6The Afghan Girl (1984)

National Geographic photographer Steve McCurry captured the piercing green eyes of Sharbat Gula, a young Afghan refugee in Pakistan.

Simply titled The Afghan Girl, the image became one of the most famous magazine covers of all time. Her gaze, both defiant and vulnerable, came to represent the plight of displaced people during the Soviet-Afghan War. Decades later, the photograph remains a symbol of resilience amid conflict.

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