The harrowing image of Aylan is second on the list, and in joint third place is a picture of Nelson Mandela being freed from prison in 1990, Buzz Aldrin on the moon in 1969 and the lone protestor blocking a Chinese tank on Tiananmen Square in 1989.
The kiss between Prince Charles and Princess Diana on their 1981 wedding day also features on the list, as does a portrait of Moors Murderer Myra Hindley and an image of Davina Turrell following the London terror attacks in 2005.
Nelson Mandela and his wife Winnie after was released from jail in 1990
AP
Click through the gallery about to see the most powerful news images from the past five decades.
Photos That Changed The World starts on History Channel on Monday October 21 at 10pm.
