Historical photos are a piece of history that can give an insight into an iconic moment, as well as how life was before our time. To assess the importance of each photo, we used a reverse image search to show the significance and reach, by looking at how often each photo appeared on the internet.
I am surprised that the one below didn’t make the top 20. Maybe because it’s uniquely American:
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It’s a bold statement to say, in a world of 8.1 billion people, that 31,000 reverse image searches on a photo makes it the most famous photo in the world.
I don’t even know the one that you posted. Is that from Kent State?
Yes, that’s Kent State.
I’m also surprised Elvis meets Nixon didn’t make the list.
Or, the Hindenburg.
I think that’s Alison Krause. They built a gymnasium on that spot.
According to the Interwebs: “The student in the famous Pulitzer Prize-winning photo from the Kent State University shootings in May 1970 is Jeffrey Miller. The photo shows 14-year-old Mary Ann Vecchio kneeling over Miller’s body, screaming in anguish. Miller was shot and killed by the Ohio National Guard while protesting the Vietnam War, about 270 feet away from the guardsmen. The photo was taken by student photographer John Filo, who was only a few feet from Miller when the shooting began.”
Lived right outside Kent at the time and currently live a couple miles from the “massacre”. Was a sophomore in high school. My sister’s boyfriend at that time was a KSU student. My sister actually was a KSU student 1969 then became a flight attendant for TWA. Digressing. “They” decided not to close the school on Monday ~ big mistake! The ROTC building was burnt down on either Fri or Sat so again, they decided to act like just another school day on Mon. 😮
Books have been written.
Tin soldiers and Nixon cumin’ … and so it goes.
Reason for the student protest? Nixon’s ((( illegal ))) invasion into Cambodia! btw, they say the U.S. govt/congress can’t keep a secret but, but, but Nixon’s secret plan to end the Vietnam War remains a secret to this day. ✔
I’m surprised the Eddie Adams photo of the Viet Cong execution didn’t make the list. The Vietnamese general in the photo escaped to the US after Saigon fell and opened a restaurant about 5 miles from my home. I’m embarrassed to say I’d never even heard of the “Leap to Freedom” photo.
That photo would have been my #1. It’s burned in my mind.
Moderately interesting list, but their methodology is deeply flawed.
I can’t really can’t start a stone-throwing contest, given that I live in a glass house. I choose the “nude scene of the year” for the entire planet from the opinions of about a thousand people who live in the Americas, Australia and Europe. Even if I had the vote of 100% of the people on those four continents, it would still be less than a quarter of the world’s population.
Anyway, given the dubious methodology of the study, I was more interested in the question than the specific results. It’s an interesting list to review. I wish they had included thumbnails of each of the 20 to refresh my memory.
wish I could see the other 17 best. I remember most but what’s the point of having this kind of list without all the photos… I would add to the list the 1968 Mexico Olympics 200 meter award ceremony… huge backstory and follow up stories about that single moment
That was number 18: “Black Power Salute”
ahh, thanks… not a great description. I have the poster on my wall. There is a life size statue of it on the UC San Jose campus