Greta Zimmer Friedman, who was kissed by a sailor in Times Square in one of the most iconic photographs of the 20th century, died on Thursday in Virginia, her son, Joshua Friedman, told the Daily News. She was 92.
Friedman had been ill for some time, but recently contracted pneumonia. Her role in history was quite accidental: On the morning of Aug. 14, 1945, 21-year-old Greta Zimmer reported to work as a dental assistant on Lexington Ave. All morning, she heard rumors that the Japanese had surrendered, ending World War II, shortly after the United States had dropped atomic bombs on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. In the afternoon, Friedman wandered west to investigate.
As she entered Times Square, Friedman found herself grabbed and kissed by George Mendonsa, a sailor on leave who was overjoyed by the war’s end. Unbeknownst to either, noted Life magazine photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt captured the moment, and published it a few weeks later. Both Friedman and Mendonsa would go decades without knowing about the image, “V-J Day in Times Square.”
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