30 December: A look at historic occurrences that took place on this day

Each day of the calendar witnesses a lot of events, some of which manage to etch their mark in history. The same goes for today, 30 December. Among many interesting incidents, the All India Muslim League, which laid down the foundations of independent Pakistan, was established in Dhaka on this day in 1906. On the same day a decade later, Siberian monk Grigori Rasputin was brutally murdered by Russian conservatives. In 1922, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was founded on 30 December. In 1986, the British government outlawed the use of canaries in coal mines to identify toxic gases. On the same day in 2006, former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein was executed by the Iraqi Special Tribunal. Let’s take a look at the major events that took place today:

30 December- Historic Events

All India Muslim League founded in Dhaka

On 30 December 1906, the All India Muslim League was established during a session of the Muhammadan Educational Conference in Dhaka. Originally formed for safeguarding the rights of Indian Muslims, it later became instrumental in the creation of an independent Pakistan. Nawab Khwaja Sir Salimullah Bahadur suggested the name of the league, with Sir Sultan Muhammad Shah (Aga Khan III) being its first Honorary President. Though the league was terminated on 14 August 1947, it splintered into a variety of political parties across Pakistan, Bangladesh, and India.

Grigori Rasputin was murdered

On 30 December 1916, Siberian monk Grigori Rasputin was killed by Russian conservatives in order to demolish his influence over Empress Alexandra and the Russian royal family. He was initially given cyanide-laced food and drink by the murderers. But when Rasputin appeared to be unaffected by the poison, they shot him and left him for dead. Despite these horrific efforts, Rasputin soon recovered and tried to escape the place but was caught by his attackers. They repeatedly shot him and brutally tortured him. Rasputin was then bound and dropped into the frigid Neva River.

USSR formed

The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was established by the republics of Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Transcaucasia (modern Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan) on 30 December 1922. Eventually comprising 15 republics, it was the largest country in the world till its dissolution in 1991.

Use of canaries in coal mines prohibited

On 30 December 1986, a mining tradition dating back to 1911- the use of canaries in coal mines to identify carbon monoxide and other toxic gases- finally ended. As a replacement, British legislation officially ordered miners to set up electronic carbon monoxide sensors in an effort to detect any life-threatening substances. John Scott Haldane was credited with generating the concept to use canaries. He advocated the use of such birds because their sensitivity to colourless, odourless carbon monoxide and other dangerous gases is greater than humans. Thus, the miners would be alerted to leave if the animal fell ill or died.

Execution of Saddam Hussein

On 30 December 2006, former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein was sentenced to death by hanging, after being found guilty of crimes against humanity. He was the man behind the infamous Dujail massacre which killed 148 Iraqi Shiites in the town of Dujail in 1982. A video of his execution was made public by the Iraqi government. It began with him being carried to the gallows and ended with the hangman’s noose being tightened around his neck. On 31 December Hussein’s body was brought back to his hometown of Al-Awja, close to Tikrit, and buried next to the graves of other family members.

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