#13: Burst Of Joy (1974)
Taken by Slava “Sal” Veder, this unforgettable photograph captures a former prisoner of war being reunited with his family at a California air base. His daughter runs toward him with arms wide open, pure emotion on her face as he bends forward to meet her.
The image earned the Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography for perfectly freezing a moment of overwhelming relief and happiness after years of separation during the Vietnam War. It stood in contrast to the conflict’s pain, reminding the country that behind every headline were families waiting to be whole again.