life:

First Black Supermodel: Naomi Sims

Taken under the wing of model-turned-agent Wilhelmina Cooper, the Mississippi-born Sims became internationally famous in 1967 with a New York Times Magazine fashion spread, then became a household name with a TV commercial for Bill Blass. She died of breast cancer on Aug. 1, 2009.

See more— Supermodels of the ’60s and ’70s