61 Famous Photos That Changed The World
These famous photos are among the most iconic and powerful ever taken. Take a look at 61 images that changed history and shaped the world!
Learn | By Tania Braukamper
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Some photos are memorable. Others are downright world-changing.
So what is it that makes an image stick in the collective memory and become truly iconic?
It’s not enough to capture a moment in history. The most influential, powerful and famous photos are the ones that capture the deeper significance of that moment: the energy and emotion; the triumphs of the human spirit and the consequences of our errors; our helplessness, our glory, our power.
They make history real. They stir emotions in us that don’t diminish with passing years or repeated viewings. And they inspire us to change, so we can make more positive historical moments in the future.
It’s qualities like those that have made these 61 images some of the most famous in the world.
Take a look below at our curation but please note – some of the photos may be disturbing.
The Terror Of War, Nick Ut, 1972
The Burning Monk, Malcolm Browne, 1963
This photo of a monk protesting by self-immolation is one of the most powerful photos that
Starving Child And Vulture, Kevin Carter, 1993
Lunch Atop A Skyscraper, 1932
One of the most iconic pictures from the Big Apple.
Tank Man, Jeff Widener, 1989
Falling Man, Richard Drew, 2001
One of the many iconic images of the most significant event of the early 21st century.
Alan Kurdi, Nilüfer Demir, 2015
Earthrise, William Anders, NASA, 1968
This mesmerizing image is perhaps one of the world’s best photos in the field of Space Science.
Mushroom Cloud Over Nagasaki, Lieutenant Charles Levy, 1945
V-J Day In Times Square, Alfred Eisenstaedt, 1945
Pillars Of Creation, Nasa, 1995
This is one of the most famous pictures that NASA captured.
Fire Escape Collapse, Stanley Forman, 1975
A Man On The Moon, Neil Armstrong, Nasa, 1969
Jewish Boy Surrenders In Warsaw, 1943
Migrant Mother, Dorothea Lange, 1936
The Hindenburg Disaster, Sam Shere, 1937
Dalí Atomicus, Philippe Halsman, 1948
One of the most iconic photos of an iconic artist of the 20th century.
Leap Into Freedom, Peter Leibing, 1961
Flag Raising On Iwo Jima, Joe Rosenthal, 1945
One of the many famous historical photos from World War II.
Hitler At A Nazi Party Rally, Heinrich Hoffmann, 1934
Gandhi And The Spinning Wheel, Margaret Bourke-White, 1946
The Pillow Fight, Harry Benson, 1964
First Cell-Phone Picture, Philippe Kahn, 1997
Muhammad Ali Vs. Sonny Liston, Neil Leifer, 1965
Saigon Execution, Eddie Adams, 1968
Gorilla In The Congo, Brent Stirton, 2007
Michael Jordan, Co Rentmeester, 1984
A wave approaches Miyako, Japan, Mainichi Shimbun/Reuters, 2011
A couple kisses on a street after riots broke out in Vancouver, British Columbia, Rich Lam/Getty Images, 2011
United Airlines Flight 175 approaches the south tower of New York’s World Trade Center, Kelly Guenther. 2011
A view of the Costa Concordia, 2012
The space shuttle Endeavour, 2012
Palestinian camp of Yarmouk line up to receive food supplies in Damascus, Syria, 2014
G7 Leaders Summit in La Malbaie, Quebec, Canada, German Federal Government, 2018.
Heart surgeon after 23-hour-long (successful) heart transplant. His assistant is sleeping in the corner, James Stanfield, 1987
Flower power, Bernie Boston
Lennon & Yoko, Annie Leibovitz, 1980
The First Photograph Upon Discovery of Machu Picchu, Hiram Bingham, 1911
Prince Charles & Princess Diana. Tim Graham, 1981
First Aerial Photograph, James Wallace, 1860
Footprint On The Moon, Buzz Aldrin, 1969
This is one of NASA’s most famous images to date.
Sharbat Gula – Steve McCurry – 1984
Also known as Afghan Girl, Sharbat Gula is one of the best photo in the world of photojournalism.
Einstein’s Birthday, Arthur Sasse, 1951
Arguably one of the most iconic photographs of one of the most brilliant minds to ever lived.
Race organizers attempt to stop Kathrine Switzer from competing in the Boston Marathon. She became the first woman to finish the race, 1967
The Gadget, The First Atomic Bomb, Los Alamos National Laboratory, 1945
Sunset on Mars, NASA’s Mars Exploration Rover Spirit, 2005
This is one of the most iconic photos of all time in the world of space exploration.
Milk Drop Coronet, Harold Edgerton, 1957
View from the Window at Le Gras (the first permanent photo ever recorded as being taken), Nicéphore Niépce, 1827
D-Day, Robert Capa, 1944
The Tetons and the Snake River, Ansel Adams, 1942
Winston Churchill, Yousuf Karsh, 1941
Guerillero Heroico, Alberto Korda, 1960
This photo of Che Guevara is one of the most recognizable and famous photos in history.
The Wright brothers’ first flight, 1903
The floating bodies in Tsunami, 2004
The Loch Ness Monster, Ian Wetherell, 1934
Nelson Mandela and wife Winnie with raised clenched fists following his release from prison in South Africa after 27 years, 1990
Fall of the Berlin Wall, 1989
The Fall of the Berlin Wall is one of the most powerful images of the late 20th century.
The last known Tasmanian Tiger (now extinct), 1933
This famous picture is one of the last few that were captured before the species had gone extinct.
Titanic leaves port, 1912
Ferdinand Porsche showing a model of the Volkswagen Beetle to Adolf Hitler, 1935
The crew of Apollo 1 practising their water landing, 1966
We hope you enjoyed our curation of the most famous photographs of all time.
Perhaps you remember where you were when some of these moments occurred.
Or perhaps you think we should have included another influential photo.
Whatever the case, be sure to join in the discussion in the comments below.
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Tania Braukamper is an Australian-born writer who also loves to take pictures of sunsets and street scenes. She currently lives in Portugal.
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Imagine my surprise seeing my dad in the last picture. He is the safety swimmer in the foreground. I always liked how Gus Grissom was looking at my dad and smiling. Gus was one of his favorite astronauts. May they both rest in peace.
Wow what an amazing coincidence, Glenn!
The Berlin wall fell down in november 1989 and not in 1991!!
Oops, good spot Guido – corrected with thanks.
Highly recommend adding the arrest of Ieshia Evans (“Taking a Stand”)
fine collection
maybe add
• something from the January 6 insurrection – maybe the QAnon shaman
• something of the Great Depression (e.g., Dorothea Lange’s dust bowl mother, bread line photo, etc.)
• fire-hosing of civil rights demonstrators, 1960s
Excellent suggestions – thanks Wes!
Very interesting & impactful collection of images. In my life, the two images(Eddie Adams / Nick Ut) of the Vietnam Conflict Era were among the most powerful pictures of all time.
I would have liked to have seen two other pictures on the list:
1) the picture of Malcolm X looking out the window w/ a rifle in his hand as he protects his family.
2) the picture of the man in Boston who was attacked with the American flag & flagpole.
2 great suggestions, Robert! Thank you