On This Day for December 30 - Union of Soviet Socialist Republics established, Rudyard Kipling is featured, and more

This message contains graphics. If you do not see the graphics, click here to view. December 30 FEATURED BIOGRAPHY Rudyard Kipling READ MORE   FEATURED EVENT 1922 Union of Soviet Socialist Republics established READ MORE   Advertisement Advertisement   MORE EVENTS ON THIS DAY 2014: German-born actress Luise Rainer , the first person to receive two Academy Awards for acting, died at age 104. [Who votes for the Academy Awards?] 2006: Saddam Hussein, former president of Iraq, was executed after being convicted of crimes against humanity. [ Sort fact from fiction in our quiz about the Middle East.] 1984: American basketball player LeBron James, who was one of the NBA's superstars, was born. [ Take our quiz about basketball player nicknames.] 1975: American golfer Tiger Woods—the first player to win consecutively the game's four major tournaments (the Masters, the U.S. Open, the British Open, and the PGA Championship)—was born. [ Test your knowledge of golf.] 1918: The Spartacus League was transformed into the Communist Party of Germany at a party congress. 1916: Grigori Rasputin was murdered by Russian conservatives—who reportedly poisoned, shot, and then drowned the Siberian mystic—in an effort to halt his influence over Empress Alexandra and the royal family. [How much do you know about Russia?] SEE ALL EVENTS ON THIS DAY ALSO BORN ON THIS DAY 1984 LeBron James American basketball player 1865 Rudyard Kipling British writer 1975 Tiger Woods American golfer 1946 Patti Smith American poet, songwriter, and singer 39 Titus Roman emperor 1945 Davy Jones British singer and actor SEE ALL BIOS ON THIS DAY   Advertisement   FOLLOW: To unsubscribe from Britannica e-mails, click here. Encyclopædia Britannica 325 N. LaSalle Street, Suite 200 Chicago, Illinois 60654 United States © 2020 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. Privacy Policy • Help