 women. It is yet another positive initiative in the war affected country after U.S. led invasion of Afghanistan since 2001. September 26 September 27 Afghan human rights activist and former minister Sima Samar on 27 September 2012 won the Swedish Right Livelihood Award, honoring those who work to improve the lives of others, for her longstanding and courageous dedication to human rights, especially the rights of women, in Afghanistan. September 28 September 29 September 30

October

October 1 October 2 October 3 Afghanistan settled for second silver in a row at the Asian Games men's Twenty20 cricket on 3 October 2014 with a 68-run lost to Sri Lanka in the final. October 4 Afghanistan qualified for its maiden ICC Cricket World Cup in emphatic style on 4 October 2013, beating Kenya by seven wickets in a World Cricket League Championship fixture in Sharjah. October 5 October 6 Germany handed Afghanistan's security forces control on 6 October 2013 of a key military base in the country's northern province of Kunduz, where German troops spent almost a decade as part of the international effort to combat Taliban insurgents. The handover is part of the gradual pullout of Western forces and an indication of Afghanistan's return to normality after the war. October 7 October 8 October 9 October 10 October 11 October 12 October 13 Sakena Yacoobi of Afghanistan, CEO of Afghan Institute for Learning and social entrepreneur, was included in the BBC global list of 100 inspirational and innovative women for 2017. October 14 Afghanistan on 14 October 2017 obtained the permanent membership of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). October 15 October 16 Afghanistan was elected to the UN Human Rights Council on 16 October 2017 for a 3-year term starting on 1 January 2018. October 17 October 18 October 19 October 20 October 21 October 22 October 23 Afghanistan produced their second stunning win of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 to beat Pakistan for the first time ever in a men’s ODI, winning by eight wickets in Chennai. October 24 October 25 October 26 October 27 British and U.S. soldiers on 26 October 2014 formally marked the end of combat operations in Afghanistan's southern Helmand province by handing control of the country's largest military base to Afghan forces. The handover ends an important chapter in the 13-year Afghan campaign, which started after U.S. led invasion of Afghanistan in 2001. October 28 October 29 October 30 Afghanistan’s first professional boxing match took place in Kabul on 30 October 2012. Millions of Afghans watched German-born Afghan boxer Hamid Rahimi beating Tanzanian Said Mbelwa. October 31

November

November 1 November 2 Afghan actress Malalai Zikria won the best actress award at the 2015 Asian World Film Festival (AWFF) for the hit Afghan drama, Utopia, in Los Angeles. November 3 November 4 November 5 November 6 November 7 November 8 November 9 November 10 November 11 November 12 November 13 The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) is an organization of South Asian nations, founded in 1985. It started with seven founding member countries and Afghanistan joined in SAARC on 13th November 2005. This was a historic moment as Afghanistan started emerging in international arena with its rightful place as a valued member of different organizations, such as, the SAARC. November 14 November 15 November 16 November 17 November 18 November 19 Afghan cricket team pulled off a stunning 185-run victory against Pakistan to clinch the Under-19 Asia Cup for the first time at the Kinrara Academy Oval in Kuala Lumpur on 19 November 2017. Afghanistan was admitted as a member of the United Nations (UN) on November 19, 1946. Many of the major UN agencies work in Afghanistan with Afghan counterparts and with national and international NGO partners. All UN programmes recognize the lead role played by the Afghan Government. November 20 Afghanistan, Pakistan and the International Security Assistance Force, a NATO-led security mission in Afghanistan, signed an agreement on 20 November 2012 to improve near border coordination. Under the border coordination agreement, both sides will inform each other if any of them conduct military operations or any other activity within a radius of four kilometers in their respective border area in order to avoid any border tensions. November 21 November 22 November 23 November 24 Somaya Faruqi of Afghanistan, a robotics enthusiast, on 24 November 2020 was included in BBC's annual list of 100 inspiring and influential women from around the world. November 25 November 26 Afghanistan won silver medal in Asian Games men's Twenty20 cricket on November 26, 2010. They missed the gold medal with a 5 wickets lost to Bangladesh in the final. However, it was a great performance by the Afghan brave-hearts, who had stunned Pakistan in the semi-final. November 27 November 28 November 29 November 30

December

December 1 Afghan Legislator Shukria Barakzai was named as one of the world's top 100 global thinkers by Foreign Policy, a Washington-based prestigious magazine of global politics, economics and ideas, on 1 December 2015 for her women’s right initiatives in Afghanistan. December 2 December 3 December 4 December 5 December 6 December 7 December 8 December 9 December 10 December 11 Bamiyan of Afghanistan was declared as the member of the 2015 UNESCO Creative Cities Network in the Crafts and Folk Art category. December 12 December 13 December 14 Matiullah Wesa, an Afghan education activist and former Taliban detainee, won the 2025 Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani Award for Anti-Corruption in the category of Integrity and Youth Participation, presented by the Emir of Qatar. December 15 December 16 December 17 December 18 December 19 December 20 The government of Japan donated 8 snow-clearing machines to Afghanistan, according to an official announcement on 20 December 2012. December 21 December 22 Afghanistan’s flamboyant wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Shahzad won the 2016 International Cricket Council (ICC) Associate and Affiliate Cricketer of the Year award. December 23 December 24 December 25 Afghanistan's 49-run win in the first cricket match of a five match series against Zimbabwe in Sharjah on 25 December 2015 earned them the 10th spot in the International Cricket Council's one-day international rankings for the first time. December 26 December 27 December 28 Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid Khan was named as the ICC Men’s T20I Player of the Decade on 28 December 2020. December 29 December 30 December 31

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