It is one of the most iconic images in history: an unknown man confronting a line of tanks in the middle of Beijing’s Tiananmen Square, defying an entire government.

Reuters photographer Arthur Tsang was there in 1989, watching from a hotel balcony nearby. At the time, he had no idea how significant and symbolic that moment would be.

“When I released the shutter, it didn’t occur to me that ‘Wow, this is a great shot,’ ” Tsang told the South China Morning Post many years later. “You couldn’t foresee the impact of the image.”

Tsang’s coverage of that historic week is among the work featured in a new book, “In the Moment: 40 Years of Reuters Photojournalism.” The book chronicles the memorable stories and moments captured by the news agency’s photographers since it launched its photo service on January 1, 1985. While Reuters has been reporting on news for nearly 175 years, its photo department is relatively new.

“It’s been an absolute privilege to look back at not just the history of Reuters, but newsgathering and how it’s changed,” said the book’s editor, Alexia Singh, who spent 20 years at the agency and managed picture desks in London, Paris and Singapore.

So much is different than it was 40 years ago, and it all starts with the technology. In 1985, everyone was still shooting on film. Photographers in the field would have to develop prints in portable darkrooms and then send them out via an analog telephone line using a specialized drum transmitter. It could take eight minutes to send a black-and-white image — three times longer for a color image — and that was under ideal conditions. If there was any static in the line, the picture quality would be affected and the photo would have to be sent again.

Now, with digital cameras and the internet, Reuters can send tens of thousands of images to the world in the same amount of time.

The staff has changed dramatically as well. Photojournalism has been historically male-dominated. Today, women take one-third of all news photographs that Reuters publishes. And there are more different nationalities and cultures represented than ever before. When Reuters first launched its picture service, it started with 50 photographers. “Now there are teams all over the world covering news, and those teams are made up of people in country, locals, both in the photographers and in the editing centers,” Singh said.

Kevin Coombs, a global pictures production editor, has been with Reuters for 35 years and witnessed the company become an industry powerhouse that has published more than 14 million photos and won numerous Pulitzer Prizes and World Press Photo awards.

“Digital changed things, and digital gets better and better and better,” he said. “But at the end of the day, a photojournalist today still goes out with the same empowerment — you’ve still got to get there. You’ve still got to get into your position, you’ve got to get where the story is to be able to lift the camera and press the button, and that has actually not changed. And that I quite like.

“I like the fact that it’s about a person with two legs and a camera around their neck, getting themselves into a position to shoot that great picture.”

Editor’s note: This gallery contains graphic images. Viewer discretion is advised.

Britain’s Prince William kisses his wife, Catherine, on the balcony of London’s Buckingham Palace on April 29, 2011. They had just been married at Westminster Abbey. “When I took that picture I didn’t really notice that girl holding her ears,” photographer Dylan Martinez said, referring to frowning bridesmaid Grace van Cutsem. “What I noticed was that I had this really beautiful black background. They kissed again but ... it didn’t have the girl, who made that picture.”
Britain’s Prince William kisses his wife, Catherine, on the balcony of London’s Buckingham Palace on April 29, 2011. They had just been married at Westminster Abbey. “When I took that picture I didn’t really notice that girl holding her ears,” photographer Dylan Martinez said, referring to frowning bridesmaid Grace van Cutsem. “What I noticed was that I had this really beautiful black background. They kissed again but ... it didn’t have the girl, who made that picture.”
Dylan Martinez/Reuters
Demonstrators gather in front of the Romanian Communist Party headquarters in Bucharest on December 22, 1989. A sign is held that reads “jos tiranul,” or “down with the tyrant.” Protests against communist regimes were sweeping across eastern Europe, and on this day Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu had fled the capital with his wife, Elena. He was executed days later. “These people that you see standing on top of the trucks — just in this sort of quiet yet serious way — that speaks to the sort of power of the populace in overturning a dictator,” book editor Alexia Singh said. “I find it full of humanity, although it’s epic in scale and the crowd goes on and on forever. This sort of quiet resistance that actually then ended up in a less-quiet resistance. It’s something very powerful and resonant.”
Demonstrators gather in front of the Romanian Communist Party headquarters in Bucharest on December 22, 1989. A sign is held that reads “jos tiranul,” or “down with the tyrant.” Protests against communist regimes were sweeping across eastern Europe, and on this day Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu had fled the capital with his wife, Elena. He was executed days later. “These people that you see standing on top of the trucks — just in this sort of quiet yet serious way — that speaks to the sort of power of the populace in overturning a dictator,” book editor Alexia Singh said. “I find it full of humanity, although it’s epic in scale and the crowd goes on and on forever. This sort of quiet resistance that actually then ended up in a less-quiet resistance. It’s something very powerful and resonant.”
