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Photography, if you want to be clinical about it, is a simple transaction: light hits film or a sensor, and whatever falls inside that small rectangle of a viewfinder becomes an image. But the result is rarely clinical. A good photograph can knock the air out of you.

One Reddit thread happened to be an unlikely place to see that in action: a user asked people to share the “hardest” photos from their countries, and the replies came through with exactly that. Take a look below and see which ones live up to the prompt.

#1

Poland

Person waving a rainbow flag amid smoke during a protest, capturing a powerful photo shared from their country that hits hard.

Polish Women’s Strike 2020.

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    #2

    Kosovo

    Refugees and locals in front of emotional country photos that capture moments from their homeland, expressing deep impact.

    This one from the war showing a young mother marching to safety while breastfeeding her daughter. The picture is now a mosaic and the mother and daughter are alright :)

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    #3

    Germany

    Soldier in historical war uniform jumping over barbed wire in a city street, powerful photo from countries that hit hard.

    An east German (GDR) soldier fleeing to Westberlin during the construction of the Berlin Wall in August 1961.

    lululululululululuu Report

    Spencer's slave no longer
    Community Member
    9 hours ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    19 year old Conrad Schumann defected on August 15 1961. He fled into the French Sector, was taken to a local Police station and reunited with his family who had already fled to the West.

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    #4

    Morocco

    Vintage black-and-white photo of a lion in desert landscape, evoking powerful memories from their countries that hit hard.

    The last photo taken of a wild Barbary Lion. Taken in 1924.

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    #5

    Ukraine

    Protesters pulling down a statue at night, a powerful photo shared from their country that hits hard.

    Kharkiv. 2014. Leninopad “Leninfalls.”

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    #6

    Canada

    Runner with prosthetic leg wearing Terry Fox Marathon of Hope shirt running on road with cars following, representing impactful country stories.

    Wurm42: For anyone not familiar, this is Canadian athlete Terry Fox. After having his right leg amputated due to cancer, he started the "Marathon of Hope," trying to raise money for cancer research by running across Canada.
    Terry started in St. Johns, Newfoundland, running the equivalent of a full marathon (26.2 miles) every day. He ran more than 2,400 miles (4,000 km) and reached Thunder Bay, Ontario before he had to stop.
    Terry stopped because it turned out he'd been doing all the running after his cancer came back, and it had reached his lungs. He died nine months later.
    He is an inspirational figure for Canadians and disabled people all over the world.

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    GREYNOOK
    Community Member
    9 hours ago

    This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

    we do it @ work during end year. wonderful participation by the whole workers.

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    #7

    Germany

    Emaciated prisoners in crowded wooden bunks in a concentration camp highlight haunting memories from countries that hit hard.

    Survivors of the concentration camp Buchenwald showing how they "lived" in the barracks.

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    Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa)
    Community Member
    9 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    And some A$$holes think it never happened. The fact it happened makes me sick. The denires also make me sick.

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    #8

    Lithuania

    Child holding flowers running towards a group of people holding hands in a country photo that hits hard.

    Baltic Way, 1989 - peaceful protest of Baltic people against the USSR regime by creating a live human chain across the 3 Baltic countries. This exact picture should be taken in Lithuania.

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    Kristiina Männiste
    Community Member
    6 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I wanted to participate in the Baltic Way (I was a very political 6 year old😅) , but my parents forbid it because the fear of KGB repressions. They thought the Baltic Way would be smothered in blood. Thank heaven it was not. But the people who participated were very very brave.

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    #9

    Iceland. This Is Fine

    Volcanic eruption near a house with a truck and person, a striking photo from people sharing powerful images of their countries.

    Quarkonium2925: Just another Tuesday in Iceland.

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    Remi (He/Him)
    Community Member
    3 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The annoyed way the person is standing 😂 like they're saying "Oh, you have to be kidding me, stop that nonsense at once" to the volcano

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    #10

    Russia

    Person feeding a polar bear while a cub clings to their leg in a snowy environment, showcasing wildlife from their country.

    This one is pretty cool.

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    VikingAbroad
    Community Member
    8 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    He had fed her when she was (I try to remember) a cub herself. One day as a grown up she showed up with her own cub begging for food.

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    #11

    The United States Of America

    Black and white historic photo depicting segregation in the United States, a powerful image that always stayed with me.

    Ruby Bridges, New Orleans, 1960.

