Tank Man facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

"Tankman" redirects here. For the operator of a military tank, see Tank#Crew. For the American wrestler, see Calvin Tankman.

Quick facts for kids "Tank Man"
"Tank Man" temporarily stops the advance of Type 59 tanks on June 5, 1989, in Beijing. This photograph (one of six similar versions) was taken by Jeff Widener of the Associated Press.
Nationality	Chinese (presumed)
Other names	Unknown Protester Unknown Rebel Wang Weilin (alleged)
Known for	Iconic photo of him obstructing tanks during the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre

Tank Man (also known as the Unknown Protester or Unknown Rebel) is the nickname of an unidentified Chinese man. He became famous for standing in front of a line of tanks in Beijing, China, on June 5, 1989. This happened the day after the Chinese government's actions during the Tiananmen protests.

As the first tank tried to move around him, the man kept stepping into its path. This amazing moment was filmed and seen by people all over the world. It is now one of the most famous images in history. However, inside China, pictures and stories about this event are often blocked. We don't know for sure who the man was or what happened to him. We also don't know what happened to the tank crew.

Who Was Tank Man?
Legacy
In creative works
See also

Who Was Tank Man?

"Tank Man" is the name given to a brave person who stood up to a line of tanks. He was not the only person to block tanks that day. But he is the only one who was filmed and photographed. This made his act known around the world.

What Happened That Day?

On June 5, 1989, just after noon, "Tank Man" stood in the middle of a wide street called Chang'an Avenue. This was near Tiananmen Square. A line of tanks was coming towards him.

A Brave Stand

A photographer named Stuart Franklin saw what happened. He said that shots were fired, and then the tanks moved away from Tiananmen Square. They were stopped by this one person. The man wore a white shirt and black pants. He was holding two shopping bags.

When the tanks stopped, he waved one of his bags at them. The first tank tried to drive around him. But the man kept stepping in front of it. He did this to stop the tank. After trying many times to go around, the first tank stopped its engines. The other tanks behind it also stopped. There was a quiet moment where the man and the tanks just stood still.

What Happened Next?

After stopping the tanks, the man climbed onto the front of the first tank. He seemed to talk into different parts of the tank. Then, he climbed on top of the tank's turret. He appeared to have a short talk with a crew member inside.

After talking, the man got off the tank. The tank commander briefly looked out. The tanks then started their engines again, ready to move. But the man quickly stepped in front of the tank once more. He stopped the tanks again.

Videos show two people in blue pulling the man away. They disappeared with him into a crowd nearby. The tanks then continued on their way. Witnesses are not sure who pulled him away. Some think it was the police. Others believe they were worried people trying to help him.

Who Was He? And What Happened to Him?

We do not know much about who the man was. We also don't know who the commander of the first tank was. Soon after the event, a British newspaper said his name was "Wang Weilin." They said he was a 19-year-old student. He was supposedly accused of causing trouble and challenging the army.

However, official Chinese documents said they could not find him. One official said, "We can't find him. We got his name from journalists. We have checked through computers but can't find him among the dead or among those in prison." Many ideas have been shared about who he was and where he is now.

There are different stories about what happened to him. Some people believe he was put to death a few weeks or months later. Others think he is still alive somewhere in China. One idea is that he went to Taiwan and works there as an archaeologist.

The Chinese government has not said much about the incident. They once called him a "scoundrel" on TV, but this was not shown again. In 1990, Jiang Zemin, who was a leader in China, was asked about the man. He said he could not confirm if the man was arrested. He also said, "I think [that he was] never killed." The government has also said the event showed how "human" their military was because the tank stopped.

Why Is This Photo Important?

The image of Tank Man is very important because it shows a single person standing up to a powerful force. It has become a symbol of peaceful protest and courage.

Hiding the Story

The intersection in 2014, viewed from a different angle

Many experts say that the memory of the Tiananmen Square protests has faded in China. This is especially true for younger people. The government has blocked information about the protests on the internet. When college students in Beijing were shown the famous photo 16 years later, they were confused. One student thought it was "artwork."

It is thought that if the "Unknown Rebel" is still alive, he might not know how famous he is around the world. This is because Chinese media does not show events related to the protests.

Journalists who were there were often treated roughly. Their film was taken and destroyed. They were forced to sign papers saying they broke rules, which could lead to long prison sentences.

In 2020, a video game trailer showed footage of Tank Man. In China, this part of the trailer was replaced with a black screen. The next day, the game company released a shorter trailer worldwide that did not include the scene.

In 2021, on the anniversary of the protests, searches for the Tank Man image were blocked by Microsoft's Bing search engine. Other search engines that use Bing also had this problem. Microsoft said it was an "accidental human error." But some human rights groups found this hard to believe.

How Was the Moment Captured?

Five photographers managed to capture the event on film. One of them did not share his photos for 20 years. In 2009, the fifth photographer released a picture taken from the ground.

Famous Photographers

Wider shot by Stuart Franklin showing a column of tanks approaching Tank Man, who is shown near the lower-left corner.

One of the most famous photos was taken by Stuart Franklin. His film was secretly taken out of the country hidden in a tea box.

The most used photo was taken by Jeff Widener of the Associated Press. He took it from a hotel balcony about half a mile away. Widener was sick and running out of film. A friend quickly got him more film. Even though he worried his photos weren't good, his image was sent to many newspapers around the world. It appeared on the front page of many European papers. His photo is known as one of the most iconic of all time.

Charlie Cole, working for Newsweek, was on the same balcony as Stuart Franklin. He hid his film of Tank Man in a hotel toilet. Police raided his room and destroyed other film. But Cole was able to get his hidden film and send it to Newsweek. He won an award for his picture.

In 2009, Terril Jones, another Associated Press reporter, shared a photo he took. It showed Tank Man from ground level, a different view from other photos. Jones did not realize what he had captured until a month later.

Arthur Tsang Hin Wah of Reuters also took photos from the Beijing Hotel. He took several shots, but only one of Tank Man climbing the tank was chosen at first. Later, when Widener's work was seen, they re-checked Tsang's photos and found a similar one of the man standing in front of the tank.

Besides photos, video footage was also recorded. Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) cameraman Willie Phua, Cable News Network (CNN) cameraman Jonathan Schaer, and National Broadcasting Company (NBC) cameraman Tony Wasserman seem to be the only TV cameramen who filmed the scene.

Legacy

In 1998, Time magazine included the "Unknown Rebel" in a list called "Time 100: The Most Important People of the Century". In 2016, Time also included Jeff Widener's photograph in "Time 100: The Most Influential Images of All Time."

In creative works

The "Tank Man" event has inspired many creative works.

In a 1999 song called "Stand and Be Counted" by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, David Crosby sings about how grateful he is to Tank Man.
A similar scene is shown in the music video for "Club Foot" (2004) by the band Kasabian.
A play from 2013 called Chimerica by Lucy Kirkwood tells a made-up story about what might have happened to Tank Man and a soldier in the tank.
In 2013, a funny picture of Tank Man with rubber ducks instead of tanks was shared online. Because of this, some search terms related to the protests were blocked in China.
In 2019, Leica Camera released an advertisement that showed photographers in difficult situations, including 1989 China. The ad showed the Tank Man image reflected in a camera lens. However, the original photo was taken with a different brand of camera. Leica later removed the ad.