Radu Sigheti/Reuters
Inas Abu Maamar embraces the body of her 5-year-old niece, Saly, at the Nasser Hospital morgue in Khan Younis, Gaza, on October 17, 2023. Saly was killed in an Israeli strike, according to Reuters. Saly’s mother and sister were also killed, along with Inas’ uncle and aunt. “People were confused, running from one place to another, anxious to know the fate of their loved ones, and this woman caught my eye as she was holding the body of the little girl and refused to let go,” photographer Mohammed Salem said. “I was torn between two feelings: stop taking such pictures so I wouldn’t get more affected or continue to tell the story.” This photo won Salem the World Press Photo of the Year award in 2024. It was also part of Reuters’ Pulitzer Prize coverage of the Israel-Hamas war.
Inas Abu Maamar embraces the body of her 5-year-old niece, Saly, at the Nasser Hospital morgue in Khan Younis, Gaza, on October 17, 2023. Saly was killed in an Israeli strike, according to Reuters. Saly’s mother and sister were also killed, along with Inas’ uncle and aunt. “People were confused, running from one place to another, anxious to know the fate of their loved ones, and this woman caught my eye as she was holding the body of the little girl and refused to let go,” photographer Mohammed Salem said. “I was torn between two feelings: stop taking such pictures so I wouldn’t get more affected or continue to tell the story.” This photo won Salem the World Press Photo of the Year award in 2024. It was also part of Reuters’ Pulitzer Prize coverage of the Israel-Hamas war.
Mohammed Salem/Reuters
Fires from a mass cremation site light up a residential area of New Delhi on April 22, 2021. A second wave of Covid-19 was devastating India, killing thousands of people each day and setting world records for daily infections. This aerial photo was taken by Danish Siddiqui, who died later that year while covering the war in Afghanistan. “Danish owned this story from the start,” said Reuters Asia photo editor Ahmad Masood. “He broke news with his pictures, showing the scale of the devastation both in Delhi and rural areas.” Siddiqui was a big part of the Reuters team that won a Pulitzer Prize for its coverage of the pandemic in India.
Fires from a mass cremation site light up a residential area of New Delhi on April 22, 2021. A second wave of Covid-19 was devastating India, killing thousands of people each day and setting world records for daily infections. This aerial photo was taken by Danish Siddiqui, who died later that year while covering the war in Afghanistan. “Danish owned this story from the start,” said Reuters Asia photo editor Ahmad Masood. “He broke news with his pictures, showing the scale of the devastation both in Delhi and rural areas.” Siddiqui was a big part of the Reuters team that won a Pulitzer Prize for its coverage of the pandemic in India.
Danish Siddiqui/Reuters
Nelson Mandela is accompanied by his wife, Winnie, after being released from prison on February 11, 1990. He had been imprisoned for 27 years. “Photographers scrambled to get their pictures in the seconds before Mandela’s overjoyed supporters surged forward,” recalled Ulli Michel, who captured the historic moment for Reuters. “I managed to shoot only 12 frames before Mandela’s security detail rushed him back into the limousine and drove off.”
Nelson Mandela is accompanied by his wife, Winnie, after being released from prison on February 11, 1990. He had been imprisoned for 27 years. “Photographers scrambled to get their pictures in the seconds before Mandela’s overjoyed supporters surged forward,” recalled Ulli Michel, who captured the historic moment for Reuters. “I managed to shoot only 12 frames before Mandela’s security detail rushed him back into the limousine and drove off.”
Ulli Michel/Reuters
A man clings to the top of a vehicle before being rescued by the Coast Guard on the flooded streets of New Orleans on September 4, 2005. It was nearly a week after Hurricane Katrina devastated the city. Photographer Robert Galbraith was riding in a Coast Guard helicopter. “All we could see through its open doors were death and destruction,” he said. “At one point, the chopper began circling and descending and suddenly I saw a man, dressed in khakis and mismatched tennis shoes, staring up at us, a look of terror on his face.” A Coast Guard rescuer pulled the man up to safety.
A man clings to the top of a vehicle before being rescued by the Coast Guard on the flooded streets of New Orleans on September 4, 2005. It was nearly a week after Hurricane Katrina devastated the city. Photographer Robert Galbraith was riding in a Coast Guard helicopter. “All we could see through its open doors were death and destruction,” he said. “At one point, the chopper began circling and descending and suddenly I saw a man, dressed in khakis and mismatched tennis shoes, staring up at us, a look of terror on his face.” A Coast Guard rescuer pulled the man up to safety.
