Iranian Students Storm Embassy: Hostage Crisis Begins
Iranian students stormed the U.S. Embassy in Tehran on November 4, 1979, seizing 66 Americans. They demanded the return of the deposed Shah, who had been admitted to the U.S. for cancer treatment two weeks earlier. Thirteen hostages were released within weeks. The remaining 52 were held for 444 days. A rescue mission, Operation Eagle Claw, ended in disaster on April 24, 1980, when a helicopter collided with a transport plane in the Iranian desert, killing eight servicemen. The crisis consumed the final year of Jimmy Carter's presidency. ABC News launched a nightly program, 'America Held Hostage,' that evolved into Nightline. The hostages were released on January 20, 1981, minutes after Ronald Reagan's inauguration. Iran timed the release to deny Carter any credit. The embassy has been an anti-American museum since.
November 4, 1979
47 years ago
Key Figures & Places
United States
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Iran
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Iran Hostage Crisis
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Tehran
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Iran hostage crisis
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Iran
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Tehran
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Tabriz
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Anexo:Terremotos entre el siglo X y el XIX
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History of Iran
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United States
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Mohammad Reza Pahlavi
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New York City
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أبو الحسن الموسوي الأصفهاني
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Iraq
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