November 4 is the 30th anniversary of the siezure, by young Iranian militants, of the U.S. embassy in Tehran. Leading up to that event, the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini had returned to Iran from exile in France, leading an Islamic revolution that forced the Shah of Iran to flee. Fifty-two of the US diplomats seized by the Iranians were held captive for more than a year, most of them at the US embassy.

On November 4, 1979,the United States embassy in Tehran was seized by militants in the name of Iran's new leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. For the next 444 days, it was the scene of captivity for 49 Americans, including embassy.

A celebration in Algiers on November 1st, where Iran's Prime Minister Mehdi Bazargan was photographed meeting with U.S. National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski, pushed the situation over the edge.

The U.S. diplomats spent nearly 15 months confined in the embassy, the foreign ministry and other Tehran locations.

In the U.S., Americans hung yellow ribbons to show solidarity, also putting pressure on President Jimmy Carter to act.

Months later, the US mounted a rescue mission. A dust storm turned the operation into a disaster, killing eight servicemen. The mission was aborted.

On January 20, 1981, Ronald Reagan was inaugurated as President of the United States. On the same day the Americans were freed.

30 years later, the United States and Iran are still at odds. (less info)