    Cacafuego: Pride is all Americans should feel, looking at this photo. Pride in tough-as-nails little Ruby and all of our fellow countrymen who stood up and claimed the freedom and equality we are promised. Forget about everything else for the moment. That's an American right there.

    CrazeMase. In case anyone wants to know how recent this was, she is 71 now. She's still alive, she currently does political activism.

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    Multa Nocte
    Community Member
    Premium
    5 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Sorry - I also feel shame for how the people treated this poor child and others like her.

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    #12

    Estonia

    A deer being interviewed outdoors in winter snow, capturing a moment that hits hard from their country.

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    Kristiina Männiste
    Community Member
    7 hours ago

    This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

    Kanal 3 a TV channel here. But the story behind the photo is not really all that cute. We are big growers of canola. In winter, where other food is scarce, roe deer like the one in photo, feed on the green canola leaves under the snow. The problem is - the canola intoxicates them, making them disoriented and bold and can even k**l them in the end. One of the sign of canola intoxication is the loss of fear for humans. This picture is of one of those "canola deers" as we call them here. The positive note- we have volunteers and rehabilitation centers for such deer. It is very likely that the deer in picture was taken to one such center and nursed back to her normal human-shy self.

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    #13

    Poland

    A black and white photo of a woman sitting at a rustic table with a large wild boar in a home setting, evoking strong country memories.

    Professor Simona Kossak, Polish zoologist and ecologist, with her pet wild boar in her hut in the Białowieża Primeval Forest.

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    #14

    Hungary

    Forest with tree trunks partially covered in red clay soil, a striking photo shared from a country that hit hard.

    I have many (including some from the 1956 revolution), but this is the one that still sticks with me.

    Not Photoshop, it was the aftermath of the "red mud" disaster that happened in 2010. A faulty wall broke down, and a 2-meter-high wave of liquid bauxite residue (causing chemical burns) flooded the nearby village, [fatal to]10 people. There are many iconic photos from this incident as well, but this is probably my favorite.

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    Flickers_and_Sparks
    Community Member
    2 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    At first I thought it was two pictures stuck together. Looks nasty indeed

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    #15

    Canada

    Black crow holding a serrated knife in its beak, standing on rough ground, shared in a countries photo that hits hard.

    Canuck the downtown Eastside crow. Stealing a knife from a crime scene.

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    #16

    Belgium

    Historic black and white group photo of prominent men and one woman from an important event in their country’s history.

    Belgium, 1927.
    Einstein. Curie. Bohr. Planck. Heisenberg. Schrödinger. Dirac.
    The greatest scientific gathering ever photographed.

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    Geobugi🇰🇷🇰🇭
    Community Member
    8 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This is fake because trump is not in it. You people probably forget he has 10 nobel prices! Best scientist in the world! Everybody says so! No one in the history of science is as smart as him!😂 Sorry, i could not resist

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    #17

    United Kingdom

    Performer in white outfit on stage facing a massive crowd of fans captured in a powerful country photo that hits hard.

    Live Aid, 1985. Wembley stadium jam packed and roughly one in every three people worldwide watched it. One of the last great humanitarian projects almost every country contributed to and one of the last great events hosted in the UK.

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    Spencer's slave no longer
    Community Member
    9 hours ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The greatest showman who left behind a great musical legacy.

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    #18

    South Africa

    Aerial view of a large crowd forming shapes on grass, illustrating powerful photos from countries that hit hard.

    27 April 1994 - our first democratic election where everyone has the right to vote. This is a line at the ballot box.

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    Earonn -
    Community Member
    1 hour ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    To be allowed to vote is such a precious right - and then people don't use it because they're too lazy (but afterwards they complain about 'the bad politicians' - guys, you are bad citizens, what do you think you deserve?)

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    #19

    Scotland

    Two large horse head sculptures by water under a stormy sky with lightning, a powerful photo from a country.

    Statue of kelpies, a Scottish mythical creature.

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    DC
    Community Member
    1 hour ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    ... of course, of course...

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    #20

    Poland

    Surgeon resting beside patient on an operating table with complex medical equipment in a tense hospital scene reflecting impactful moments.

    Photo after First heart transplant in Poland.

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    #21

    During The 2021 Protests. Colombia

    Protester hit by water cannon during nighttime street clash in a country scene that always stayed with me.

    During the 2021 protests.

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    #22

    United Kingdom

    Black and white photo of a historic building shrouded in smoke, evoking powerful emotions in country photo memories.

