Here's a quick overview of our top stories for Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025:
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TOP HEADLINES:
3 Killed after car collides with semi-truck on Interstate 90 near Drummond
Judge orders release of closed-hearing transcript in Charlie Kirk murder case
Trump suggests Venezuelan dock explosion linked to smuggling crackdown
THAT’S INTERESTING:
Here's a collection of what happened on December 30 throughout history:
🔥 MAJOR HISTORICAL EVENTS
1903 - The Iroquois Theater Fire in Chicago killed over 600 people, making it the deadliest single-building fire in U.S. history. Blocked fire exits and lack of fire safety plans caused most deaths.
1922 - The Soviet Union (USSR) was officially formed, uniting Russia and several other republics under communist rule.
1943 - Indian freedom fighter Subhash Chandra Bose raised the Indian flag at Port Blair, Andaman, declaring it the first Indian territory liberated from British rule.
1853 - The Gadsden Purchase was signed, with the United States acquiring nearly 30,000 square miles of northern Mexican territory.
1896 - Filipino national hero José Rizal was executed by Spanish colonial authorities in Manila, sparking outrage that helped fuel the Philippine Revolution.
1968 - The first-ever Led Zeppelin live performance was captured on tape at Gonzaga University (originally advertised as "The Vanilla Fudge, with Len Zefflin").
⭐ FAMOUS BIRTHS
1984 - LeBron James, widely considered one of the greatest basketball players of all time
1975 - Tiger Woods, legendary professional golfer and one of the most successful athletes in sports history
1986 - Ellie Goulding, British singer-songwriter known for hits like "Lights" and "Love Me Like You Do"
1865 - Rudyard Kipling, British author and Nobel Prize winner, famous for "The Jungle Book" and "If—"
1942 - Michael Nesmith, musician and songwriter with The Monkees, known for wearing his signature wool hat
1945 - Davy Jones, British singer and actor, heartthrob member of The Monkees (shares birthday with bandmate Michael Nesmith!)
1879 - Ramana Maharshi, revered Indian sage and spiritual teacher
1819 - Theodor Fontane, German novelist and poet
💔 NOTABLE DEATHS
2022 - Barbara Walters (age 93), groundbreaking broadcast journalist who hosted Today, 20/20, and The View
2020 - Dawn Wells (age 82), beloved actress who played Mary Ann on Gilligan's Island
2006 - Saddam Hussein (age 69), former Iraqi dictator, executed for crimes against humanity
1971 - Vikram Sarabhai (age 52), known as the "Father of India's Space Program"
1916 - Grigori Rasputin (age 47), the mysterious "mad monk" who influenced the Russian royal family
1896 - José Rizal (age 35), Philippine national hero and reform movement leader
1944 - Romain Rolland (age 78), French author and Nobel Prize winner
🌟 FASCINATING FACTS
- December 30 falls under the zodiac sign Capricorn
- People born on this day have Blue Topaz as their birthstone
- It's the 364th day of the year (365th in leap years) with only one day left until New Year's Eve
- Two Monkees bandmates - Michael Nesmith and Davy Jones - were both born on December 30 (different years)
- The date has seen both the formation of the USSR (1922) and the execution of a dictator (2006)
Parts of this story were adapted for this platform with AI assistance. Our editorial team verifies all reporting across all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
