TODAY IN HISTORY: US Hostages released, Beatles release first US album (Jan. 20th)

On January 20, 1981, as Ronald Reagan was inaugurated as the 40th President of the United States, a major international crisis came to a dramatic close. Just minutes after Reagan took the oath of office, Iran released 52 American hostages who had been held captive for 444 days. The crisis began on November 4, 1979, when revolutionary Iranian students seized the U.S. Embassy in Tehran in retaliation for America’s support of the deposed Shah of Iran. Efforts by the Carter administration, including failed diplomatic negotiations and a disastrous rescue mission, were unsuccessful, contributing to President Carter’s defeat in the 1980 election. Algerian intermediaries helped broker the hostages’ release, and they returned home to a hero’s welcome shortly after Reagan’s swearing-in.

On this same day in 1964, The Beatles made their U.S. debut with the release of their first album, Meet the Beatles!. The British Invasion had officially begun, and after their legendary appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show the following month, the album soared to number one on the Billboard charts. It held the top spot for 11 consecutive weeks before being replaced by their second album, marking the first time an artist replaced themselves at the top of the U.S. charts. This day solidified The Beatles’ status as global superstars and changed the course of music history.