Robert Galbraith/Reuters
US President-elect Barack Obama — accompanied by his wife, Michelle, and their children, Malia and Sasha — arrives to his election night rally in Chicago on November 4, 2008. The photo was taken by Gary Heshorn with a remote camera set up at the back of the stage. “The camera was set up and the composition was all about the shadows,” he said later on the podcast Behind the Shot. He added, “Lucky me, I had the flag in the right side of the frame to further add to the feeling of a presidential election.”
US President-elect Barack Obama — accompanied by his wife, Michelle, and their children, Malia and Sasha — arrives to his election night rally in Chicago on November 4, 2008. The photo was taken by Gary Heshorn with a remote camera set up at the back of the stage. “The camera was set up and the composition was all about the shadows,” he said later on the podcast Behind the Shot. He added, “Lucky me, I had the flag in the right side of the frame to further add to the feeling of a presidential election.”
Gary Hershorn/Reuters
A US Marine watches as a bronze statue of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein is pulled down in Baghdad on April 9, 2003. Afterward, a few dozen Iraqis swarmed onto it, cheering and stomping on Hussein’s face. This photo, taken by Goran Tomasevic, has become one of the most enduring images of the Iraq War and the toppling of Hussein’s regime. Hussein was captured in December of that year and executed in 2006.
A US Marine watches as a bronze statue of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein is pulled down in Baghdad on April 9, 2003. Afterward, a few dozen Iraqis swarmed onto it, cheering and stomping on Hussein’s face. This photo, taken by Goran Tomasevic, has become one of the most enduring images of the Iraq War and the toppling of Hussein’s regime. Hussein was captured in December of that year and executed in 2006.
Goran Tomasevic/Reuters
Sandinista soldiers lead captured American Eugene Hasenfus through the jungle after shooting down his CIA supply plane in Nicaragua in October 1986. This photo of the captive Hasenfus, taken by Lou Dematteis, would ultimately expose what became known as the Iran-Contra affair — a secret operation supplying weapons to the Contras rebel group in violation of US law.
Sandinista soldiers lead captured American Eugene Hasenfus through the jungle after shooting down his CIA supply plane in Nicaragua in October 1986. This photo of the captive Hasenfus, taken by Lou Dematteis, would ultimately expose what became known as the Iran-Contra affair — a secret operation supplying weapons to the Contras rebel group in violation of US law.
Lou Dematteis/Reuters
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton sends a text while leaving on a military plane from Malta bound for Tripoli, Libya, on October 18, 2011. “Six months later, my picture of her texting resurfaced and went viral thanks to a tumblr.com blog called ‘Texts from Hillary,’ ” Reuters photographer Kevin Lamarque recalled. “The blog used the image, along with a similar one from photographer Diana Walker, for a comic meme which, according to the blog’s creators, resulted in numerous shares and ‘news stories around the world.’ ” The blog’s creators were later invited to the State Department to meet Clinton and have their photo taken with her as they all texted.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton sends a text while leaving on a military plane from Malta bound for Tripoli, Libya, on October 18, 2011. “Six months later, my picture of her texting resurfaced and went viral thanks to a tumblr.com blog called ‘Texts from Hillary,’ ” Reuters photographer Kevin Lamarque recalled. “The blog used the image, along with a similar one from photographer Diana Walker, for a comic meme which, according to the blog’s creators, resulted in numerous shares and ‘news stories around the world.’ ” The blog’s creators were later invited to the State Department to meet Clinton and have their photo taken with her as they all texted.
Kevin Lamarque/Reuters
Rescue workers carry the Rev. Mychal F. Judge, the chaplain of the New York City Fire Department, after he was fatally struck by falling debris at the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. Judge had just administered last rites to a firefighter at the site. “I will never forget the surreal moment of sunlight that was making its way through all the destruction and chaos on that clear September day. That is when I saw the men carrying Father Judge in a chair,” Reuters photographer Shannon Stapleton said. “I could tell that he had been killed, but it profoundly struck me that all these men from various agencies were doing their best to preserve his body. I had no idea who he was. After making these photos, I looked down at the small display screen and knew at that point I had made a picture that needed to be seen by the rest of the world.”
Rescue workers carry the Rev. Mychal F. Judge, the chaplain of the New York City Fire Department, after he was fatally struck by falling debris at the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. Judge had just administered last rites to a firefighter at the site. “I will never forget the surreal moment of sunlight that was making its way through all the destruction and chaos on that clear September day. That is when I saw the men carrying Father Judge in a chair,” Reuters photographer Shannon Stapleton said. “I could tell that he had been killed, but it profoundly struck me that all these men from various agencies were doing their best to preserve his body. I had no idea who he was. After making these photos, I looked down at the small display screen and knew at that point I had made a picture that needed to be seen by the rest of the world.”
