The Most Iconic Images Of The 2000s

Published July 2, 2012
Updated February 16, 2018

Toppling Statue Of Saddam Hussein, 2003

Toppling Statue Of Saddam Hussein

Taken on April 9 2003 in Baghdad, this iconic image shows the toppling of Saddam Hussein’s statue the day he was ousted from his position as Iraqi President. To take Hussein down, citizens used a sledgehammer on the marble plinth and then tied a noose around the statue’s neck. To top it off, they attached the rope to a U.S. armored recovery vehicle.

Iconic Images Of The 2000s: Abu Ghraib Prison, 2004

Abu Ghraib Prison

The explosive images inside the Abu Ghraib prison in Baghdad, Iraq, caused international controversy. Released at the height of the Iraq War, the images brought to light the torture and humiliation that Iraqi prisoners withstood at the hands of the US Army personnel. This particular one shows Pfc. Lynndie England holding a leash attached to a detainee in late 2003.

Barack Obama Campaign Posters, 2008

Barack Obama 2008 Posters

This stylized pencil portrait by artist Shepard Fairey of President Barack Obama was used in his 2008 presidential campaign. While the hope and change were harder to implement once elected, the iconic image has ensconced itself on the coffee mugs and t-shirts of political junkies throughout the world.

Hurricane Katrina, 2005

Hurricane Katrina Iconic Images Of The 2000s

The devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans were represented through numerous images, many of which highlighted mass homelessness, destruction and displacement. This chosen image was taken a day after the hurricane hit and the flood waters began to pour forth.

author
All That's Interesting
author
A New York-based publisher established in 2010, All That's Interesting brings together subject-level experts in history, true crime, and science to share stories that illuminate our world.
editor
Savannah Cox
editor
Savannah Cox holds a Master's in International Affairs from The New School as well as a PhD from the University of California, Berkeley, and now serves as an Assistant Professor at the University of Sheffield. Her work as a writer has also appeared on DNAinfo.