On This Day: January 19, 1981 - U.S. and Iran Signed Agreement to Release Hostages

[Pete]

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On this day, January 19, 1981, the United States and Iran signed an agreement to release 52 American hostages who had been held captive for 14 months. This pivotal event ended the Iran Hostage Crisis, which began on November 4, 1979, when Iranian militants stormed the U.S. Embassy in Tehran.

The agreement was finalized just one day before the hostages were freed, and their release occurred on January 20, 1981, just 20 minutes after Ronald Reagan was inaugurated as President of the United States. The timing of the release marked the conclusion of a highly contentious chapter in U.S.-Iran relations and was a significant moment in American political history.

Fun Fact: The Iran Hostage Crisis was a defining moment in Jimmy Carter’s presidency and contributed to his defeat in the 1980 presidential election.

Trivia Question: How many days in total were the American hostages held captive during the Iran Hostage Crisis?