Cover Girls

From Babette March to Kate Upton, SI looks back at 49 years of swimsuit covers

Kate Upton is the cover girl of this year’s swimsuit issue, the 49th in franchise history. The SI cover is one of the highest honors a model can achieve and has been graced by everyone from Cheryl Tiegs to Beyonce. As Upton celebrates her cover, let’s look back at some noteworthy swimsuit covers through the years.

GALLERY: SI Swimsuit Covers Through The Years

(1965) Sue Peterson :: Jay Maisel/SI

**********

(1975) Cheryl Tiegs :: Walter Iooss Jr./SI

***********

(1985) Paulina Porizkova :: Brian Lanker/SI

***********

(1997) Tyra Banks :: Russell James/SI

***********

(2007) Beyonce :: Cliff Watts/SI