Iran (Persia). Royalty. pic: February 1951. The Shah of Iran,(Persia) Muhammad Reza Pahlavi, (1919-1980), pictured with his second wife Soraya after their marraige ceremony in the Hall of Mirrors . He ascended the throne in 1941, narrowly escaped assasina

Iran (Persia), Royalty, pic: February 1951, The Shah of Iran,(Persia) Muhammad Reza Pahlavi, (1919-1980), pictured with his second wife Soraya after their marraige ceremony in the Hall of Mirrors , He ascended the throne in 1941, narrowly escaped assasination in 1949 and fled the country briefly in 1953, He returned to promote a more western approach with U,S,support in the "White Revolution" but the wealth generated led to a greater rift between rich and poor and this was to lead to his downfall as he had to flee the country in 1979 after massive demonstrations against him (Photo by Popperfoto via Getty Images/Getty Images)