Think You Can Recognize These Famous Magazine Covers? Take Our Quiz To Find Out!
Written by Rachel Bortles
Last updated · 9 min play time
Have you been keeping up with the most powerful, devastating, uplifting, and shocking cover stories of our time? Then you'll do great on this Famous Magazine Covers Quiz!
Quiz written by
Rachel BortlesHi there! I'm a writer, yoga teacher, bartender, and mother. I'm passionate about spending time outside, space exploration, anything Harry Potter, and pizza.
Famous Magazine Covers Quiz Questions
20 Questions · 2K Plays · No comments
Question 1
What beloved musician was featured on the 1971 cover of Rolling Stone at just 11 years old?
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AElvis Presley
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BMichael Jackson
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CPrince
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DMichael Jordan
Michael Jackson
The caption for this intriguing cover read "Why does this eleven year-old stay up past his bedtime?" This was the first time the world got a peek into the life of young Michael Jackson, lead singer of The Jackson 5.
Question 2
Which legendary fighter was named “The Athlete of the Century” on the 1999 cover of GQ?
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AMike Tyson
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BMuhammad Ali
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CGeorge Foreman
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DSylvester Stallone
Muhammad Ali
GQ honored the man known as "The Greatest" in their 1999 cover by naming him “The Athlete of the Century”. Muhammad Ali is still globally regarded as one of the most celebrated boxers of all time.
Question 3
Upon its release, the "Afghan Girl" quickly became recognized as a representation of conflict and a symbol of resistance to adversity. This powerful image graced the 1985 cover of which magazine?
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ANational Geographic
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BTime
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CRolling Stone
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DVogue
National Geographic
Titled "Afghan Girl", this intense 1984 photographic portrait of an adolescent girl, known to be Sharbat Gula, with green eyes in a red headscarf is forever ingrained in our memories thanks to National Geographic.
Question 4
Which notable magazine named Martin Luther King, Jr. “Man of the Year” on its January 1964 issue?
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ANational Geographic
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BRolling Stone
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CPeople
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DTime
Time
Although this wasn't his first appearance on the cover of Time, in this groundbreaking issue, MLK became the first African American to be named “Man of the Year” by the prestigious publication.
Question 5
Besides the obvious, what was so special about Tyra Banks' 1997 cover of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue?
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AShe was the first to appear in a two-piece bathing suit
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BShe was the first black woman to appear on the cover alone
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CShe was the youngest model to pose for the cover
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DShe was the first to reveal cleavage on the cover
She was the first black woman to appear on the cover alone
In 1996, Tyra posed with Valeria Mazza for the first-ever model cover of Sports Illustrated. In 1997, she changed the entire Sports Illustrated game by posing solo for the cover.
Question 6
Tragically, John Lennon was murdered in front of his Manhattan apartment mere hours after this photo was taken. Which magazine published this photo as their 1981 cover?
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AVanity Fair
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BTime
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CRolling Stone
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DGQ
Rolling Stone
On December 8, 1980, John Lennon was shot and killed by a fan in front of his Manhattan apartment just hours after having this Polaroid taken. Rolling Stone published the issue with this photograph on the cover on January 22, 1981.
Question 7
What horrific event was this Life Magazine cover attempting to shed light on with this heartbreaking image?
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AThe end of the Indo-Pakistani War
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BThe Vietnam War
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CMoroccan Army Shooting
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DThe Korean War
The Vietnam War
On November 26, 1965, Life released an issue titled “The Blunt Reality of War in Vietnam” as a reminder of the horrors brought by the Vietnam War. They also used this image to pay tribute to its photographer, Paul Schutzer, who died in the field.
Question 8
Which contentious Hollywood celebrity created a stir with his "holy" appearance on the 2006 cover of Rolling Stone?
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AKanye West
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BJay-Z
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CDrake
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DKevin Hart
Kanye West
Captioned "The Passion of Kanye West," this memorable cover turned heads when the rap star appeared as Jesus with a crown of thorns atop his head.
Question 9
What did the large caption under O.J. Simpson's notorious Time magazine cover read?
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ASerial Killer On The Loose
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BHorror in Hollywood
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CAn American Tragedy
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DAn American Legend
An American Tragedy
When we think of high profile murder cases, none stand out more than the O.J. Simpson murder case. Time appealed to this interest, making Simpson's mugshot their 1994 cover.
Question 10
On November 12, 2012, New York Magazine shared a powerful aerial image of Manhattan during which deadly hurricane?
