The Iran hostage crisis was a 444-day period during which the new government of Iran after the Iranian Revolution held hostage 66 diplomats and citizens of the United States. It is believed by many to have caused President Jimmy Carter of the United States to lose his re-election attempt, and punctuated the first fundamentalist Islamic revolution of modern times. It began on November 4, 1979 and lasted until January 20, 1981.

Jimmy Carter: "No matter who was with me, we watched the big grandfather clock by the door." jimmy carter said. Time was running out, it was Tuesday, January 20, 1981 in the oval office. In a matter of time this president would leave it for good, and ronald reagan would move in. Carter tried to resolve a crisis that had almost destroyed his presidency. He was close, "At stake were the lives of 52 precious human beings who had been imprisoned in Iran for 444 days–and almost 12 billion dollars of Iranian assets."

Walter Mondale:On November 4, 1979, an angry mob of young Islamic revolutionaries overran the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, taking more than 60 Americans hostage. "From the moment the hostages were seized until they were released minutes after Ronald Reagan took the oath of office as president 444 days later," wrote historian Gaddis Smith, "the crisis absorbed more concentrated effort by American officials and had more extensive coverage on television and in the press than any other event since World War II."

Iranians:Iranian students invaded the American embassy in Tehran and held American diplomats and others hostage for 444 days. To secure their freedom, President Jimmy Carter agreed in his last days in office to release $8 billion in frozen Iranian land

Mohammed reza shah pahlavi:was the ruler of Iran from 16 September 1941 until his overthrow by the iranian revolution on 11 February 1979. He took the title Shāhanshāh on 26 October 1967. He was the second and last monarch of the house of pahlavi of the Iranian monarchy. Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi held several other titles, including that of aryamehr and Bozorg Arteshtārān.