After 444 days of diplomatic turmoil, Iranian and American officials finally put their pens to paper, inking a historic agreement that would reunite 52 weary hostages with their families. The Algeria-mediated talks brought an end to the excruciating ordeal, which began when Iranian students stormed the US embassy in Tehran. The freed Americans, held captive since November 1979, would finally taste freedom, as the United States and Iran put the dark chapter behind them.