What was the name of the woman identified as the subject in Eisenstaedt’s famous V-J Day photograph?

Greta Zimmer Friedman was identified as the woman in Alfred Eisenstaedt’s famous V-J Day photograph.

Friedman was a dental assistant who was wearing a white uniform when a sailor grabbed and kissed her in Times Square on August 14, 1945. Eisenstaedt captured the moment during celebrations anticipating the public announcement of Japan’s surrender.

For decades, several women claimed to be the subject. Friedman eventually provided photographs and other evidence, and researchers Lawrence Verria and George Galdorisi concluded that she was the woman shown. The sailor was identified as George Mendonsa, although some aspects of the identification have remained debated.

The image has often been remembered as a romantic celebration, but Friedman later said the kiss was not her choice. That distinction is important when discussing both the photograph’s cultural fame and the historical circumstances behind it.