On the 75th anniversary of the magazine's debut, LIFE.com presents, in chronological order, the 75 most moving, most striking, most beautiful LIFE covers of all time, as chosen by the site's editors.

On Nov. 1, 1954, actress Dorothy Dandridge became the first African-American woman to be featured on Life’s magazine cover. The same year, she made history as the first African-American to be ...

Selecting a mere 10 covers ... LIFE who just as aptly fit that description speaks volumes about the magazine itself, and about the quality of photojournalism that was practiced by dedicated men ...