Jimmy Carter: What was the Iranian hostage crisis?

To a great extent, Jimmy Carter’s presidency was defined by its challenges, and the one Carter himself describes as causing the darkest days of his time in office came in the last year of his term.

What became known as the Iranian hostage crisis began on Nov. 4, 1979, when a group of Iranian students angry that the United States was allowing their former leader to enter the country for medical treatment, stormed the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and took 66 Americans hostage.

The student’s actions that day were fueled by a rising resentment of a ruthless dictator, Mohammed Reza Shah Pahlavi, along with the growing influence of Islamic fundamentalists who, 40 years later, still hold control of the country.

Here’s a timeline of the events that culminated in the taking of the Americans and the end of a dream of a second term for Carter.

September 1941: Reza Shah Pahlavi, in power in Iran since 1925 and aligned with Nazi Germany, is forced to abdicate the throne by British and Soviet Union forces. His 21-year-old son, Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi takes over as ruler of Iran.

1951: Mohammad Mosaddeq, the prime minister of Iran, spearheads the passage of a bill in Iran’s parliament to nationalize the British oil fields there, freeing the country from British influence.

1953: Two years later, Mosaddeq’s followers force Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi to resign. Days later, the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency along with British intelligence agencies work to oust Mosaddeq. The shah returned to power and became an ally of the United States.

1963: Fearing the power of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, an outspoken critic of his plans to modernize the country, the shah sends Khomeini into exile.

January 1979: Sixteen years later, on Jan. 16, 1979, the shah of Iran is forced out of his country amid unrest led by his religious opponents – mainly Khomeini from exile.

As the shah flees the country, Khomeini returns from exile in France. His supporters overthrow the government of Premier Shahpur Bakhtiar, and on April 1, 1979, Khomeini proclaims Iran is now the Islamic Republic of Iran and he is the supreme leader of the country.

Oct. 22, 1979: After being denied admittance by countries around the world, the shah arrives in the United States for treatment of lymphatic cancer.

Nov. 4, 1979: Protesters seize the U.S. embassy in Tehran, taking the Americans working in the embassy hostage.

The hostage-takers tell Carter they want the shah returned to Iran to stand trial, but Carter refuses.

Nov. 17, 1980: Khomeini orders the release of eight Black hostages and five female hostages. 53 hostages remain held.

Jan. 28, 1980: Six American diplomats who had been hiding since the students seized the embassy, escape from Iran with the help of the Canadian government. They were given fake Canadian passports and left with Canada’s diplomatic staff.

April 24, 1980: The president authorizes a hostage rescue mission known as Operation Eagle Claw. The mission failed after only five of the eight helicopters in the mission arrived at the mission launch point in operational condition. Carter was advised to abort the mission because of the damaged aircraft. He agreed and aborted the mission.

As the U.S. forces prepared to withdraw from the mission launch spot, one of the helicopters crashed into a transport plane at the sight, and eight servicemen were killed.

Khomeini claimed that it was an act of God that caused the failure of the mission.

July 11, 1980: One hostage is freed because of a health issue. 52 hostages are still in the embassy compound.

July 27, 1980: Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi dies of cancer in Cairo, Egypt.

Sept. 12, 1980: Carter is told the hostages will be released only when the US releases all the Shah’s currency assets from US bank accounts. According to Khomeini, the assets are worth $32 billion U.S. dollars.

Nov. 4, 1980: Ronald Reagan wins the 1980 presidential election.

Jan. 19, 1981: The U.S. and Iran sign an agreement that gives Iran $8 billion U.S. dollars of Iranian State assets from U.S. banks in exchange for the release of all the hostages.

Jan. 20, 1981: Twenty minutes after Reagan takes the oath of office, Iran releases all 52 hostages. The hostages are flown to West Germany where Carter meets them and tells them, ‘Without a doubt the happiest moments of my life, more than when I was married, more than when I graduated from Annapolis, more than when I was elected president, was when I learned yesterday that your plane had taken off.”

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