The most kissed face in history

In the 1950s, researchers at the University of Copenhagen needed a way to teach CPR. They wanted something realistic, so they created a mannequin named Resusci Annie. Annie wasn’t just any doll—she was designed to mimic the human body’s response to CPR, making practice feel as close to the real thing as possible.

The face of Resusci Annie is where the story gets strange. It’s said to be based on a woman who drowned in the River Seine in Paris, though her identity was never confirmed. Some believe she was a young woman, tragically lost, but her face ended up on the mannequin because it was lifelike and believable.

Despite the eerie backstory, Resusci Annie became an iconic symbol in CPR training. That calm, almost serene expression on her face, while a little haunting, reminded everyone that learning CPR wasn’t just about practice—it was about saving lives. And for decades, Annie helped teach millions of people the life-saving skill, proving that even in her stillness, she had the power to give others a chance to live.