Editing Hugh Heffner

{{Infobox person
| name          = Hugh Hefner
| image         = Hugh Hefner 1970.jpg
| caption       = Hefner in 1970
| birth_name    = Hugh Marston Hefner
| birth_date    = {{Birth date|1926|4|9}}
| birth_place   = [[Chicago]], Illinois, U.S.
| death_date    = {{Death date and age|2017|9|27|1926|4|9}}
| death_place   = [[Los Angeles]], California, U.S.
| occupation    = Magazine publisher, businessman
| years_active  = 1953–2017
| spouse        = {{unbulleted list|Mildred Williams (m. 1949; div. 1959)|Kimberley Conrad (m. 1989; div. 2010)|Crystal Harris (m. 2012)}}
| children      = 4
}}

'''Hugh Marston Hefner''' (April 9, 1926 – September 27, 2017) was an American magazine publisher and lifestyle icon. He was the founder and editor-in-chief of ''[[Playboy]]'' magazine, a publication that played a significant role in the sexual revolution of the 1960s. 

== Early life ==
Hefner was born in [[Chicago]], Illinois, the eldest of two sons born to Grace Caroline and Glenn Lucius Hefner. He attended Sayre Elementary School and Steinmetz High School. During [[World War II]], he served as an infantry clerk for the [[United States Army]] from 1944 to 1946.

Following his service, he graduated from the [[University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign]] in 1949 with a Bachelor of Arts in psychology.

== Career ==
=== Playboy Magazine ===
In 1953, Hefner raised $8,000 from 45 investors—including $1,000 from his mother—to launch ''Playboy''. The first issue, published in December 1953, featured nude photographs of [[Marilyn Monroe]] and sold over 50,000 copies.

=== Expansion and Media ===
By the 1970s, the Playboy empire had expanded to include:
* '''Playboy Clubs:''' A chain of nightclubs featuring "Playboy Bunnies."
* '''Television:''' Hefner hosted ''Playboy's Penthouse'' (1959–1960) and ''Playboy After Dark'' (1969–1970).
* '''The Mansion:''' The [[Playboy Mansion]] in Los Angeles became a symbol of his lavish lifestyle.

== Legacy ==
Hefner was a polarizing figure. Supporters viewed him as a champion of free speech and civil rights, noting that ''Playboy'' published interviews with figures like [[Martin Luther King Jr.]] and [[Malcolm X]]. Critics argued that his work objectified women.

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:1926 births]]
[[Category:2017 deaths]]
[[Category:American publishers]]