10 Iconic Photographs that Made Waves—and Changed How We Saw the World

A photo may have often been a reason for a sudden cold shiver, a quick burst of happiness, or an intense questioning thought in your mind! Photography is that strong a medium!

There are pictures that are not only memories. There exist such moments that seem to be of heavenly nature, like a timeless scene, and their impact can extend even to the how and what of people's perceptions regarding, for instance, war, poverty, nature, or even technology, and communally speaking, up to millions. Those are the world-altering and legendary photos.

The courageous and legendary reporters, who possessed an uncanny ability to be at the right moment and place at the same time, made these pictures. Let’s see, then, the 10 best and most memorable photographs ever and reveal the real stories behind them.

The Photos That Revealed Suffering and Conflict

Several pictures have made history by their contributions that have, in turn, presented us with human life in its most painful and difficult aspects. The truth that they conveyed to the society was such that the people who used to turn a blind eye to those troubles were now forced to face them head-on.

The Photos That Revealed Poverty and War

Among the countless pictures that have played a major role in history, some of them showed us the most painful and dark areas of human life. Their existence was so strong that no one could ignore these problems anymore, even the ones who had been hiding them from themselves. 

Among the various images that have greatly influenced the course of history, certain ones showed us the most agonizing and dark aspects of human life. The power of the reality they presented was so great that the people who had been blind to those issues could not help but finally confront them.

1. Migrant Mother (1936)

The picture shows mother, Florence Owens Thompson, looking exhausted and worn. She has her three little children around her - two hiding their faces against her and one peeking out.

The Story

Renowned photographer Dorothea Lange took this picture during the Great Depression in the United States. The woman and her children represented very poor farm workers. The government agency, for which Lange took this photo, wanted to show the public the suffering of the poor—mainly through visuals.

The Impact

This photograph, when it was published, naturally got the position of the front face of the Great Depression. This was a revelation that exposed poverty's huge cost to mankind, and it was a decisive factor in convincing the US administration that not only food and aid should be sent to the affected, but also the hard-hit areas should be provided with basic services like electricity and water.

2. The Terror of War, or 'Napalm Girl' (1972)

A devastating and disastrous scene is depicted in the image, which shows the very small girl, Kim Phuc, running nude together with other kids, some of whom have been burned severely, yet they still live, right after a napalm bomb had been dropped on a highway in Vietnam.

The Story

During the Vietnam War, an Associated Press photographer named Nick Ut caught this death toll war picture. Phuc had barely been able to tear off her burning clothes and was running away from the fire. Not only clicked the picture, but they also hurried the pediatric patients to the hospital and rescued Kim Phuc in the process.

The Impact

This potent and sensational image was the disturbing reality of the war's impact on innocent children. It generated a lot of resentment worldwide and helped to sway the public's sentiment strongly against the Vietnam War.

3. Starving Child and Vulture (1993)

A big and fat vulture stood by a very hungry child who was on the ground, crouching and waiting.

The Story

This image was captured by the South African photographer Kevin Carter during the famine in Sudan. The child was on the way to the feeding center when he fell down. The photo reflects the harsh truth of the most severe starvation conditions.

The Impact

Not only did the photograph gain a big prize (Pulitzer Prize), but it also made the world aware of the vastness of the famine in Africa. It became a very upsetting symbol of the world's apathy towards human suffering. (Source: TIME Magazine, 100 Photos).

The Photos That Captured Triumph and Defiance

However, not all iconic photographs in history depict grief. Some show the incredible moments of human success, courage, and happiness!

4. Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima (1945)

The scene of a fierce battle in World War II depicts five US Marines and a Navy corpsman fighting together to plant the American flag on Mount Suribachi.

The Story

The moment of unity and the photographer Joe Rosenthal's timing during one of the war’s most brutal battles was not only an exceptional moment, but he also captured it through his lens.

