In Playboy Magazine's initial issue, from 1953, which well-known female was the first centerfold model?

The star of the very first centerfold in December 1953 was none other than Hollywood's most iconic blonde bombshell. The photographs, however, were not originally shot for the magazine. A young Hugh Hefner, launching his publication on a shoestring budget, purchased the rights to existing nude photos of the actress from a 1949 pin-up calendar shoot for just $500. At the time of the original photo session, she was a struggling actress who posed for photographer Tom Kelley for a mere $50 to make her car payment.

By the time Playboy was published, she was a major star, and her inclusion was a huge risk that paid off. Titled the "Sweetheart of the Month," her feature helped the undated first issue sell more than 50,000 copies, launching a media empire. When the photos resurfaced and created a potential scandal, the actress famously and cleverly defused the controversy. She admitted she posed because she was broke, endearing herself to the public by quipping, "It's not true I had nothing on. I had the radio on."