Tank Man, or the Unknown Rebel, is the nickname of an anonymous man who achieved fame and widespread international recognition as a heroic figure when he was videotaped and photographed during the protests at Beijing's Tiananmen Square on June 5, 1989. Several photographs were taken of the man, who stood in front of a column of Chinese Type 59 tanks, preventing their advance.
Little is publicly known of the man's identity or that of the commander of the lead tank. Shortly after the incident, the Sunday Express named the man as Wang Weilin, a 19-year-old student who was later charged with "political hooliganism" and "attempting to subvert members of the People's Liberation Army." Numerous rumors have sprung up as to the man's identity and current whereabouts, but none are backed by hard evidence.
