It hardly seems real that we’re already a quarter of the way through the 21st century. But, here we are. Safe to say that the world is a very different place from the year 2000 – as is of course Amateur Photographer.
Back then, the online world was a very different space and there was no sign of the likes of Instagram coming over the horizon. Meanwhile, digital cameras really were in their infancy, with pretty low-grade technology and high prices to boot.
Of course, there’s been lots of political, social and cultural events that have shaped the world in the last 25 year too. Although one could never hope to comprehensively cover all of them in one magazine feature, I’ve selected a few of the big moments that yielded some important and striking photography here.
What have been the standout moments for you? Feel free to let us know via avenues that didn’t even exist 25 years ago, such as our social media channels.
Marcy Borders by Stan Honda
11th September 2001
There are, of course, hundreds of iconic images from 9/11. This one made front pages around the world, showing office worker Marcy Borders taking refuge in an office building just after one of the towers collapsed. Marcy worked for Bank of America, in its branch on the 81st floor of the North Tower. Although she survived the attack, she said she never recovered from the trauma. She died in 2015, from cancer, which she believed was caused by the toxic dust she was exposed to when the building collapsed.
Iraqis watch a statue of Saddam Hussein fall by Patrick Baz
9th April 2003
This enormous statue of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein was toppled at the al-Fardous (Paradise) square in Baghdad. It was pulled down by Iraqi citizens, helped by American forces during the invasion of Iraq. Pictures of the toppling were widely broadcast around the world, with British journalist Robert Fisk describing it as “the most staged photo opportunity since Iwo Jima” thanks to criticism around exaggerations of the crowd size.
Paul Dadge helps Davinia Turrell by Gareth Cattermole
7th July 2005
Just a day after celebrating winning the bid to host the 2012 Olympics, London was shaken by a series of explosions across the tube and bus network. Apart from the perpetrators, 52 people were killed in the attack, and more than 700 were injured during the morning rush hour. This image of Paul Dadge helping Davinia Turrell to safety became emblematic of the public’s response to put others first and do what they could to help.
Barack Obama elected President by Ralf-Finn Hestoft
4th November, 2008
Back in 2008, there was an air of hope and celebration after Barack Obama was elected President, the first African-American in US history to hold the office. He went on to win the election again in 2012. In this picture from Election Night 2008, Obama is pictured with his wife Michele, and his daughters Sasha and Malia. In 2017, Obama was of course succeeded by Donald Trump, who, it’s fair to say has had his fair share of controversies – and will pop up again later in the piece.
Death of Osama Bin Laden by Pete Souza
1st May, 2011
In this photograph, we see President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and members of the national security team receive an update on the mission against Osama bin Laden in the Situation Room of the White House. Later that day, Obama announced that the US had killed Bin Laden in an operation led by US Special Forces at a compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. Pete Souza was the chief official White House photographer for both Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama and has taken many fantastic and memorable photographs during his tenures.
Usain Bolt by Ian MacNicol
9th August, 2012
There was a huge source of national pride and achievement as the 2012 Olympics showcased Britain’s capability as a sporting powerhouse. There were many fantastic achievements of the British athletes, including a superb showing from the cycling team. Usain Bolt, the Jamaican athlete, was one of the stars of the whole event too. Here he is celebrating winning gold during the Men’s 200m Final on Day 13 of the Games. Bolt is the only sprinter to win Olympic 100m and 200m titles at three consecutive Olympics (2008, 2012 and 2016). He has a total of 8 Olympic golds, and is still the world record holder in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay.
David Cameron Resigns by Anadolu
24th June, 2016
2016 was dominated by the Brexit referendum – in many ways the news agenda still is shaped by it all these years later. Prime Minister David Cameron fought on the “Remain” side – here he is tendering his resignation outside No. 10 on the morning after the vote when the UK voted 52% to 48% to leave the European Union after 43 years of membership.