The Impact

This image instantly became one of the most reprinted images of the Second World War. It was regarded as a great symbol of American unity, bravery, and the eventual triumph in the war. It was even eventually used as a model for a huge memorial statue.

5. V-J Day in Times Square (1945)

A Navy sailor smooching a dental nurse (a total stranger) in the heart of a gigantic crowd in Times Square, New York.

The Story

The famous photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt immortalized this big bang of happiness on "Victory over Japan Day" (V-J Day) when World War II came to a bright end at last.

The Impact

The picture above perhaps illustrates the most to illustrate the overwhelming, unconcealed, and spontaneous worldwide release of human emotions at the end of the long, hard war.

6. Tank Man (1989)

An unidentified single man in the middle of a road with a row of large tanks in Tiananmen Square, Beijing.

The Story

Jeff Widener and other famous photographers were there to take this picture during the demonstration of students in China. The man was bravely refusing the passage to the tanks by standing right there.

The Impact

The picture instantly became worldwide the icon of resistance and non-violent protest against the government policy that was imposed on China's society. It was very hard to miss the message: one person's bravery against a giant and strong force.

The photos of our planet from different views

The celestial bodies' pictures oozed out of Earth, to the surprise of all, and the thousand new angles of viewing our planet opened.

7. Earthrise (1968) 

The awe-inspiring image of the fragile and colorful Earth popping up above the dull and desolate moon surface.

The Story 

Captured by astronaut William Anders during the Apollo 8 mission, this was the first-ever color photo of Earth taken from space by a human.

The Impact

Earth’s image as a tiny, single, and wonderful blue marble amidst a black void shifted everything. As a consequence of its portrayal of Earth as frail, the film did spur the advent of the contemporary environmental movement.

8. Lunch Atop a Skyscraper (1932)

Eleven construction workers are sitting on a steel beam, having lunch, with New York City below them, and without any safety equipment at all, very casual.

The Story

This iconic picture was not only taken but also presented as a staging to promote workers’ courage and resilience through the hard times of the Great Depression around the year 1930. The photo was taken during the making of Rockefeller Center, which was an extensive project that lasted several years due to the economy then.

The Impact

The picture quickly became one of the most iconic photographs of all time and represented the unyielding spirit, ambition, and risk-taking of the industrial age and the builders of the modern world.

The Photos That Defined a Modern Struggle

A single moment can tell a huge story, even in the iconic photographs of the 21st century and the late 20th century.

9. The Falling Man (2001)

A very disturbing picture showing a man falling headlong from the uppermost floors of the World Trade Center, caught during the 9/11 attacks 

The Story

It was Richard Drew who clicked this photo on the 11th of September 2001. The identity of the man is mostly unknown, but the very image portrays the complete horror and desperation of that day.

The Impact

It is one of the most powerful and painful iconic photographs from 9/11. It showed the hundreds of individual tragedies that happened during the terrorist attack and became an implicit symbol of the tragedy's unimaginable human cost.

10. Gandhi and the Spinning Wheel (1946) 

Mahatma Gandhi sitting beside his spinning wheel, and a plain cloth covering him. 

The Story 

The photograph was captured by legendary photographer Margaret Bourke-White. It portrays Gandhi, the foremost leader of the Indian independence movement, along with the spinning wheel (charkha). This was an essential symbol of his doctrine of self-reliance and non-violent resistance. 

The Impact 

It was the most common and the most powerful peaceful symbol of India's liberation struggle and the power of simple, homemade resistance against a gigantic empire that was made by the spinning wheel.

The single click, which can last for centuries, has great power.

The past is captured in these images, but they also participate in its making. They make us stop, look, and think. One picture is among the most powerful instruments ever. They return us and develop us. 

The stillness of the Migrant Mother, the bird's-eye view of Earthrise, and the many other ones in their company are masterpieces and moments of honesty. They show that the role of the iconic camera is more than just changing the image of us; we have also changed the way we look at the world around us.