Saddam Hussein was born on 28 April 1937 in Tikrit. An Iraqi politician, Saddam Hussein rose through the Ba'ath Party and, after taking the presidency in 1979, ruled Iraq as a dictator with an extensive security apparatus. He led the country into the war with Iran in 1980, which lasted eight years, and his regime used chemical weapons against Kurdish civilians. In 1990 he invaded Kuwait, which led to the Gulf War and to years of United Nations sanctions. The United States-led invasion of 2003 overthrew his government, and he was captured in December of that year. An Iraqi tribunal convicted him of crimes against humanity for the killing of villagers in Dujail, and he was executed by hanging.
Before and after
- April 1937Construction of Ben Gurion Airport
- 5 April 1937Construction of Václav Havel Airport Prague
- 22 April 1937Birth of Jack Nicholson
- 27 April 1937Bombing of Guernica
- 28 April 1937Birth of Saddam Hussein
- 11 May 1937Establishment of Los Glaciares National Park
- 12 May 1937Coronation of George VI and Elizabeth
- 15 May 1937Birth of Madeleine Albright
- 28 May 1937Founding of Volkswagen
More in Wars, politics & history
- from 28 July 1914 to 11 November 1918World War I
- 16 May 1916Sykes–Picot Agreement
- 4 June 1920Treaty of Trianon
- from 1933 to 1945The Holocaust
- 30 January 1933Hitler becomes Chancellor of Germany
- from 1 September 1939 to 2 September 1945World War II
The era
This moment belongs to the Modern era (1914 CE to 1945 CE), world wars and a changing world. You can also browse everything in the 20th century.