November 4, 1979-January 20, 1981: 52 American Hostages Captured in Tehran, Held for 444 Days
About 500 Iranian students take over the American Embassy in Tehran and hold 52 Americans hostage for 444 days. The Mujahedeen-e Khalq (MEK) is one of the groups that supports the take-over. [US Department of State, 4/30/2003; PBS, 1/15/2006]