Saddam Hussein was born.
Saddam Hussein . Saddam formally rose to power in 1979 , although he had been the de facto head of Iraq for several years prior . He suppressed several movements , particularly Shi'a and Kurdish movements , seeking to overthrow the government or gain independence , and maintained power during the Iran -- Iraq War and the Gulf War . On 5 November 2006 , Saddam was convicted of charges of crimes against humanity related to the 1982 killing of 148 Iraqi Shi'ites , and was sentenced to death by hanging .