There were already publications covering the new musical genre of rock ‘n roll, but publisher Jann Wenner wanted to do something different, something not only about the music but also “about the things and attitudes that music embraces.” Wenner’s location in Berkeley, ground zero for that attitude, made him well-placed to cover it, and he dropped out of school, borrowed $7,500 from family, and printed 40,000 copies of the magazine that would come to define a generation.

On this day, November 9, in 1967, Rolling Stone launched its debut issue – in newspaper format. On the cover was John Lennon, trademark glasses and all, dressed in military fatigues and a camo-netted helmet for a role in a Richard Linklater film.

Wenner had an eye for the design elements of the magazine, the ability to tell where in the paper the story should be located, and an enviable ability to recognize and nurture talent. The most notable names of a generation of authors artists went through Rolling Stone: the gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson, Fast Times at Ridgemont High author Cameron Crowe, photographer Annie Leibovitz, who took the famous cover shot of a naked Lennon curled up next to Yoko Ono, and many more.