Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi flees Iran

Faced with army mutiny and violent demonstrations, Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi, leader of Iran since 1941, is forced to flee the country. The Shah departs Iran for Aswan, Egypt, officially describing it as vacation and medical treatment. His departure marks the collapse of decades of autocratic rule. Fourteen days later, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the spiritual leader of the Islamic revolution, returns from 15 years of exile and takes control of Iran. The revolution transforms Iran from a secular monarchy into an Islamic Republic and fundamentally reshapes U.S.-Iran relations.