BITS OF HISTORY

1916: Grigory Rasputin, the Siberian peasant, mystic, and favourite of Russian Tsar Nicholas II and Tsarina Alexandra, was killed.

1968: Trygve Lie, Norwegian statesman and first secretary-general of the United Nations (1946-52), died.

1993: Israel and the Vatican recognised each other.

2006: Saddam Hussein was hanged for crimes against humanity.