World Trade Center Collapse, 2001
The devastating collapse of the World Trade Center on September 11th, 2001 were captured in numerous images, the three most iconic being the plane hitting the tower, the smoke billowing from both and, perhaps most disturbing, a person jumping from one of the towers, popularly known as The Falling Man.
Iconic Images Of The 2000s: Release of the iPod, 2001
As one of the most revolutionary products of the decade, Apple’s innovative ad campaign was launched and became one of the most iconic images of the Noughties.
Portrait Of A Terrorist, 2001
Osama Bin Laden was inarguably the most wanted man of the decade. After the terrible events on 9/11, this mug shot made the rounds and became one of the most recognized photos of its kind in the world.
Toppling Statue Of Saddam Hussein, 2003
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
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
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
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.
Iconic Images Of The 2000s: Black Saturday Bushfires, 2009
Known as the Black Saturday Bushfires, a series of arson attacks triggered the brutal fires that raged through the Australian state of Victoria in February 2009. Among the devastation, this image of a fireman rescuing a koala bear and supplying it with water greatly defined the tumultuous time.
Global Warming, 2009
As warnings about global warming pervaded global consciousness throughout the Noughties, this iconic image made the warnings a reality. It was taken on July 26 2009 and depicts a polar bear and her cub jumping a melting iceberg in Alaska, America.
BP Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico, 2010
While the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico was a PR nightmare for the oil magnate, its impact on the environment was not nearly as brief.
If you enjoyed these iconic images of the 2000s, be sure to check out All That Is Interesting’s other posts on iconic images of the 1990s and the most iconic images of the 1960s.
