Shah flees Iran Faced with an army mutiny and violent demonstrations against his rule, Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi is forced to flee the country. Pahlevi was 22 when, in 1941, he inherited his father's title of Shah of Iran. Initially, the Shah sought to modernize Iran, introducing in 1963 ‘The White Revolution', a series of reforming measures, which included improving the rights of women. Although many welcomed these reforms, more conservative religious elements opposed what they perceived to be the Westernization of Iran. After fleeing Iran, the Shah traveled to several countries before entering the United States in 1979 for medical treatment for cancer. He died in Egypt in July 1980. __