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AKatrina
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BSandy
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CIrene
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DHarvey
Sandy
This astounding cover, depicting the deadliest, strongest, and most destructive hurricane of the 2012 Atlantic hurricane season, sold nearly 16,000 copies on newsstands.
Question 11
Time Magazine shook up newsstands everywhere with the 2012 controversial release of this image. Which parenting technique was the primary topic of this issue?
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APermissive Parenting
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BCo-Parenting
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CAuthoritative Parenting
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DAttachment Parenting
Attachment Parenting
“Are You Mom Enough?” was the headline of this highly debated issue regarding the concept of Attachment Parenting. This technique emphasizes a strong emotional bond with parents or caregivers during childhood that some feel may be too intense.
Question 12
Which magazine published a cover in honor of the first manned moon landing on July 20, 1969 with the caption "to the moon and back"?
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ALife
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BTime
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CNational Geographic
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DUS Weekly
Life
Life released this special edition on August 11, 1969, just three weeks after the first manned moon landing.
Question 13
When LeBron James appeared as the first African American male on Vogue's 2008 cover alongside Gisele Bundchen, he caught a lot of slack. Do you remember why?
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APeople speculated that he and Gisele were having an affair
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BHis body appeared heavily photoshopped
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CPeople thought he was holding Gisele too tight
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DHis pose appeared very racially-charged in channeling King Kong
His pose appeared very racially-charged in channeling King Kong
Although LeBron was attempting to make positive strides against racial discrimination with this cover, he actually ended up doing quite the opposite when he struck this pose.
Question 14
Which magazine hit the stands with this simply powerful image of the Twin Towers on September 24, 2001?
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AThe New Yorker
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BNewsweek
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CTime
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DNational Geographic
The New Yorker
This cover, titled 'Twin Towers in Silhouette'. was artfully created by Art Spiegelman and Francoise Mouly, and received worldwide recognition. It was also voted in the top ten magazine covers of the past 40 years by the American Society of Magazine Editors.
Question 15
In what year did Ellen DeGeneres shock the nation by appearing on the cover of Time Magazine alongside the quote "Yep, I'm Gay"?
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A1994
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B1997
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C2000
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D2002
1997
It's hard to imagine now, but back then, this proclamation of her homosexuality nearly cost Ellen her career. After being ostracized by the industry, it took her nearly three years to find work again.
Question 16
Darine Stern was the first African American woman to appear by herself on the cover of Playboy. In what year was this controversial issue released?
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A1969
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B1984
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C1971
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D1977
1971
Although Jennifer Jackson was the first African American woman to appear on a Playboy cover in 1965, it wasn't until 1971 that an African American woman appeared by herself on the cover.
Question 17
Although many say they missed the mark on this one, which presidential figure was Esquire trying to evoke with their 2000 cover of Bill Clinton?
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AJohn Adams
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BAbraham Lincoln
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CGerald Ford
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DGeorge Washington
Abraham Lincoln
Esquire's December 2000 issue generated a lot of controversy with this expedited image of Bill Clinton. Supposedly, the photographer only had seven minutes in a New Jersey hotel room to capture an image reminiscent of the Lincoln Memorial. Unfortunately, all this image conjured up was gossip surrounding Clinton's sex scandals.
Question 18
Astoundingly, People's "Tribute to Diana" issue sold more than 3.1 million copies, making it the second-best selling issue of the popular magazine. How many times did Princess Diana appear on People's cover?
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A43
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B38
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C62
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D57
57
This 1997 feature of the beloved Princess was one of 57 times she graced the cover with her beauty, and readers' interest in the Royal Family has only continued to grow over the years.
Question 19
There's no doubt that Janet Jackson is all about making a grand statement in her self-expression. On the 1993 cover of Rolling Stone, whose hands are censoring the pop icon?
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AJames DeBarge
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BRene Elizondo
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CWissam Al Mana
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DLa Toya Jackson
Rene Elizondo
Janet Jackson's topless appearance on the cover of Rolling Stone was tastefully censored by her then-husband, Rene Elizondo.
Question 20
Despite her partially-covered face, who was the first African American woman to grace the cover of Vogue?
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ABeverly Johnson
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BNaomi Sims
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CTyra Banks
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DDonyale Luna
Donyale Luna
Model Donyale Luna became the first African American woman to cover Vogue in 1966. The magazine chose cover her face in fear that it may deter readers from buying the issue. Beverly Johnson was the first African American woman to appear on Vogue's cover with her whole face showing in 1974.
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