On inauguration day, January 20, 1981, shortly after the presidency had passed from Jimmy Carter to Ronald Reagan, the hostages were released after having been held captive for 444 days.

That night, in the midst of all the inauguration ceremonies, when the aircraft carrying the former hostages home cleared Iranian airspace, President Reagan ordered the tree lights be turned on for 444 minutes -- one minute for each day the hostages had been held.

From an all-blue tree suggestive of a subdued spirit, the lighting sequenced through touches of white and finally into a brilliant, glittering all-white tree as the spirit soars with faith in our individual and collective future.

[Scanned from original photographic slide.]