    The Blitz.

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    Andi
    Community Member
    4 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    London can take it! Look up the band Public Sector Broadcasting 'The war room' EP, life affirming

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    #23

    The United States Of America

    Red car and motorcycle on a forest road with a massive erupting volcano in the background, a powerful country photo that hits hard.

    It's the eruption of Mt. St. Helens. The photographer is Richard Lasher (I think!). It's a pretty famous photo in my state.

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    Remi (He/Him)
    Community Member
    3 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Richard Lasher confirmed. He almost didn't make it out from under the eruption on his motorcycle and that Ford Pinto was toast

    #24

    The Netherlands

    Rough sea waves crashing against a windmill by the coast, captured in a powerful country photo that hits hard.

    October 2025: Storm Benjamin hits the coast at Vlissingen, the Netherlands.

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    Nicole Weymann
    Community Member
    6 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Looks like an AI mismatch of two opposing topics

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    #25

    Chile

    Man holding a muddy Chilean flag amid destruction, a powerful photo from people sharing images that hit hard from their countries

    This photo after the 8.8 magnitude earthquake that happened in 2010 always stayed with me.

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    #26

    Australia

    Vintage black and white photo of motorcycle sidecar racing capturing intense action from a historic country event.

    blondzie: That’s the most Australia thing I’ve seen.

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    #27

    Spain

    Volunteers in protective suits cleaning an oil spill on a coastline, showing environmental impact in their country.

    Some of the thousands of volunteers that cleaned the Galician coast after the "Prestige" oil spill.

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    #28

    New Zealand

    Group of men performing a traditional war dance in the desert, a powerful photo from their country that hits hard.

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    Neon_Pickles
    Community Member
    10 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Aotearoa, as it should properly be called. Any fellow Kiwis here? These men were part of the Maori Battalion in the Second World War. From the New Zealand National Library: Members of the Maori Battalion who had fought in Greece, performing a haka for the King of Greece at Helwan, Egypt. Photograph taken circa 24 June 1941 by an unidentified official photographer. The four men in the foreground are, left to right; John Manuel, Maaka White, Te Kooti Reihana, and Rangi Henderson.

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    #29

    France

    Rusty shipwreck off the coast near rural houses, a powerful photo shared from the country that always stayed with me.

    Sinking of the oil tanker Amoco Cadiz in 1978 off the coast of Brittany.

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    George D
    Community Member
    9 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Looks like a giant moray eel surfacing.

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    #30

    Iceland

    Helicopter flying over wildfire in a country landscape, capturing a photo that hits hard with impactful scenes.

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    #31

    Nepal

    Historic government building engulfed in flames at night, a powerful photo that hit hard for many countries.

    This is Singha Durbar (Lion's palace) that had most administrative centers of Nepal Government. It was burnt during GenZ protest last September.

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    #32

    South Korea

    Protester running with South Korean flag during a historic moment, capturing powerful emotions from their country.

    During the June Democratic Struggle in 1987.

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    #33

    Australia

    Firefighter in protective gear walking through intense wildfire in a forest, illustrating impactful moments from countries shared.

    Australian volunteer firefighter, Daniel Knox, during a controlled burn.

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    Flickers_and_Sparks
    Community Member
    2 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Looks like a scene right out of an action movie

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    #34

    Spain

    Black and white photo showing a car mid-air above buildings during an explosion in a city scene shared from countries that hit hard.

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    Julie Rogers
    Community Member
    9 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This image captures the moment a car carrying Spanish Prime Minister Luis Carrero Blanco was launched into the air by a b**b. The assassination occurred on December 20, 1973, in Madrid, Spain.

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    #35

    Ireland

    Street view in a local neighborhood with a sign that says prepare to meet thy God, a photo from a country that hits hard.

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    Fat Harry (Oi / You)
    Community Member
    5 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    That's an army b**b disposal technician going to diffuse a reported b**b in the red van. The text on the wall is apposite.

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    #36

    Pakistan

    Snow-capped mountain peaks at sunrise with a shadow cast, a powerful photo representing countries that hit hard.

    K-2, Chogori casts its shadow over China.

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    Rali Meyer
    Community Member
    4 hours ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    here is a myth: K2 initialy never had a real name because it is too far from any human who could have seen and named it before Colonel T.G. Montgomerie "detected" it

    #37

    Venezuela

    Child with a hammer sitting on a weathered soldier statue, symbolizing impactful moments shared from countries that hit hard.

