30 Facts About the Rise and Fall of Saddam Hussein, the Butcher of Baghdad

2. Iraqis Toppled a Statue of Him

Following the American invasion in 2003, a giant statue of Saddam in Baghdad’s Firdos Square was toppled by the Iraqi people. Many went on to beat the figure with their shoes, a symbol of ultimate degradation and shame. The crumbling of the statue represented the end of the Battle of Baghdad and the end of Saddam’s reign of terror.