Iconic Photos Of The 1940's, 50's, 60's (27 Pics)

Hitler in Paris, 1940
Taken at the height of World War Two and after Adolf Hitler had taken Paris, this picture depicts Hitler surveying his conquest with his various cronies and became one of the most iconic photos of the 1940s and World War 2.

The Last Jew in Vinnitsa, 1941
This powerful image of the death of the last Jew in Vinnitsa, Ukraine, was found in the album of an Einsatzgruppen soldier. The name of the image comes from the label at the back of the photo, and succinctly conveys what happened in Vinnitsa: all 28,000 of the Jews living there were killed.


Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, 1943
Shot in 1943, this is one of the best-known pictures of World War Two, as it depicts the terror inspired by the Nazis. The image above shows the destruction of the Warsaw Ghetto, which was the forced home to thousands of Polish-Jewish citizens. Though the most poignant part of picture is the frightened little boy in the foreground with his hands up as he is forcibly removed from his hiding place.

D-Day, 1944
Taken by Robert Capa, the iconic D-Day photograph depicts the bloody World War Two front at Omaha Beach. The eerie, blurred image may have been produced by an eager assistant who melted the exposures together, but that only adds to the haunting depiction of the chaos of war.

  V-J Day, 1945
This iconic photo depicts the jubilance and relief expressed throughout America when armistice was declared in World War Two. Contrary to popular opinion, the two in the picture were not lovers; the soldier was jubilantly planting kisses on women in Times Square – this lucky nurse was just one of them.

Raising The Soviet Flag On The Reichstag, 1945
Depicting Soviet troops raising their flag atop the German Reichstag building, this iconic photo was taken by Yevgeny Khaldei during the Battle of Berlin on May 2, 1945. Considered one of the most popular and identifiable images of war, the photo was so popular because the usurpation of the historically significant building symbolized the downfall the Soviets’ enemy. The takedown occurred after a lengthy and bloody battle within the buildings walls.

Raising The Flag On Iwo Jima, 1945
A Pulitzer prize winning photo, this image by Joe Rosenthal shows U.S Marines patriotically raising the flag on top of Mount Suribachi during the Battle of Iwo Jima in WW2. Half of the men depicted in the picture died in battle.

The Most Iconic Photos Of The 1940s: Atomic Bomb In Hiroshima, 1945
This profound image depicts the explosion of an atomic bomb on August 6th in Hiroshima, Japan. It was the second atomic bomb ever used and the mushroom cloud in the photo gives the scope of the devastation: 150,000 people were killed or injured.

The First Computer, 1946
The images of the first computer debuted in February 1946 when the device comprised 18,000 vacuum tubes, many wires and 170,000 watts of power and filled a 1,500 square foot room.

The Most Iconic Photos Of The 1940s: Dalí Atomicus, 1948
This surreal image was taken by Philippe Halsman as homage to both the new atomic age and to Salvador Dali’s surrealist masterpiece “Leda Atomica”. The bizarre photograph is actually a combination of people jumping and water and cats being thrown. The shoot took six hours, 28 jumps and various assistants throwing things in the air.

Iconic Photographs Of The 1950s: Korean War March, 1950
This LIFE magazine picture is one of the earliest images of the Korean War. In it, American Marines march down a canyon road they dubbed “Nightmare Alley” during a retreat from the Chosin Reservoir.
First 3D Film, 1952
Snapped for LIFE magazine, this December 1952 photograph shows the advancement in cinematic technology with American audiences enjoying the opening night of the first full-length American 3-D feature film, Bwana Devil.
The indelible image of Marilyn Monroe smiling as her skirt blows from a blast from the subway vent was shot during the filming of The Seven Year Itch. Though it is now etched as an iconic photograph, at the time it infuriated her then husband, Joe DiMaggio, and the couple divorced shortly after.

Iconic Photographs Of The 1950s: James Dean Walking In NYC, 1955

Shot for LIFE magazine in 1955, the moody photo of James Dean walking through Times Square accurately portrayed the intensity and mystique of the short-lived, brilliant actor.

“Guerrillero Heroico” or “Heroic Guerrilla Fighter” is one of the most popular and stylized pictures of all time. Taken by Alberto Korda on March 5, the image is of the Marxist revolutionary Che Guevara at a memorial service for victims of La Coubre explosion. It is often considered as the most famous image in the world and certainly lionized Guevara’s person as it is the most reproduced image in photography.

Assassination of Japan Socialist Inejiro Asanuma, 1960

This picture was taken literally a second before the Japanese socialist Party leader Asanuma was stabbed to death on live TV by a right wing extremist. Photographer Yasushi Nagao, whose modest response was that he was in the right place at the right time, was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for the shot and became one of the iconic photos of the 1960s.

The Most Iconic Photos Of The 1960s: Burning Monk, 1963

Malcolm W. Browne captured this image of the Vietnamese monk, Thich Quang Duc, who set himself on fire to protest the Diem regime’s ruthless persecution of Buddhists. The image, needless to say, captured the “hearts and minds” of millions world-over.

President Johnson Sworn In Aboard Air Force One, 1963
Mere moments after the devastating assassination of President Kennedy, the presidential photographer, Cecil Stoughton, snapped this image of Lyndon B Johnson being sworn in as the new president on board Air Force One. The event occurred mere hours after Kennedy was shot, the reason behind the haunting image of the visibly distraught Jackie Kennedy.

How Life Begins, 1965

How Life Begins was an image taken by Lennart Nilsson of developing foetus. It was taken with an endoscope and published in Life Magazine in 1965, and was the first of its kind to show us where life comes from.

James Meredith, 1966

This devastating image shows civil rights activist James Meredith moments after he was shot on June 6, 1966 while leading a civil rights march. Said march aimed to encourage African Americans to exercise their voting rights and this image shows him pulling himself across the Highway in visible pain. Right after being treated, he completed the march from Memphis to Jackson.

The Body of Che Guevara, 1967
From one iconic image of Che to another, the Bolivian army took this photograph after capturing and killing the Marxist revolutionary leader as proof of his demise. His death, needless to say, dealt a heavy blow to the socialist movement.

Execution of a Viet Cong Guerrilla, 1968

Photographer Eddie Adams snapped this horrific image during the Vietnam War. The photo depicts the South Vietnam’s national police chief, Nguyen Ngoc Loan, executing a Viet Cong captain.

Earthrise, 1968

Snapped on Christmas Eve, the Earthrise photograph is considered one of the most influential environmental photos ever taken and inspired people to think about our place in the universe. There was a raging debate about who took the photo – Frank Borman or Bill Anders of the Apollo 8 mission – with an investigation confirming Anders was responsible for the color version of the iconic image.

Robert Kennedy Assassination, 1968
Years after the assassination of older brother JFK, this sobering image of Senator Robert Kennedy was taken in a pool of his own blood after being shot at Los Angeles’ Ambassador Hotel on June 5. He was found by a hotel busboy, Juan Romero, shown in this LIFE magazine photo comforting the wounded Senator. Kennedy died shortly after the photo was taken.

Man Walks on the Moon, 1969
Neil “That’s one small step for man” Armstrong snapped this image of fellow astronaut Buzz Aldrin during their jaunt on the moon. The image became a symbol of American innovation and dedication and one of the lasting iconic photos of the 1960s.