The simple act of extending a hand is one of our most ancient and enduring gestures. While it began as a way to prove one wasn’t carrying a weapon, the handshake has evolved into a profound symbol of trust, reconciliation, and the forging of new eras.
In a world often defined by complex treaties and digital signatures, these ten moments prove that a single physical connection can change the course of human history.
10. King Shalmaneser III and King Marduk-Zakir-Shumi I (9th Century BC)
The oldest “recorded” handshake in history isn’t found in a photograph, but on a stone relief. Discovered in modern-day Iraq, this ancient carving depicts the Assyrian King Shalmaneser III clasping the hand of the Babylonian King Marduk-zakir-shumi I to seal an alliance. It is the first tangible evidence we have that humans have used this gesture to bridge political divides for nearly 3,000 years.
9. Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee (1865)
The climax of the American Civil War was defined by a quiet moment in a parlor at Appomattox Court House. While the formal surrender was written on paper, it was the civil, respectful handshake between the two generals that signaled the beginning of a long, painful healing process for a fractured nation.
8. The Apollo-Soyuz Handshake (1975)
At the height of the Cold War, two rival superpowers met in the most unlikely of places: low Earth orbit. When American astronaut Thomas Stafford and Soviet cosmonaut Alexei Leonov opened their respective hatches and shook hands through the docking module, it signaled that even the vastness of space could be a place of cooperation rather than conflict.
7. Queen Elizabeth II and Martin McGuinness (2012)
This was a handshake many thought would never happen. Martin McGuinness, a former IRA commander, and Queen Elizabeth II, the monarch whose cousin had been killed by an IRA bomb, met in Belfast to shake hands. It was a staggering display of “the politics of the possible,” helping to solidify the peace process in Northern Ireland through sheer symbolic grace.
6. Kim Jong-un and Moon Jae-in (2018)
In a moment that captivated the globe, the leaders of North and South Korea met at the Military Demarcation Line. They didn’t just shake hands; they stepped across the concrete border together. While long-term peace remains elusive, the image of these two men holding hands across a line that had been a scar for 65 years was a powerful reminder of shared heritage.
5. Anwar Sadat and Menachem Begin (1977)
When Egyptian President Anwar Sadat traveled to Jerusalem to meet Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin, it was a move of incredible personal and political bravery. Their handshake, later formalized at the Camp David Accords, led to the first-ever peace treaty between Israel and an Arab neighbor—a feat that earned both men the Nobel Peace Prize.
4. Richard Nixon and Mao Zedong (1972)
For over two decades, the United States and the People’s Republic of China were locked in a diplomatic deep freeze. Nixon’s visit to Beijing changed everything. His handshake with Chairman Mao was the physical manifestation of “the week that changed the world,” realigning global power structures and opening the door to the modern global economy.
3. Nelson Mandela and F.W. de Klerk (1990)
As Nelson Mandela walked out of Victor Verster Prison after 27 years, he didn’t emerge with a fist of vengeance, but an open hand. His subsequent handshake with President F.W. de Klerk signaled the dismantling of Apartheid. It was the moment the world realized that South Africa was moving toward a “Rainbow Nation” rather than a civil war.
2. Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev (1985)
When these two leaders met for the first time in Geneva, the world was on the brink of nuclear catastrophe. Their initial handshake, captured by hundreds of cameras, was the first thaw in a decades-long winter. It set the stage for the INF Treaty and the eventual peaceful end of the Soviet Union, effectively concluding the Cold War.
1. Yitzhak Rabin and Yasser Arafat (1993)
On the South Lawn of the White House, with President Bill Clinton standing behind them with arms outstretched, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat reached out and shook hands. It was a moment of profound hope that felt, at the time, like the impossible becoming possible. Though the peace process later faced tragic setbacks, this remains the most iconic handshake in modern history—a testament to the idea that even the most bitter enemies can choose to touch palms and try for peace.
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