Baseball Hall-of-Famer Willie Mays was born on this date in 1931. After contributing to the Birmingham Barons’ run to the 1948 Negro World Series, Mays eventually graduated high school (!), signed with the New York Giants, and won National League Rookie of the Year in 1951. He missed most of the 1952 and 1953 seasons while serving in the Korean War, but in 1954, he was selected to his first All-Star game, a distinction he would earn for 20 consecutive seasons.

This April 13, 1959 issue of Sports Illustrated marks his third appearance on the cover and his first as the main subject.