Times Square appears in Alfred Eisenstaedt’s famous V-J Day kiss photograph.
The image was taken in New York City on 14 August 1945, when crowds filled the streets in anticipation of the announcement that Japan had accepted surrender terms. It shows a sailor kissing a woman in a white uniform among celebrating pedestrians near the intersection of Broadway and Seventh Avenue.
The location became visually recognizable because of the dense crowd, urban signs, and the distinctive geometry of Times Square. Investigators later estimated that Eisenstaedt captured the moment at about 5:51 p.m. Eastern Time. The photograph was published in Life magazine the following week.
The event is also associated with a second photograph by Victor Jorgensen. His image shows the same general kiss from another angle and was published by The New York Times. The two photographs are often confused because both document the same spontaneous celebration.