On this date in history…

(2014) German-born actress Luise Rainer, the first person to receive two Academy Awards for acting, died at age 104. (2006) Saddam Hussein, former president of Iraq, was executed after being convicted of crimes against humanity. (1986) The British government announced that electronic sensors would begin to replace canaries as early-warning detectors of carbon monoxide in coal mines. (1984) American basketball player LeBron James, who was one of the NBA‘s superstars, was born. (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.  (1922) The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, formed this day in 1922 with its capital in Moscow, eventually incorporated 15 republics and constituted (in area) the largest country in the world until its dissolution in 1991. (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. (1896) Philippine nationalist José Rizal was publicly executed, enraging and uniting Filipinos.  (1853) The United States acquired nearly 30,000 square miles (78,000 square km) of additional northern Mexican territory with the signing of the Gadsden Purchase.