Hugh Hefner was 27 when he launched Playboy Magazine. He did not put his name or issue date on the first 50,000 copies, according to the Just Mens Mags website.
The first woman featured in Playboy was Marilyn Monroe. She was labeled "sweetheart of the month" and later was nominated a Playmate of the Year. Monroe didn't pose for Playboy. Hefner bought rights to the photographs from a calendar store in Chicago.
The first official Playmate of the Month was Margie Harrison in 1954. She was in the second issue of Playboy.
At the end of each year, one of the 12 Playmates of the Month is named "Playmate of the Year." Playmates of the Year receive $100,000, a car and a motorcycle.
In 1987, Hugh Hefner married one of his playmates. Kimberly Conrad became Playmate of a Lifetime, they had two sons. At this time Hefner turned over control of the company to his daughter from a previous marriage. Christie Hefner reinvented playboy and expanded its media base during the 1990s.