Shannon Stapleton/Reuters
A British Army officer has her handgun cocked as Iraqi civilians flee fighting in Basra on April 6, 2003. After a two-week siege, British tanks shot their way into Basra in a bid to stamp out dogged resistance from paramilitary fighters loyal to President Saddam Hussein.
A British Army officer has her handgun cocked as Iraqi civilians flee fighting in Basra on April 6, 2003. After a two-week siege, British tanks shot their way into Basra in a bid to stamp out dogged resistance from paramilitary fighters loyal to President Saddam Hussein.
Yannis Behrakis/Reuters
Actor Will Smith slaps comedian Chris Rock during the Academy Awards telecast after Rock made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s shaved head on March 27, 2022. Censors muted the verbal exchange that followed. Smith would go on to win the Oscar for best actor later in the night, and in a tearful acceptance speech he apologized to the Academy. Photographer Brian Snyder was photographing the Oscars for the first time, and he didn’t realize how big “The Slap” had become until he left the theater that night. “Fifty years from now, when people tell the history of the Oscars, that will always be there,” he said. The next month, the Academy punished Smith by banning him from the awards show for the next 10 years.
Actor Will Smith slaps comedian Chris Rock during the Academy Awards telecast after Rock made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s shaved head on March 27, 2022. Censors muted the verbal exchange that followed. Smith would go on to win the Oscar for best actor later in the night, and in a tearful acceptance speech he apologized to the Academy. Photographer Brian Snyder was photographing the Oscars for the first time, and he didn’t realize how big “The Slap” had become until he left the theater that night. “Fifty years from now, when people tell the history of the Oscars, that will always be there,” he said. The next month, the Academy punished Smith by banning him from the awards show for the next 10 years.
Brian Snyder/Reuters
A demonstrator pounds away at the Berlin Wall as East Berlin border guards watch on November 11, 1989. The Wall fell two days earlier as East Germany opened its borders with West Germany. Germany was officially unified the next year.
A demonstrator pounds away at the Berlin Wall as East Berlin border guards watch on November 11, 1989. The Wall fell two days earlier as East Germany opened its borders with West Germany. Germany was officially unified the next year.
David Brauchli/Reuters
A protester is detained by police during skirmishes outside a police station in Hong Kong on September 2, 2019. She was screaming her name out to friends so they could call a lawyer to help. The picture was taken as people marched in the streets to protest a controversial extradition bill that critics feared would allow citizens to be sent across the border into mainland China. “The emotions shown on her face were so strong and striking that it left a lasting memory,” Reuters photographer Tyrone Siu said. “But it was only one day of many days, one face of many young faces being detained by the police in this manner throughout the monthslong protest.” This photo was part of a series of Reuters images that won a Pulitzer Prize for its coverage of the Hong Kong protests.
A protester is detained by police during skirmishes outside a police station in Hong Kong on September 2, 2019. She was screaming her name out to friends so they could call a lawyer to help. The picture was taken as people marched in the streets to protest a controversial extradition bill that critics feared would allow citizens to be sent across the border into mainland China. “The emotions shown on her face were so strong and striking that it left a lasting memory,” Reuters photographer Tyrone Siu said. “But it was only one day of many days, one face of many young faces being detained by the police in this manner throughout the monthslong protest.” This photo was part of a series of Reuters images that won a Pulitzer Prize for its coverage of the Hong Kong protests.
Tyrone Siu/Reuters
Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt looks back at his Olympic competitors during a 100-meter semifinal in Rio de Janeiro on August 14, 2016. "I decided to play with slow shutter speed for that race,” photographer Kai Pfaffenbach said. “I set my camera (shutter speed) to a 50th of a second and was waiting for the moment when he passed my position. In this very right moment he looked to his left with the proud smile and my first thought was, ‘Hopefully I got this sharp.' Well, I've been a lucky bunny in this case but I still would not have imagined at this moment that this picture would go viral and get worldwide recognition." Bolt won the final a short time later, becoming the first man in history to win the 100 meters at three straight Olympic Games.
Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt looks back at his Olympic competitors during a 100-meter semifinal in Rio de Janeiro on August 14, 2016. "I decided to play with slow shutter speed for that race,” photographer Kai Pfaffenbach said. “I set my camera (shutter speed) to a 50th of a second and was waiting for the moment when he passed my position. In this very right moment he looked to his left with the proud smile and my first thought was, ‘Hopefully I got this sharp.' Well, I've been a lucky bunny in this case but I still would not have imagined at this moment that this picture would go viral and get worldwide recognition." Bolt won the final a short time later, becoming the first man in history to win the 100 meters at three straight Olympic Games.
