Description
It is one of the most famous photographs of the Twentieth Century. In the middle of a crowded Times Square in New York City, a blue-uniformed U.S. Navy sailor bends a white-uniformed nurse over into a deep, passionate kiss. Taken on August 14, 1945 - the day the United States received Imperial Japan’s unconditional surrender - the image perfectly captures the exuberance of a war-weary nation and has been reproduced in thousands of books and articles and inspired countless tributes and parodies. Despite all this, however, for decades the identity of the people in the “VJ Day Kiss” photograph remained unclear, with dozens of people coming forward claiming to be the famous couple. And in recent years, the exact circumstances behind that kiss have come into question, souring popular perception of what had previously been an unambiguously joyous image. So who actually are the VJ Day kissers? And what has made this photograph so controversial?
Let’s find out as we dive into one of the most iconic images of the Second World War.
Author: Gilles Messier
Host/Editor: Daven Hiskey
Producer: Samuel Avila
0:00 Intro
4:23 The Kiss
8:31 Who Were the VJ Day Kissers?
23:14 The Dark Truth About the VJ Day Kiss