People Magazine History

The concept behind People Magazine is attributed to Andrew Heskell. He worked as the chief executive officer of Time, Inc. during that time. He also served as the publisher of Life magazine. Meanwhile, Richard Stolley was the founding managing editor of People. Stolley described the magazine as a form of giving back to the people who make it to the headlines who deserve to be in it or caught up in it. When it was still starting, People Magazine was sold in supermarkets and newsstands.

People Magazine's premier edition featured actress Mia Farrow that was published on March 4, 1974. The same issue of the magazine also had articles about Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, Gloria Vanderbilt and wise of US Vietnam veterans who were dubbed as missing in action. It was sold for 35 cents and was printed black-and-white. The small editorial team during that time included writers, editors and photographers from Life Magazine.

Time, Inc. launched the Spanish magazine People en Espanol in 1996. The idea was to have a Spanish version of the magazine. However, it immediately managed to come up with original content. In 2002, People Magazine introduced the People Stylewatch. This focused on fashion, celebrity style and beauty.