Kai Pfaffenbach/Reuters
An injured soccer fan is carried on a makeshift stretcher after a stand wall collapsed prior to the start of the European Cup final at the Heysel Stadium in Brussels, Belgium, on May 29, 1985. Thirty-nine people were killed, and hundreds were injured. “The crazy thing is that UEFA decided to play the match after so our photographer, Nick Didlick, was shooting a disaster going on and then went on to shoot the actual game,” Reuters editor Kevin Coombs recalled.
An injured soccer fan is carried on a makeshift stretcher after a stand wall collapsed prior to the start of the European Cup final at the Heysel Stadium in Brussels, Belgium, on May 29, 1985. Thirty-nine people were killed, and hundreds were injured. “The crazy thing is that UEFA decided to play the match after so our photographer, Nick Didlick, was shooting a disaster going on and then went on to shoot the actual game,” Reuters editor Kevin Coombs recalled.
Nick Didlick/Reuters
A police officer uses tear gas against protesters during a demonstration in Istanbul’s Taksim Square on May 28, 2013. The protest began over plans to turn plan to turn Gezi Park into a mall, and they quickly devolved into large anti-government demonstrations. Turkish riot police eventually cleared out the protesters who were camping out. The <a href="index.php?page=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnn.com%2F2013%2F06%2F05%2Fworld%2Fmeast%2Fturkey-woman-in-red%2Findex.html">woman in a red dress</a> became an icon of the violent protests in Turkey, making international headlines and spreading across social media.
A police officer uses tear gas against protesters during a demonstration in Istanbul’s Taksim Square on May 28, 2013. The protest began over plans to turn plan to turn Gezi Park into a mall, and they quickly devolved into large anti-government demonstrations. Turkish riot police eventually cleared out the protesters who were camping out. The woman in a red dress became an icon of the violent protests in Turkey, making international headlines and spreading across social media.
Osman Orsal/Reuters
US Marine Sgt. William Olas Bee has a close call after Taliban fighters opened fire outside a compound near Garmsir, Afghanistan, on May 18, 2008. “If I hadn’t already been pointing the camera at (Bee) when the bullet hit the wall, I would not have been able to react quickly enough to take this picture,” photographer Goran Tomasevic said. Bee went down, and Tomasevic went to check on him. Bee was knocked unconscious by the impact, but he was not hit or seriously hurt. “I shot a few more pictures, then went back to see how Bee was doing,” Tomasevic said. “He was grinning ear to ear. It was his lucky day.”
US Marine Sgt. William Olas Bee has a close call after Taliban fighters opened fire outside a compound near Garmsir, Afghanistan, on May 18, 2008. “If I hadn’t already been pointing the camera at (Bee) when the bullet hit the wall, I would not have been able to react quickly enough to take this picture,” photographer Goran Tomasevic said. Bee went down, and Tomasevic went to check on him. Bee was knocked unconscious by the impact, but he was not hit or seriously hurt. “I shot a few more pictures, then went back to see how Bee was doing,” Tomasevic said. “He was grinning ear to ear. It was his lucky day.”
Goran Tomasevic/Reuters
Pop star Michael Jackson holds his baby boy over a fourth-floor balcony as he looks down at fans outside a Berlin hotel on November 19, 2002. He later apologized, saying he had made a “terrible mistake.”
Pop star Michael Jackson holds his baby boy over a fourth-floor balcony as he looks down at fans outside a Berlin hotel on November 19, 2002. He later apologized, saying he had made a “terrible mistake.”
Tobias Schwarz/Reuters
A woman mourns the death of her relative who was killed in a tsunami in Cuddalore, India, on December 28, 2004. A massive 9.1 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia, triggering an Indian Ocean tsunami that claimed over 200,000 lives. The picture won the World Press Photo of the Year award.
A woman mourns the death of her relative who was killed in a tsunami in Cuddalore, India, on December 28, 2004. A massive 9.1 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia, triggering an Indian Ocean tsunami that claimed over 200,000 lives. The picture won the World Press Photo of the Year award.
Arko Datta/Reuters
Ieshia Evans stands in the street as two police officers move in to arrest her near the headquarters of the Baton Rouge Police Department in Louisiana on July 9, 2016. She was one of hundreds of protesters who blocked a Baton Rouge roadway following the police shooting of Alton Sterling a few days earlier. For many, it became the defining image of the Black Lives Matter rallies that swept the United States that summer. “What made me most proud about the image was its ability to stimulate dialogue, which I think is one of the great hallmarks of photography,” said Jonathan Bachman, who took the photo for Reuters.
