On this day, December 10, in 1953, Hugh Hefner, then 27 years old, published the very first Playboy Magazine with an investment of $7600.  It has no date on the magazine because Hefner did not think there would be a second edition.  The magazine, which could be bought for 50 cents, ended up selling 54,175 copies.

This first magazine is the only one that does not have Hugh Hefner’s name inside of it.  This issue sold so well because it featured “Sweetheart of the Month” Marilyn Monroe on the front cover.  It is claimed that she did not pose nude specifically for Playboy, but rather, Hefner bought the image from a local calendar printer.

This magazine is now considered to be a collector’s item.