"Sixty years ago the weapon that became a symbol of Cold War guerrillas and current day insurgents
made its debut in a most unlikely way.
The AK-47, arguably the most widely used assault rifle in the world, first appeared in the hands of
both Communist troops and Hungarian revolutionaries during the 1956 Hungarian Revolution. The
revolution against the nation's communist government began on October 23 but was ruthlessly crushed
by Hungarian secret police and Soviet troops by Nov. 10.
In particular, one photo from the revolution gained worldwide attention - and it is arguably the
first time the Kalashnikov entered the public consciousness.
C.J. Chivers, former Marine Corps infantry captain and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, wrote in
his book The Gun that nobody knows which Hungarian revolutionary first picked up a captured AK-47.
But a LIFE Magazine photographer snapped a picture of József Tibor Fejes - '22-years-old, fresh-
faced, sharp-eyed, purposeful, and seemingly unafraid' - whose costume as an insurgent always
included a bowler hat. 'The Man in the Bowler Hat' was also hefting an AK-47, making Fejes the
first known revolutionary carrying what became widely known as a revolutionary's weapon."
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Read more: http://www.wearethemighty.com/articles/sixty-years-ago-the-world-got-its-first-look-at-an-ak-47
made its debut in a most unlikely way.
The AK-47, arguably the most widely used assault rifle in the world, first appeared in the hands of
both Communist troops and Hungarian revolutionaries during the 1956 Hungarian Revolution. The
revolution against the nation's communist government began on October 23 but was ruthlessly crushed
by Hungarian secret police and Soviet troops by Nov. 10.
In particular, one photo from the revolution gained worldwide attention - and it is arguably the
first time the Kalashnikov entered the public consciousness.
C.J. Chivers, former Marine Corps infantry captain and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, wrote in
his book The Gun that nobody knows which Hungarian revolutionary first picked up a captured AK-47.
But a LIFE Magazine photographer snapped a picture of József Tibor Fejes - '22-years-old, fresh-
faced, sharp-eyed, purposeful, and seemingly unafraid' - whose costume as an insurgent always
included a bowler hat. 'The Man in the Bowler Hat' was also hefting an AK-47, making Fejes the
first known revolutionary carrying what became widely known as a revolutionary's weapon."
Read more: http://www.wearethemighty.com/articles/sixty-years-ago-the-world-got-its-first-look-at-an-ak-47
