10 Things You May Not Know About Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue Release Day

As everyone knows, Feb. 14 is one of the biggest holidays of the year for men. It is a date that most guys look forward to with incredible zeal, and it’s difficult to stifle our excitement when the big day is finally here. It’s also amazing to see how many of us are out shopping today and making purchases as part of the celebration. It’s just too bad that our spouses hate this holiday and it isn’t posted on any calendars.

What? You thought I was talking about Valentine’s Day? Don’t be ridiculous! Any guy will know I am talking about the enormous “holiday” I like to call Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue Release Day. A worldwide phenomenon that now has been celebrated for 43 years, the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition is an annual tradition where sports take a backseat in the magazine to a variety of dramatic photographs of the world’s hottest swimsuit models (all tastefully done, of course).

The issue always generates a lot of attention, whether it be discussion over the latest cover girl (Beyonce graces the cover this year), controversy over the latest risque photos (especially ones involving see-through mesh swimsuits, nude models “wearing” only body paint, etc.), the exotic locations, the collection of “swimsuits” featured and whether they serve a functional purpose for actual swimming and (of course), the well-written articles that every guy swears he reads from cover to cover.

Nowadays, you can see the SI swimsuit models everywhere. Besides for the magazine itself, the models are on calendars, videos, iTunes downloads and the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit microsite throughout the year. Another great way to see the models at any time is to put Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition pictures on your cell phone. SI Mobile has a full collection of cell phone wallpapers featuring models from the current and past editions of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. Over 50 Sports Illustrated swimsuit models are featured on the site, and the wallpapers are available for all major wireless carriers. Some of my favorites include Heidi Klum, Marisa Miller, Maria Sharapova, Ana Beatriz Barros, Petra Nemcova and 2007 newcomer Bar Refaeli. Plus, these wallpapers are certainly better to look at regularly than the boring default wallpapers that your cell phone came with, right?

In terms of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue itself, it’s amazing to see the history is involved in this “holiday” and the careers that were launched as a result of a model appearing on the cover. Here are 10 facts you may not know about the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue and its famous models:

1. The first annual Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue hit the stands on Jan. 20, 1964 with Babette March appearing on the cover. The issue came out roughly 10 years after Sports Illustrated was first published. The measly cover price of 25 cents can be summed up in three words: Cheapest. Entertainment. Ever.
2. Elle Macpherson has been on the cover the most times with five appearances. In addition to appearing consecutively from 1986 thru 1988, she also appeared on the 1994 and 2006 covers.
3. The 25th anniversary issue in 1989 (featuring Kathy Ireland on the cover) remains the highest selling issue ever.
4. One tradition associated with the SI Swimsuit Issue is all the complaint letters that are sent regarding the content. The 1978 issue featured the most complaint letters.
5. Christie Brinkley is the only model other than Elle Macpherson to grace the cover three straight years (1979-81).
6. Tyra Banks was the first African-American model to appear on the cover when she made the 1996 and 1997 covers. With this year’s appearance, Beyonce is now the second African-American to appear on the cover.
7. The 2000 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition featured 3-D glasses and special 3-D pictures of some of the models.
8. The 2005 edition was the first one to feature trading cards of the swimsuit models. Nine models were featured in all.
9. Pro tennis players Venus and Serena Williams are the only siblings to appear in the issue. Serena was in the 2003 issue while her older sister Venus appeared two years later.
10. The 2006 issue featured a record-setting eight models on the cover (Veronica Varekova, Elle Macpherson, Rebecca Romijn, Rachel Hunter, Daniela Pestova, Elsa Benitez, Carolyn Murphy and Yamila Diaz-Rahi) while two additional models (Heidi Klum and tennis star Maria Sharapova) appeared on the cover insets.