Saddam Hussein

saddam husseins birth

Apr 28, 1937

Saddam Hussein was born on april 28 1937, he was born in a desert village near tikrik, north of Baghdad

Saddam Husseins life

Period: Apr 28, 1937 to Dec 30, 2006

joins political party

Feb 18, 1957

Joins the underground Baath Socialist Party at the age of, 20

incident

Aug 13, 1958

he following year he is arrested for killing his brother-in-law, a Communist, and spends six months in prison.

member of the Baath assassination squad

Oct 7, 1959

ambushes Iraq's military leader, General Abdel-Karim Kassem, riddling his car with bullets. Kassem is wounded but survives. Saddam, wounded in the leg, flees from Iraq and spends the next four years in Syria and Egypt.

Returns to Iraq after helping the Arab Baath Socialist Party

Feb 8, 1963

organizes a coup that overthrows and kills Kassem. After a short run in power, the Baath government, torn by factionalism, is overthrown by a group of military officers led by Abdul Rahman

Ready for the Baath.

Nov 18, 1965

Jailed for participation in the Baath Party, Saddam escapes and becomes a leading member of the party.

Iraq's No. 2.

Jul 17, 1968

Baathists and like-minded army officers overthrow the Arif regime. Saddam's cousin, Gen. Ahmad Hasan, becomes president. As vice president, Saddam becomes Iraq's second most powerful leader.

Presidential Power Grab

Jul 16, 1979

Takes over as president of Iraq after pushing his cousin, President al-Bakr, to resign. Purges the Baath Party, eliminating his rivals.

War with Iran

Sep 22, 1980

A year after the Islamic revolution in neighboring Iran, tensions rise between Iran and Iraq. Saddam orders his troops to invade.

Death in Dujail

Jul 9, 1982

Survives assassination attempt in Dujail, a Muslim town 25 miles north of Baghdad. snd, Saddam's security forces to attack the town, arresting about 1,500 residents.

War Ends, Hussein Survives

Feb 27, 1991

''Iraqi troops are ejected from Kuwait after a brief ground war with a U.S.-led coalition. Saddam survives the greatest threat yet to his government when coalition troops advance into Iraq but decide not to besiege Baghdad.''

Gulf War Begins

Jul 17, 1991

The war starts with bombing of Iraq and Iraqi troops in Kuwait by U.S. and allied militaries under the name Operation Desert Storm.

U.S warning

Mar 17, 2003

President Bush gives Saddam Hussein and his sons 48 hours to leave Iraq or face "the full force and might" of the American military. Iraq's leadership rejects Bush's warning

statue falls

Apr 9, 2003

Iraq's statue collapses as U.S. forces enter central Baghdad. Residents cheer as a huge statue of Saddam is toppled.

Death of his sons

Jul 22, 2003

Saddam's sons Uday and Qusay die in a fierce gun battle with U.S. troops.

Spider Hole.

Dec 13, 2003

Saddam is captured by U.S. forces at 8:30 p.m. in the town of Adwar, 10 miles south of Tikrit. He is hiding in a specially prepared "spider hole."

Beaten Down

Dec 22, 2005

Saddam Hussein repeats accusations that he'd been beaten and tortured in U.S. custody.

Death sentence

Nov 5, 2006

Saddam and two co-defendants are sentenced to death for his first trial.

Execution

Dec 30, 2006

Saddam is taken to the gallows and hanged