Introduction

The Saddam Hussein Hiding Place meme features an illustration of the spider hole where the Iraqi dictator was found and captured in 2003. This image has been humorously edited and shared widely across social media.

Background

The image of Saddam Hussein's hiding place gained attention in June 2021 after a tweet humorously compared it to a rented apartment, leading to a series of funny edits and widespread sharing.

Meme History

Saddam Hussein was captured on December 13, 2003, during Operation Red Dawn by American forces, who discovered him hiding in a spider hole in Ad-Dard, Iraq. The following day, the BBC reported on this capture, featuring an illustration titled 'Saddam's Hiding Place.' On December 15, 2003, the BBC article was updated with a more detailed version of the illustration.

Internet Reaction

The earliest known edit of the image appeared on Tumblr in January 2015, but it didn't gain significant traction until August 2020. On August 24, a Twitter user made a joke using the image that garnered over 1,600 retweets. The meme re-emerged on June 16, 2021, when another user posted a popular meme that led to a spike in edits and shares, including a notable contribution on June 17 that added a 'gaming room' to the original image. This revival saw further edits shared across platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Reddit, resulting in substantial engagement and visibility.