List of National Geographic cover stories

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For 2024 cover stories, see list of National Geographic cover stories (2020s).
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National Geographic magazines from 2015

National Geographic is an American magazine noted for its cover stories and accompanying photography.[1][2][3] This is a list of National Geographic cover stories including writers and photographers[4] starting in July 1959, when the magazine started featuring photos on the front cover.

National Geographic was first published in October of 1888[5] with the first photo to appear on the cover in July 1959, that of an American flag.[6] Articles include stories about geography, history, nature and science.[4]

Notable cover stories[edit]

In the December 1969 issue, astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins wrote the cover story titled "First Explorers on the Moon", writing in detail their account of the Apollo 11 mission and what it was like being the first humans on the Moon. The cover of the magazine featured a picture taken from space by Armstrong of Aldrin in a spacesuit on the surface of the Moon.[7][8]

In the November 1971 issue, Samuel W. Mathews and photographer William R. Curtsinger spent months aboard the research vessel Hero in Antarctica. Photos taken by Curtsinger would be the first pictures of snow leopards in the wild and the first photos shot in Antarctica for the magazine.[9]

In the June 1985 issue, Debra Denker's cover story "Along Afghanistan's War-torn Frontier" about the Soviet and Afghanistan war featured a cover photo depicting a green-eyed Afghanistan girl (Sharbat Gula), photographed by Steve McCurry. This cover image is National Geographic's most recognized photo.[10][11]

In the August 1991 issue, Thomas Y. Canby wrote the cover story titled "The Persian Gulf: After the Storm", about the Kuwaiti oil fires after the Persian Gulf War. The photo on the magazine's cover featured oil fields on fire, photographed by Steve McCurry.[12]

In the April 2007 issue, Fen Montaigne's cover story "Saving the Sea Bounty", about the dangers facing marine life, featured a cover image of a swordfish caught in a net photographed by Brian Skerry.[13]

In the November 2016 issue, Joel Achenbach wrote the cover story titled "The Race to the Red Planet", about humanity's treks to Mars. The cover featured a photo of Mars captured by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) Mars Orbiter Mission spacecraft.[14]

Contents[edit]

Year
1950s: 1959
1960s: 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969
1970s: 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979
1980s: 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989
1990s: 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999
2000s: 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
2010s: 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
2020s: 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Braverman, Sandra (September 23, 1990). "A Photographic Odyssey". The Boston Globe. p. West 9. Retrieved April 22, 2023 – via newspapers.com.
  2. ^ Dukehart, Coburn (October 1, 2013). "'National Geographic' Celebrates 125 Years Of Photography". NPR.com. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  3. ^ "National Geographic". postalmuseum.si.edu. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved April 19, 2023.
  4. ^ a b "Archive". archive.nationalgeographic.com. National Geographic. Retrieved December 30, 2022. (subscription required)
  5. ^ "Jan 27, 1888: National Geographic Society Gets Going". Wired. Retrieved December 30, 2022.
  6. ^ Qiu, Linda (December 6, 2014). "5 Irresistible National Geographic Cover Photos". National Geographic. Archived from the original on February 24, 2021. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
  7. ^ Armstrong, Neil A.; Aldrin, Edwin E.; Collins, Michael (December 1969). "First Explorers on the Moon". National Geographic. Vol. 136, no. 6. p. 735.
  8. ^ "National Geographic National Geographic [Vol. 136, No. 6, December 1969]". gilderlehrman.org. Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  9. ^ Mathews, Samuel W. (November 1971). "Antarctica's Nearer Side". National Geographic. Vol. 140, no. 5. p. 622.
  10. ^ Wallis Simons, Jake (June 29, 2015). "The story behind the world's most famous photograph". CNN. Atlanta, Georgia. Retrieved May 25, 2023.
  11. ^ "The woman from National Geographic's famous 'Afghan Girl' photo is evacuated to Italy". NPR. Washington, D.C. Associated Press. November 25, 2021. Retrieved May 25, 2023.
  12. ^ Canby, Thomas Y. (August 1991). "After the Storm". National Geographic. Vol. 180, no. 2. p. 2.
  13. ^ Montaigne, Fen (April 2007). "Global Fish Crisis". National Geographic. Vol. 211, no. 4. p. 42.
  14. ^ Achenbach, Joel (November 2016). "The Race to the Red Planet". National Geographic. Vol. 230, no. 5. p. 30.

External links[edit]

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