Ieshia Evans stands in the street as two police officers move in to arrest her near the headquarters of the Baton Rouge Police Department in Louisiana on July 9, 2016. She was one of hundreds of protesters who blocked a Baton Rouge roadway following the police shooting of Alton Sterling a few days earlier. For many, it became the defining image of the Black Lives Matter rallies that swept the United States that summer. “What made me most proud about the image was its ability to stimulate dialogue, which I think is one of the great hallmarks of photography,” said Jonathan Bachman, who took the photo for Reuters.
Jonathan Bachman/Reuters
Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, left, shakes hands with US President Ronald Reagan as they meet to sign an arms treaty in Geneva, Switzerland, on November 19, 1985. They were meeting for the first time to hold talks on diplomatic relations and the arms race. “You have to remember, that was the height of the Cold War,” Reuters editor Kevin Coombs said. “There were lots of summits going on.” The Cold War ended in 1991 with the dissolution of the Soviet Union.
Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, left, shakes hands with US President Ronald Reagan as they meet to sign an arms treaty in Geneva, Switzerland, on November 19, 1985. They were meeting for the first time to hold talks on diplomatic relations and the arms race. “You have to remember, that was the height of the Cold War,” Reuters editor Kevin Coombs said. “There were lots of summits going on.” The Cold War ended in 1991 with the dissolution of the Soviet Union.
Denis Paquin/Reuters
Palestinians flee as Israeli soldiers fire tear gas during clashes in Khan Younis, Gaza, on October 20, 2000. Violence continued to flare despite an agreement reached at a peace summit in Egypt.
Palestinians flee as Israeli soldiers fire tear gas during clashes in Khan Younis, Gaza, on October 20, 2000. Violence continued to flare despite an agreement reached at a peace summit in Egypt.
Reinhard Krause/Reuters
A man in Ferguson, Missouri, is doused with milk and sprayed with mist after being hit by an eye irritant from security forces who were trying to disperse people protesting against the police shooting of Michael Brown on August 20, 2014.
A man in Ferguson, Missouri, is doused with milk and sprayed with mist after being hit by an eye irritant from security forces who were trying to disperse people protesting against the police shooting of Michael Brown on August 20, 2014.
Adrees Latif/Reuters
From left, Britain’s Prince William, Prince Harry and their father, Prince Charles, watch as the coffin containing the body of Princess Diana is driven away from Westminster Abbey after her funeral on September 6, 1997. Diana’s death in a car crash in Paris was mourned around the world. This photo was taken by Reuters photographer Ian Waldie, who was using one of the first professional digital SLR cameras. The aim was to transmit the funeral images via a laptop so they would reach Reuters clients in almost real time. While digital cameras at the time didn’t match the quality of traditional film, their speed was unmatched. Waldie’s photos made the front page of the Sunday Times that same day.
From left, Britain’s Prince William, Prince Harry and their father, Prince Charles, watch as the coffin containing the body of Princess Diana is driven away from Westminster Abbey after her funeral on September 6, 1997. Diana’s death in a car crash in Paris was mourned around the world. This photo was taken by Reuters photographer Ian Waldie, who was using one of the first professional digital SLR cameras. The aim was to transmit the funeral images via a laptop so they would reach Reuters clients in almost real time. While digital cameras at the time didn’t match the quality of traditional film, their speed was unmatched. Waldie’s photos made the front page of the Sunday Times that same day.
Ian Waldie/Reuters
US President Donald Trump watches Frank Giaccio fulfill his wish to mow the White House lawn on September 15, 2017. The 11-year-old from Virginia had written a letter to the president asking if he could be allowed to put his landscaping skills to good use for the White House. “I would like to show the nation what young people like me are ready for,” he wrote. Frank even waived his $8 fee for his services. "Working in Washington, covering politics, I struggle with the rigid and tightly controlled images we're asked to take,” Reuters photographer Carlos Barria said. “But once in a while I get to witness a natural, unscripted moment. … The image of Trump shouting at a kid who is mowing his lawn might have many interpretations in today's politically polarized United States. But for me it was just a kid who loved what he was doing, to the point he almost appeared to ignore the president.”
US President Donald Trump watches Frank Giaccio fulfill his wish to mow the White House lawn on September 15, 2017. The 11-year-old from Virginia had written a letter to the president asking if he could be allowed to put his landscaping skills to good use for the White House. “I would like to show the nation what young people like me are ready for,” he wrote. Frank even waived his $8 fee for his services. "Working in Washington, covering politics, I struggle with the rigid and tightly controlled images we're asked to take,” Reuters photographer Carlos Barria said. “But once in a while I get to witness a natural, unscripted moment. … The image of Trump shouting at a kid who is mowing his lawn might have many interpretations in today's politically polarized United States. But for me it was just a kid who loved what he was doing, to the point he almost appeared to ignore the president.”
