This 444-day event ended on the day of Ronald Reagan's inauguration, and it started after protestors inspired by Ayatollah Khomeini seized the U.S. embassy.
Ken Taylor helped shelter six people who escaped during this event. A flashpoint for this event was one man's trip to New York for lymphoma treatment, and its central location had been deemed a "den of spies." Several helicopters crashed during (*) Operation Eagle Claw, an attempt to end this event, and CBS anchor Walter Cronkite repeatedly reminded viewers of the length of this event. This 444-day event ended on the day of Ronald Reagan's inauguration, and it started after protestors inspired by Ayatollah Khomeini seized the U.S. embassy. For 10 points, name this event in which 66 Americans were held captive in Tehran.
Ken Taylor helped shelter six people who escaped during this event.
Iranian hostage crisis (accept equivalents; accept seizure/capture/storming/synonyms of the American embassy in Tehran before “embassy” is read)