Tank Man (1989) – Jeff Widener

The Tiananmen Square massacre of June 1989 was when the Chinese military opened fire on pro-democracy protesters, killing hundreds (some reported thousands). The following day photographer Jeff Widener was in Beijing to document the aftermath of the incident on assignment from the Associated Press.

He was on the Beijing Hotel balcony when military tanks were moving down the street, and one man, carrying a shopping bag, stepped in front of them. It wasn’t an accident either. According to reports, he moved in front of them when they tried to go around him. To Widener’s surprise, the tanks held their fire, and the man was just removed from the scene.