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February 29, 1960 – The first Playboy Club opens in Chicago

by Vishul Malik

It was on this day that the first Playboy Club was opened in Chicago by Hugh Hefner. Born in 1926, Hefner was an American publisher and businessman who was raised…


February 29, 1960 - The first Playboy Club opens in Chicago

It was on this day that the first Playboy Club was opened in Chicago by Hugh Hefner. Born in 1926, Hefner was an American publisher and businessman who was raised in accordance with strict Methodist principles. Earlier in 1953, Hugh had launched the Playboy magazine for men featuring photographs of nude women, stories and articles written by renowned writers, advice on hedonistic living and other high-quality interviews. Gathering international acclamations in the 1960s and 70s, Playboy magazine also created a benchmark in other related businesses including casinos, hotels and nightclubs. Hefner’s daughter has been serving as the chief executive of Playboy Enterprises since 1988. On February 29 in the year 1960, Hugh Hefner inaugurated his popular chain of lounges in his hometown of Chicago. The “bunny” waitresses at the club made the Playboy Club a popular watering hole for almost two decades. It was later in the 1980s that the businesses dwindled with the last of the Playboy clubs getting closed in 1991. The franchise was later revived in the year 2006.