This is the chronological history of cover models for the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. The Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue has grown from being an issue of Sports Illustrated magazine created to fill space at a time of year with little sports news into a major marketing franchise that includes a special separate issue, a website, television specials, calendars, books and enormous amounts of advertising. It began as a short photo spread of women in bathing suits and has become a fashion issue for beachwear worn by the world's top models. Being the subject of the Sports Illustrated magazine cover is a well chronicled event which has both become a measure by which fame is measured and a status which is supposedly accompanied by a curse known as the "SI jinx". There seems to have been no reports of any association of the SI jinx with the swimsuit issue.

There is much public interest in who is on the cover of fashion magazines with websites dedicated to the subject. For supermodels, being on the cover of prominent magazines, such as Sports Illustrated's annual swimsuit edition, is regarded as an accomplishment, especially if the model appears solo. The unveiling of the swimsuit issue cover and its model is a media event, widely reported in the press.

For some, the image of these models on the cover of a sports magazine is a moral issue. Each year, the issue generates numerous letters from readers both in support and in opposition of the issue. Numerous subscribers cancel subscriptions as a matter of propriety annually. Recently, Time Warner took action to avoid many of the complainants by withholding the Swimsuit issue from certain types of recipients, such as libraries and schools.

Numerous types of trivia and statistics are monitored regarding the swimsuit issue cover subjects. Several have gone on to subsequent success in Hollywood.Sports Illustrated 50: The Anniversary Book, Rob Fleder, 2005, p.286, Others have become the spouses of notable celebrities. The following list is a list of models chosen as subjects for the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue cover, incorporating some related statistics and trivia.

List of covers IssueName (appearance)Notes January 20, 1964 Babette March January 18, 1965 Sue Peterson January 17, 1966 Sunny Bippus January 16, 1967 Marilyn Tindall January 15, 1968 Turia Mau January 13, 1969 Jamee Becker January 12, 1970 Cheryl Tiegs February 1, 1971 Tannia Rubiano January 17, 1972 Sheila Roscoe January 29, 1973 Dayle Haddon January 28, 1974 Ann Simonton January 27, 1975 Cheryl Tiegs (2) first repeat cover model January 19, 1976 Yvette SylvanderYvonne Sylvander first multi-subject cover January 24, 1977 Lena Kansbod January 16, 1978 Maria Joao most cancellations (340), most letters regarding a cover (2947) February 5, 1979 Christie Brinkley February 2, 1980 Christie Brinkley (2) February 9, 1981 Christie Brinkley (3) first three-time cover model February 8, 1982 Carol Alt February 14, 1983 Cheryl Tiegs (3) February 13, 1984 Paulina Porizkova youngest Swimsuit Issue cover model at age 18 February 11, 1985 Paulina Porizkova (2) February 10, 1986 Elle Macpherson February 9, 1987 Elle Macpherson (2) February 15, 1988 Elle Macpherson (3) February 7, 1989 Kathy Ireland Best selling swimsuit issue, 25th anniversary February 12, 1990 Judit Mascó February 11, 1991 Ashley (Richardson) Montana March 9, 1992 Kathy Ireland (2) February 22, 1993 Vendela Kirsebom February 14, 1994 Kathy Ireland (3)Elle Macpherson (4)Rachel Hunter pregnant cover models (Ireland & Hunter), first four-time cover model (Macpherson) February 20, 1995 Daniela Peštová January 29, 1996 Valeria MazzaTyra Banks first African-American cover model February 21, 1997 Tyra Banks (2) first dedicated special issue, first African-American solo cover model. February 20, 1998 Heidi Klum February 12, 1999 Rebecca Romijn February 1, 2000 Daniela Peštová (2) February 1, 2001 Elsa Benítez February 1, 2002 Yamila Diaz-Rahi February 18, 2003 Petra Němcová February 10, 2004 Veronika Vařekováinset Anna Kournikova 40th anniversary February 15, 2005 Carolyn Murphyinset Jessica White, Marisa Miller, Yamila Diaz-Rahi February 17, 2006 Veronika Vařeková (2)Elle Macpherson (5)Rebecca Romijn (2)Rachel Hunter (2)Daniela Peštová (3)Elsa Benítez (2)Carolyn Murphy (2)Yamila Diaz-Rahi (2)inset Heidi Klum, Maria Sharapova record 5th cover for Macpherson February 15, 2007 Beyoncé Knowlesinset Bar Refaeli First non-model and non-athlete February 12, 2008 Marisa Miller February 10, 2009 Bar Refaeliinset Brooklyn Decker February 12, 2010 Brooklyn Decker February 15, 2011 Irina Shaykinset Kate Upton February 14, 2012 Kate Uptoninset Alex Morgan February 13, 2013 Kate Upton (2)inset Hannah Davis February 18, 2014 Nina AgdalLily AldridgeChrissy Teigen (1)flip-cover Kate Upton 50th Anniversary February 20, 2015 Hannah Davis February 23, 2016 Ronda RouseyAshley GrahamHailey Clauson First issue with multiple front covers February 20, 2017 Kate Upton (3) First cover model with multiple front covers February 18, 2018 Danielle Herrington May 13, 2019 Tyra Banks (3)Camille KostekAlex Morgan July 13, 2020 Kate BockJasmine SandersOlivia Culpo July 19, 2021 Megan Thee StallionNaomi OsakaLeyna Bloom Stallion is the first rapper cover. 2nd non-athlete or model to cover.Osaka is the first tennis player to cover, and first person of Asian descent to cover.Bloom is the first trans model to cover. May 19, 2022 Kim KardashianCiaraMaye MuskYumi Nu Musk was the oldest model to ever appear on the cover until 2023. May 19, 2023 Martha StewartKim PetrasMegan FoxBrooks NaderStewart became the oldest model to ever appear on the cover.Petras is the second openly trans woman to appear on the cover. May 17, 2024 Kate Upton (4)Chrissy Teigen (2)Gayle KingHunter McGradyLegends60th Anniversary.Sports Illustrated Swimsuit 2024 - Celebrating 60 years of Influence. May 13, 2025 Salma Hayek PinaultOlivia DunneLauren ChanJordan Chiles May 26, 2026 Hilary DuffAlix EarleTiffany HaddishNicole Williams English

Models on multiple covers

+Most covers by modelModelNumber of coversIssuesElle Macpherson5 1986, 1987, 1988, 1994, 2006Kate Upton4 2012, 2013, 2017, 2024Christie Brinkley3 1979, 1980, 1981Cheryl Tiegs3 1970, 1975, 1983Kathy Ireland3 1989, 1992, 1994Daniela Pestova3 1995, 2000, 2006Tyra Banks3 1996, 1997, 2019Paulina Porizkova2 1984, 1985Rachel Hunter2 1994, 2006Rebecca Romijn2 1999, 2006Elsa Benítez2 2001, 2006Yamila Diaz-Rahi2 2002, 2006Veronica Varekova2 2004, 2006Carolyn Murphy2 2005, 2006Chrissy Teigen2 2014, 2024

References