With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Nurse in Famous WWII Times Square Kiss Photo Dies at 91
Edith Shain, the woman whose spontaneous dip-and-kiss by a WWII sailor in Times Square was immortalized by photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt, has died.
Shain "died at her home in Los Angeles on Sunday," surrounded by her family, according to MSNBC. She was 91 years old.
The identity of the woman in the iconic photo, published in LIFE magazine, was unknown until the 1970s, when Shain "wrote to the photographer saying that she was the woman in the picture taken on August 14 at a time when she had been working at Doctor's Hospital in New York City."
In 2008 Shain visited New York and posed for photos being dipped and kissed by actors playing sailors in the Broadway revival of South Pacific. She joked that she always wished she'd thought to get the number of the sailor who grabbed her and kissed her to celebrate the end of the war: "In retrospect, I should have said, 'Hey, wait a minute!'"
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.

-
Tens of thousands of workers across Southern California walk out over pay and staffing issues.
-
People in and around recent burn scars should be alert to the risk of debris flows. Typical October weather will be back later this week.
-
Jet Propulsion Laboratory leadership says the cuts amount to 11% of the workforce.
-
The rock legend joins LAist for a lookback on his career — and the next chapter of his music.
-
Yes, it's controversial, but let me explain.
-
What do stairs have to do with California’s housing crisis? More than you might think, says this Culver City councilmember.