A man in one of the most iconic images ever has sadly passed away. George Mendonsa, a former U.S. Navy sailor, is best known for kissing a woman to celebrate the end of World War II.
The photograph is in history books and has been posted countless times online, but George Mendonsa, unfortunately, died on Sunday, February 17.
According to his daughter, he passed after falling and suffering a seizure. He was 95 years old and was living in an assisted living facility in Middletown, Rhode Island.
The woman in the photo is Greta Zimmer Friedman, and she just so happened to be a complete stranger to George when the photo was taken.
Greta passed away back in 2016 when she was 92 years old, after suffering from pneumonia.
The picture was perfectly captured by Alfred Eisenstaedt on August 14, 1945, in the middle of Times Square and perfectly embodied the joy the country felt about the war having finally come to an end.
While he was still alive, George told CBS News about why he decided to kiss Greta in that very moment.
“The excitement of the war bein’ over, plus I had a few drinks. So when I saw the nurse, I grabbed her and kissed her,” he said.
A number of people responded to George’s passing on Twitter.
“One of my favorite pictures, a time where men were men. I’ll celebrate his amazing life by singing the All in the Family theme song in Edith Bunkers voice today,” one person wrote.
“War is cruel but it taught men how to embrace/appreciate a woman. I love this photo. Prayers for the family,” another user wrote.
Somebody else added, “Will a photo ever be that iconic ever again??”
What are your thoughts on the photo? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.
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