Carlos Barria/Reuters
The Formula One car of Jos Verstappen goes up in flames during a pit stop at the German Grand Prix on July 31, 1994. “Petrol started spraying out of the filler hose, which had been incorrectly fitted, and the car caught fire. Within seconds, it was engulfed in a fireball,” recalled photographer Joachim Herrmann. “The scene horrified watching fans — but the blaze was put out quickly and Verstappen and the pit crew suffered only minor injuries.”
The Formula One car of Jos Verstappen goes up in flames during a pit stop at the German Grand Prix on July 31, 1994. “Petrol started spraying out of the filler hose, which had been incorrectly fitted, and the car caught fire. Within seconds, it was engulfed in a fireball,” recalled photographer Joachim Herrmann. “The scene horrified watching fans — but the blaze was put out quickly and Verstappen and the pit crew suffered only minor injuries.”
Joachim Herrmann/Reuters
A gunman with a bag over his head fires an automatic rifle from the doorway of a hijacked airliner at the Beirut International Airport in Lebanon on June 20, 1985. He was firing at photographers covering the ordeal from a nearby airport balcony. “They were annoyed by journalists taking pictures with big lenses,” said Neema, who was part of a team of Reuters photographers at the scene. “The bullets went above our heads and hit the wall behind us. I ducked and kept on shooting.” The hijacking of TWA Flight 847 lasted 17 days and was one of the biggest international stories covered by Reuters since it launched its picture service at the beginning of the year.
A gunman with a bag over his head fires an automatic rifle from the doorway of a hijacked airliner at the Beirut International Airport in Lebanon on June 20, 1985. He was firing at photographers covering the ordeal from a nearby airport balcony. “They were annoyed by journalists taking pictures with big lenses,” said Neema, who was part of a team of Reuters photographers at the scene. “The bullets went above our heads and hit the wall behind us. I ducked and kept on shooting.” The hijacking of TWA Flight 847 lasted 17 days and was one of the biggest international stories covered by Reuters since it launched its picture service at the beginning of the year.
Frederic Neema/Reuters
Brazilian star Ronaldo walks past celebrating French players after the World Cup final in Paris on July 12, 1998. Reuters went all in on digital cameras for this tournament and used an early form of Wi-Fi to send pictures directly from pitch-side laptops. “That kind of changed the entire industry, really,” Reuters editor Kevin Coombs said. “It was so successful that there was never, frankly after that, any reason to ever shoot a roll of film ever again.”
Brazilian star Ronaldo walks past celebrating French players after the World Cup final in Paris on July 12, 1998. Reuters went all in on digital cameras for this tournament and used an early form of Wi-Fi to send pictures directly from pitch-side laptops. “That kind of changed the entire industry, really,” Reuters editor Kevin Coombs said. “It was so successful that there was never, frankly after that, any reason to ever shoot a roll of film ever again.”
Desmond Boylan/Reuters
An explosion caused by a police “flash-bang” grenade is seen in front of the US Capitol while supporters of US President Donald Trump riot in Washington, DC, on January 6, 2021. Trump supporters breached the Capitol while Congress was meeting to certify the Electoral College’s votes for president and vice president. The Capitol was put on lockdown and the certification vote was paused until the Capitol could be secured. “This photo — much like a lighting bolt in a thunderstorm — it’s a split-second but it does capture this immense power and this incredible emotion and violence that happened that day,” Reuters photographer Leah Millis said.
An explosion caused by a police “flash-bang” grenade is seen in front of the US Capitol while supporters of US President Donald Trump riot in Washington, DC, on January 6, 2021. Trump supporters breached the Capitol while Congress was meeting to certify the Electoral College’s votes for president and vice president. The Capitol was put on lockdown and the certification vote was paused until the Capitol could be secured. “This photo — much like a lighting bolt in a thunderstorm — it’s a split-second but it does capture this immense power and this incredible emotion and violence that happened that day,” Reuters photographer Leah Millis said.
Leah Millis/Retuers
A young girl carries a stone to help her father to build a wall in the Neelum Valley, near a camp north of the earthquake-devastated city of Muzaffarabad in Pakistan-administered Kashmir on February 15, 2006. Millions lost their homes after a powerful earthquake that killed tens of thousands of people.
A young girl carries a stone to help her father to build a wall in the Neelum Valley, near a camp north of the earthquake-devastated city of Muzaffarabad in Pakistan-administered Kashmir on February 15, 2006. Millions lost their homes after a powerful earthquake that killed tens of thousands of people.
Thierry Roge/Reuters
The wreckage of the Costa Concordia cruise ship lies on its side off the Tuscan island of Giglio, Italy, on August 26, 2013. Thirty-two people died after the ship crashed into the rocks off Giglio in January 2012. It took over two years for it to be refloated and towed away.