Grenfell Tower by Carl Court
14th June, 2017
The Grenfell Tower tragedy started on 14 June 2017, and went on to burn for 60 hours. A total of 72 people died, and more than 70 were injured, making it the deadliest residential fire the UK had seen since the Blitz. More than 250 firefighters and 70 fire engines were involved in attempting to combat the fire and rescue residents, while more than 100 ambulance crews and at least 20 ambulances attended. Multiple investigations plus a public inquiry were held into the causes of the fire, with new rules surrounding cladding used on tower blocks.
Notre Dame Fire by Geoffroy Van Der Hasselt
15th April, 2019
Pictures of a fire ripping through the hugely famous and historic Notre Dame cathedral sent shockwaves around the world in 2019. By the time the fire was eventually put out, the cathedral’s wooden spire had collapsed and most of the wooden roof had been destroyed. Damage to the interior was prevented by the vaulted stone ceiling, but many artworks and religious relics housed inside suffered smoke damage. A five year deadline to restore the Cathedral was set on 17 April, two days after the fire, with it being re-opened to the public on 7 December of this year.
NHS England starts Covid-19 Vaccination Campaign by Jacob King
8th December, 2020
Of course probably the biggest story of the last 25 years is the Covid pandemic. We scarcely need to remind readers of the devastation and horror it caused around the world. There were many influential pictures from the crisis taken, but, for a more optimistic choice, here’s Margaret Keenan, 90, the first person in the world to receive the Pfizer/BioNtech covid-19 vaccine in December 2020.
Trump Supporters Hold “Stop the Steal” Rally by Win McNamee
6th January, 2021
Jacob Chansley’s face (and hat) became synonymous with Trump supporters after the US Capitol was breached by a mob during a joint session of Congress taking place on 6 January, 2021. The session was being held to ratify President-elect Joe Biden’s win over President Donald Trump. Pro-Trump protesters illegally entered the Capitol building following rallies in Washington DC. Chansley – also known as the QAnon Shaman – was sentenced to 41 months in prison, followed by 36 months supervised release for his part in the storming of the capital. He was released on May 25, 2023.
Ukraine-Russia Conflict by Aris Messinis
24th February, 2022
The ongoing war in Ukraine has been raging for close to three years now. Starting on 24 February 2022, Russian armed forces invaded Ukraine from several directions. As of 2024, Russian forces occupy about 20% of Ukraine, while more than 8.2 million Ukrainians had fled the country by April 2023. Hundreds of thousands of military casualties and tens and thousands of civilian casualties have made this the deadliest conflict in Europe since World War II. Here, Olena Kurylo, a 52-year old teacher stands outside a hospital after the bombing of the town of Chuguiv on 24 February.
Palestinian-Israel Conflict by AFP
3rd April, 2024
The ongoing Gaza conflict has been the main story in the headlines since October 2023. The scale of destruction is massive. Here, the man pushing a bicycle along as he walks among the rubble in the devastated area around Gaza’s Al-Shifa hospital gives an indication of just how much has been destroyed. It’s estimated that around 45,000 people in Gaza have been killed in the conflict, including nearly 18,000 children.
Donald Trump’s Victory Speech in Florida by Anadolu
6th November, 2024
It’s been a tumultuous year in US politics. With President Joe Biden dropping out of the 2024 race reasonably last minute, it was hard to foresee the (re)surge in popularity of former President Trump. It’s been said that the assassination attempt in July helped cement his victory, with a now iconic photograph of him standing up after the shooting surely being one that will go down in the annals of history. In the end, his was an enormous win over rival Kamala Harris, who would have been the first female President of the United States had she succeeded. Trump has made some controversial selections for his cabinet since winning the election, and it remains to be seen how his next Presidency will turn out.
Related reading:
- Shutterstock reveals its photos of the year 2020
- Best cameras for photojournalism and documentary
- Annabel Moeller: candid portraits to war photojournalism
- The war reportage course for journalists is a harsh training ground
