On December 30, 2006, Iraq's long-time leader Saddam Hussein was hanged.
He ruled the country as president from 1979 to 2003.
Hussein was a key figure in the Baath Party, which preached Arab nationalism and secular socialism.
During his rule, he dragged Iraq into two major conflicts: the Iran-Iraq War (1980–1988) and the Gulf War (1990–1991) after his invasion of Kuwait.
His rule was characterized by brutal repression of the opposition, the Kurdish minority, and the Shiite majority.
In 2003, a US-led coalition invaded Iraq on the grounds that the regime possessed weapons of mass destruction (which were later not discovered).
Saddam was captured by US forces in December 2003.
Following a trial in Baghdad, he was found guilty of crimes against humanity and executed by hanging on 30 December 2006.