On June 4, 1989, Tank Man became the icon for modern civilization, for freedom and repression.Forgetting the rebels is just what societies do. But Tank Man marked a key moment in a year of global revolution that fell short in China but was still one giant leap for freedom elsewhere, most notably the collapse of the Berlin Wall a few months later. And his courage also inspired the generation that came after him – to remind them that one man or woman can make a difference, even if the results aren’t clear right away.
Read Will Bunch’s excellent column on the Tiananman Square massacre, 25 years ago today.