Pics that changed the world

I generally spend 3-4 hours on net trying to read up historical events of the world ( not from any one countries point of view ). I do it because I always wanted to become a historian and of course because I am ample free time.I found over the years that whenever I recollect those events , all I remember is the emotion that I had felt while reading/watching that event but along with that emotion comes a picture. I dont know why my mind is tuned like that but to me personally, a picture conveys a lot more than a thousand words but surprisingly even more than a video.

So here are a few of those pics that always haunt me.

1) Tiananmen Square 1989

Why are you here? You have caused nothing but misery.

I remember when I first came to know about this event , I thought it was just another student protest. Philippines, Malaysia and even India ( Mandal commission ( 91 ? ) and the anti-reservation protests from last year ) have had many student protests which made me undermine this. I also thought this was given hype because China is a communist country. But when I saw Dr. Lee crying while watching a documentary on it, I realized I was wrong.

Who was he ? He is probably dead, one among the thousands butchered brutally in the open by their own government. Makes me ponder on the same question again and again : Why do all communist countries maintain a veil of secrecy ?You try to hide something when you know that it is wrong.If freedom of speech and freedom of press allowed in communist countries then that system would beat demo(n)cracy hands down.

2) Anne Frank.

Though this picture doesnt represent the event in discussion but for me and the millions of others who have read her diary it represents much more than the holocaust.I still remember raising my hand in the class when my English teacher offered to give this diary for a read to anyone interested in the class. Though I admit I raised it because I wanted to be in her good books, I am glad I did it and went on to read Anne Frank's diary.And after a number of books, documentaries and films ( the best being Schindler's list by Spielberg ), this is what comes to my mind ( Yes ! It even beats the Auschwitz's Death gate. )

P.S. : Hitler without the holocaust would have been my number uno hero.

3) The Kiss

The joy, the relief and everything else in this beautiful photo taken on VJ day. Clearly my favorite.

But the small nagging question still remains : Does this kiss avenge the death of the millions lost in the war ?

4) !!

No words . Its time for action after seeing this photo, I have decided to donate money and make my friends follow me.Deadline : August 29th ( my birthday ).And I seriously want this pic to change the world ( if it is not already ). FYI, the photographer Kevin Carter committed suicide after receiving an award for the photo.

These are my top 4.