January 20: A Parliament Born, A King Mourned, and Captives Freed

January 20 connects three moments that shaped the course of nations—when voices beyond nobility first entered England's halls of power, when a beloved monarch's death tested an empire's stability, and when hostages finally came home after 444 days that redefined diplomatic relations. These stories remind us that governance evolves through struggle, that leadership's true measure emerges in times of transition, and that international conflicts can hold nations captive as surely as they hold individuals.