7 Momentous Kisses in History

Feb 13, 2020  Becky Little

From Judas to V-J Day to an interracial Star Trek encounter, see what kisses left their mark in history. Despite what the song says, a kiss isn’t always just a kiss. A kiss can be political, whether because it’s the first of its kind or because it’s between two heads of state. A kiss can also become iconic when it’s captured on film, even if the kiss itself was invasive and unwanted.

With that in mind, here’s a list of some of the most memorable kisses in history.

First Recorded Kiss (circa 1500 B.C.)

A scene of the Mahabharata with Gopis, Daughters of the Cowherds, and Krishna.

Scholars debate whether kissing began as a trend that spread around the globe, or sprung up organically in different regions. Whatever the case, the earliest known written mentions of it are in Vedic Sanskrit scriptures circa 1500 B.C., according to research by Vaughn Bryant, an anthropology professor at Texas A&M University. These scriptures, known as the Vedas, were foundational to the religion of Hinduism.

After that, kissing continued to appear in ancient Indian and Hindu literature. The Mahabharata, a Sanskrit epic compiled by the 4th century A.D., has a line in which someone “set her mouth to my mouth and made a noise that produced pleasure in me.” The Kamasutra also has a chapter on kissing that identifies different methods of kissing and types of kisses.

Judas’ Kiss (circa 1st Century A.D.)

The Kiss of Judas

Kissing isn’t just a romantic act. It can also be a sign of friendship or betrayal. In the Gospels of Matthew and Mark, written circa the 1st century, Judas betrays Jesus by identifying him with a kiss so that armed men can take him away and eventually kill him.

Judas’ kiss has since become a popular storytelling allusion. It may have inspired the “kiss of death” that appears in mafia literature and film (but was probably never an actual mafia practice). Perhaps the most famous example is in The Godfather Part II, when Al Pacino’s character gives his brother Fredo the kiss of death for betraying him.

First Kiss on Film (1896)

May Irwin and John C. Rice, stars of the short film, "May Irwin kiss," by Thomas Edison's studio.

The first people to smooch on film were May Irwin and John C. Rice, who appeared in a short film known variously as May Irwin kiss, Kiss or The Kiss. In 1896, the two performers went to Thomas Edison’s studio in New Jersey and reenacted their final kiss scene from a play they were putting on in New York City.

On stage, no one thought the kiss was that sensational. But many felt the close-up footage of them kissing was too risqué.

First Black Kiss on Film (1898)

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