December 30 (UPI) — On this day in history:
In 1853, the United States purchased 45,000 square miles of land along the Gila River from Mexico for $10 million. The area is now southern Arizona and New Mexico.
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In 1903, fire ripped through Chicago’s Iroquois Theater, killing 602 people. The fire led to safety regulations in theaters around the world.
In 1916, the self-proclaimed Russian saint Grigory Rasputin was murdered by Russian nobles eager to end his influence on the royal family.
In 1922, at the First Congress of the Soviet Union, Russia, Ukraine and two other Soviet republics signed the treaty creating the Soviet Union.
On December 9, 2012, Washington Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan led the team against the Baltimore Ravens at FedEx Landover, Maryland. On December 30, 2013, Shanahan and three other NFL coaches were fired in what became known as “Black Monday.” File photo: Kevin Dietsch/UPI
File photo: Molly Riley/UPI
In 1958, revolutionaries led by Ernesto Che Guevara fought for control of the city of Santa Clara against government forces loyal to Cuban President Fulgencio Batista. Within 12 hours of the rebel victory, Batista fled the country and control of the country passed to Fidel Castro.
On December 30, 2006, former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein was hanged in Baghdad after being convicted of the 1982 massacre of 148 Shia men and boys. UPI profile photo
In 1965, Ferdinand Marcos became president of the Philippines.
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In 1972, U.S. President Richard Nixon ordered a halt to the bombing of North Vietnam and announced that peace talks with the Hanoi government would resume in Paris in January.
On December 30, 1972, U.S. President Richard Nixon ordered a halt to the bombing of North Vietnam and announced that peace talks with the Hanoi government would be resumed in Paris in January. File photo: Darryl Heikes/UPI
In 1986, Exxon became the first major international oil company to withdraw from South Africa due to its racial policies.
In 1992, Lingling, the female giant panda who had entertained visitors to the National Zoo in Washington for more than two decades, died of heart failure.
On December 11, 1964, Ernesto “Che” Guevara addressed the United Nations General Assembly. On December 30, 1958, revolutionaries under the command of Guevara competed with government forces loyal to Cuban President Fulgencio Batista for control of the city of Santa Clara. Within 12 hours of the rebel victory, Batista fled the country and control of the country passed to Fidel Castro. File photo courtesy of the United Nations
In 1994, anti-abortion activist John Salvi III carried out shootings at two abortion clinics in Brooklyn, Massachusetts, killing two workers and injuring five others. Police captured him the next day.
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In 2006, former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein was hanged in Baghdad after being convicted of the 1982 massacre of 148 Shiite men and boys.
In 2009, a suicide bomber identified as a Jordanian informant killed at least eight American civilians, all but one of whom was a CIA agent, at a base in Afghanistan.
In 2012, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was hospitalized with a blood clot, the U.S. State Department said. A clot, or blood clot, was discovered during a routine MRI while Clinton was recovering from a recent concussion.
File photo: Molly Riley/UPI
In 2013, four NFL coaches were fired on what the league calls Black Monday: Mike Shanahan of the Washington Redskins, Leslie Frazier of the Minnesota Vikings, Greg Chiano of Tampa Bay and Jim Schwartz of the Detroit Lions. Cleveland’s Rob Chudzinski was fired the day before.
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In 2016, Indians deposited their last Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes in banks. The government clawed back the currency’s value to crack down on the black market and counterfeit currency.
In 2020, the San Antonio Spurs’ Becky Hammon made history as the first female coach to coach an NBA regular season when she replaced Gregg Popovich after he was ejected against the Los Angeles Lakers.
In 2022, King Charles III of England announced the knighthood of Queen’s guitarist Brian May, artists John Akomfora and Grayson Perry. May was knighted at a ceremony on March 14, 2023.
File photo: John Angelillo/UPI