John Kaplan documented the diverse lifestyles of 21-year-olds in America and won the Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography in 1992. His subjects included a murder suspect, a high school dropout, a rookie in the NFL, an illegal immigrant, a fashion model, a student at Harvard, a prostitute and the lead singer of Pantera.

In 1987, the country was glued to the story of “Baby Jessica” McClure, a toddler who fell down a well and was trapped for 2-1/2 days. When rescuers finally brought her back above ground, photographer Scott Shaw of the Odessa (Texas) American captured the emotional moment on film — and won the Pulitzer Prize for Spot News Photography the following year.

In 1986, David Peterson documented the worst rural economic crisis since the Great Depression for the Des Moines (Iowa) Register. His images of farmers fighting for their land and praying for relief, farm homes crumbling into ruin, and for-sale signs and foreclosure notices comprised a stark and moving photo essay that won the Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography.

Tom Gralish won the Pulitzer Prize in 1986 at age 29 for his gritty and honest photo series of homeless people on the streets of Philadelphia. In an interview with the Newseum, he talks about getting to know the subjects of his photos as he recorded their lives on film.

Photographer James B. Dickman covered the civil war in El Salvador for the Dallas Times Herald. Dickman’s telling photographs of the war and his ability to capture powerful moments in delicate situations, such as a father carrying his child home in a casket, earned him the Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography in 1983.

When gunfire erupted as Ronald Reagan exited the Washington Hilton Hotel on March 30, 1981, senior White House photographer Ron Edmonds was on the scene to capture the terrifying moments on film. His series of photographs showing the assassination attempt were seen around the world and earned him the Pulitzer Prize.

Associated Press photographer Horst Faas was based in Saigon from 1962 until 1974. In 1965, he won his first Pulitzer Prize for his combat photography of the war in South Vietnam, but winning the prize was bittersweet. Faas discusses his work in Vietnam and describes the emotional week when he won the Pulitzer and learned that one of his photojournalist colleagues had been killed by the Viet Cong.

In the spring of 1954, Los Angeles Times photographer John Gaunt captured a moment of grief on the beach between young parents whose 19-month-old child had just been swept out to sea. In an interview with the Newseum, Gaunt discusses that fateful day and how he captured the poignant and profoundly moving photo, which was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1955.

Chicago native John H. White was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography in 1982 “for consistently excellent work on a variety of subjects.” His prize-winning portfolio reflected a year in the life of his home city – everything from a high school track practice in an unusual location to a museum worker brushing a dinosaur’s teeth.

Erwin Hagler won the Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography in 1980 for his compelling photo series documenting the lifestyle of a cowboy. In an interview with the Newseum, he talks about the unsung heroes of the American West and why he wanted to capture their story at a time when no other newspaper had done so.