The wreckage of the Costa Concordia cruise ship lies on its side off the Tuscan island of Giglio, Italy, on August 26, 2013. Thirty-two people died after the ship crashed into the rocks off Giglio in January 2012. It took over two years for it to be refloated and towed away.
Alessandro Bianchi/Reuters
Migrant Maria Meza and her 5-year-old twin daughters, Saira Mejia Meza and Cheili Mejia Meza, run from tear gas that was deployed by US Border Patrol agents near the fence between Mexico and the United States on November 25, 2018. The Honduran family was among more than 100 migrants near the border when a few men tried to dismantle a wire fence separating the two countries, Reuters photographer Kim Kyung-Hoon said. That’s when border officials unleashed tear gas. "This has all the elements in one picture," he said. "We can see the border, the tear gas, the children using diapers, barefoot." Reuters later won a Pulitzer Prize for its photos showing migrants’ journey to the United States.
Migrant Maria Meza and her 5-year-old twin daughters, Saira Mejia Meza and Cheili Mejia Meza, run from tear gas that was deployed by US Border Patrol agents near the fence between Mexico and the United States on November 25, 2018. The Honduran family was among more than 100 migrants near the border when a few men tried to dismantle a wire fence separating the two countries, Reuters photographer Kim Kyung-Hoon said. That’s when border officials unleashed tear gas. "This has all the elements in one picture," he said. "We can see the border, the tear gas, the children using diapers, barefoot." Reuters later won a Pulitzer Prize for its photos showing migrants’ journey to the United States.
Kim Kyung-hoon/Reuters
US President Bill Clinton brings together Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, left, and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat for their historic handshake after the signing of the Oslo Accords in Washington, DC, on September 13, 1993. Arafat extended his hand first to Rabin. “There was this awkward hesitation where Rabin is just looking at him, and Arafat has this Cheshire cat grin on his face,” photographer Rick Wilking remembered. “To me that was the most powerful image to come out of that, because it sort of summed up the attitudes at the time — do I really want to shake hands with this guy who’s been my enemy forever?”
US President Bill Clinton brings together Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, left, and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat for their historic handshake after the signing of the Oslo Accords in Washington, DC, on September 13, 1993. Arafat extended his hand first to Rabin. “There was this awkward hesitation where Rabin is just looking at him, and Arafat has this Cheshire cat grin on his face,” photographer Rick Wilking remembered. “To me that was the most powerful image to come out of that, because it sort of summed up the attitudes at the time — do I really want to shake hands with this guy who’s been my enemy forever?”
Rick Wilking/Reuters
A man rinses soot from his face at the scene of a gas pipeline explosion near Lagos, Nigeria, on December 26, 2006. Hundreds were killed in the tragedy.
A man rinses soot from his face at the scene of a gas pipeline explosion near Lagos, Nigeria, on December 26, 2006. Hundreds were killed in the tragedy.
Akintunde Akinleye/Reuters
Tornado damage can be seen from the theater of an American Legion building in Mayfield, Kentucky, on December 11, 2021 Dozens of people were killed after a tornado outbreak flattened homes and businesses across eight states in the Midwest and South.
Tornado damage can be seen from the theater of an American Legion building in Mayfield, Kentucky, on December 11, 2021 Dozens of people were killed after a tornado outbreak flattened homes and businesses across eight states in the Midwest and South.
Cheney Orr/Reuters
An exhausted Rohingya refugee touches the shore in Shah Porir Dwip, Bangladesh, after crossing the Bangladesh-Myanmar border by boat through the Bay of Bengal on September 11, 2017. Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya people fled to Bangladesh that year. The Rohingya are a Muslim minority who live in Myanmar's Rakhine state but are not recognized as citizens by the government. They are considered by human-rights groups to be among the world's most persecuted people. Reuters’ photo staff won a Pulitzer Prize for its coverage of Rohingya migrant crisis. “I had a few moments where my heart outweighed my head and I had to stop shooting to help the people in front of me,” said Hannah McKay, one of the Reuters photographers who documented the crisis.
An exhausted Rohingya refugee touches the shore in Shah Porir Dwip, Bangladesh, after crossing the Bangladesh-Myanmar border by boat through the Bay of Bengal on September 11, 2017. Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya people fled to Bangladesh that year. The Rohingya are a Muslim minority who live in Myanmar's Rakhine state but are not recognized as citizens by the government. They are considered by human-rights groups to be among the world's most persecuted people. Reuters’ photo staff won a Pulitzer Prize for its coverage of Rohingya migrant crisis. “I had a few moments where my heart outweighed my head and I had to stop shooting to help the people in front of me,” said Hannah McKay, one of the Reuters photographers who documented the crisis.
Danish Siddiqui/Reuters