The first recording of the term “Shah” being used was in the mid-16th century. It referred to the Persian ruler, a king. The Shahs ruled Persia for hundreds of years, but during the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries, many monarchies across the globe adopted more democratic governments. The people of Iran eventually followed suit.

On this day, April 1, in 1979, the votes are tallied from the previous day’s election and the Shah of Iran is removed from power. With over 20 million votes cast by more than 99 percent of all voters, the people decide that Iran should become an Islamic republic. The last Shah of Iran was Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. He had ruled since the middle of World War II.

The Iranian Revolution, as this event has been dubbed, began in October 1977 with strikes and demonstrations against the monarchy. The people wanted what many countries throughout the world already had — a democracy. Unlike many revolutions, this revolution was short-lived because it was not predicated on financial woes, nor was it an uprising by the peasants or the military. It simply was based on the people desiring to have a say in their own lives. Being an Islamic republic means that although there is an element of democracy, there isn’t the same separation of church and state that the U.S. has. Instead, many of its laws are determined by Islamic theology.