One Moment

Today mark’s the 18th anniversary of the day that student protestors took over Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China. For seven weeks, students, workers, teachers and soldiers – eventually numbering one million – held Tiananmen Square until the government finally had enough on June 4, 1989. That morning, tanks rumbled into Tiananmen, killing hundreds of people.

The photograph above was taken on June 5, 1989, of an unknown man who represented something that we should all strive for – courage of conviction in the face of insurmountable odds. Reputedly, when he climbed up on the tank, he questioned the driver by saying, “Why are you here? My city is in chaos because of you.” Today, the young man in the photograph remains anonymous to the world. Some say he was a nineteen-year old student named Wang Weilin. Others say he was the son of a factory worker. Nobody is certain of his identity, much less his fate.

Talk about having a defining moment in your life.