    A heroic young man destroying a statue of the exdictator Hugo Chavez during the 2024 protests.

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    #38

    Northern Ireland

    Child standing near a burning car in a devastated urban area, a powerful photo from impactful country moments shared.

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    Earonn -
    Community Member
    1 hour ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Let's not forget that they managed to start the long, generations long, process towards peace. It gave me so much hope when that happened.

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    #39

    Finland

    Elderly man wearing a quilted jacket, flat cap, and rain boots posing indoors, evoking strong country memories.

    The president of Finland in the 1970s.

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    Remi (He/Him)
    Community Member
    3 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Kekkonen. Closest we've come to having a dictator.

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    #41

    India

    Man riding a bicycle carrying a missile in rural area, a powerful photo shared from a country that hits hard.

    This was the start of India's space program -- the first sounding rocket being transported on a bicycle in 1963. And in 2023, we became the fourth country to get to the Moon.

    moreddit2169 Report

    Stardust she/her
    Community Member
    Premium
    3 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I love this story. Basically India was such a poor country at the time that the scientists and engineers had to manually assemble the rocket at the local high school as well as manually transport it to the launch site which was behind a church in Kerala. They would transport rocket parts via bicycles like in this photo or by walking or in bullock carts as there was not enough money to hire trucks to do the same. Dr Vikram Sarabhai (founder of ISRO) and APJ Abdul Kalam (scientist as well as President of India) were instrumental in this mission. ISRO has a reputation of doing a lot with very less budget, such as the time we got to Mars on our maiden attempt, something no other country has managed to do with a budget less than that of a typical Hollywood movie

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    #42

    Turkey

    Aerial view of widespread destruction in a city showing damaged buildings and emergency tents in a country.

    Destruction of earthquake photos.. City of Kahramanmaraş/Turkey.

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    #45

    Saudi Arabia

    Men wearing traditional clothes and gas masks sitting on a carpet in a photo shared from their country that hits hard.

    Fajr prayer in a shelter in eastern Saudi Arabia during the Gulf war.

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    #46

    United States Of America

    Astronaut on the moon next to the United States flag during a historic space mission, symbolizing exploration and achievement.

    Moon Landing.

    jjtnd1: Winner winner. Maybe the hardest pic humanity has taken to date

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    Meesh Meesh
    Community Member
    45 minutes ago

    This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

    https://www.youtube.com/shorts/pnqfdo_QWec For anyone who thinks it was fake. There are much longer and informative videos available on youtube.

    #47

    Turkey

    Person wearing a gas mask near a mosque with airplanes flying overhead in a powerful photo from their country that hit hard.

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    #48

    The United States Of America

    Person standing near a massive dust tornado in an open field landscape, a striking photo shared from their country that hits hard.

    Tornado of Beaver City, Nebraska (1989) by Merrilee Thomas, depicting their daughter Audra and a tornado.

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    #50

    Hong Kong In 1954 By Fan Ho

    Man riding bicycle on empty street lined with vintage signs, a photo from countries that hit hard memories.

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    #51

    United States Of America

    Soldiers raising an American flag on a battlefield, a powerful photo from countries that always stayed with me.

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    Julie Rogers
    Community Member
    9 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Three of the six Marines in the photograph—Sergeant Michael Strank, Corporal Harlon Block, and Private First Class Franklin Sousley—were k****d in action.

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    #52

    India

    Military jet on runway with historic palace in background, a powerful photo from countries that hit hard emotions.

    An Indian Air Force Sukhoi 30MK-1 with the Umaid Bhawan Palace as the backdrop.

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    #53

    Argentina

    Soccer players competing in a match with a crowded stadium, a photo that hits hard from their countries shared by people.

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    Fat Harry (Oi / You)
    Community Member
    5 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Ah, everyone's favoutire dirty little d**g a******d cheat.

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    #55

    Canada

    Canadian ice hockey players celebrating a goal during an international game, reflecting powerful memories from their countries.

    Sidney Crosby just after scoring the golden goal in 2010. Canada has so many war and forest fire photos that I feel like a positive photo is way harder.

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    #56

    The United States Of America

    Man bowling indoors holding a black bowling ball, in a setting that evokes memories shared from their countries that hit hard.

    I will look for ANY EXCUSE to show this image of Nixon bowling.

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