# Steinem (DD-760)

> The Reel runs her career straight from the 1963 Bunny piece to Ms., but the record puts the turning point elsewhere. Wikipedia credits a 1969 New York magazine article with making her a national feminist figure, and in 1971 she co-founded the National Women's Political Caucus and the Women's Action Alliance, both before Ms. had a stand-alone issue. The magazine's start date depends on what you count: a preview ran inside New York in December 1971, and the first independent issue came out in July 1972. Accounts of the debut differ too, with the 300,000 test copies selling out in three days in one Wikipedia article and in eight days in another. The Reel went up about eight weeks after her death on September 2, 2026, and does not mention it.

- Department: People (also Media)
- First published: 2026-10-30
- Last updated: 2026-10-30
- Permalink: https://detailenjoyer.com/case/steinem/
- Author: Marcus Easterling (DetailEnjoyer), The Detail Department

## Status as of Nov. 1, 2026

Deceased. Steinem died at her home in New York City on September 2, 2026, aged 92; her family announced the death on Instagram (UN News, Sept. 3, 2026). Ms. magazine has been published by the Feminist Majority Foundation since 2001 and now comes out quarterly (Wikipedia).
Out of date in the Reel: The Reel (posted Oct. 30, 2026) uses the past tense but doesn't mention her death on September 2, 2026.

## On the timeline

- **March 25, 1934**: Gloria Steinem is born in Toledo, Ohio
- **1962**: Esquire runs her article on contraception
- **1969**: 'After Black Power, Women's Liberation' appears in New York magazine
- **December 1971**: A preview issue of Ms. runs inside New York magazine
- **July 1972**: The first stand-alone issue of Ms. appears
- **Sept. 2, 2026**: Steinem dies at her home in Manhattan

Full timeline: https://detailenjoyer.com/timeline/?case=steinem

## Quick facts

- **DD-760-F01**: Born in Toledo, Ohio, on March 25, 1934. _(Write-up · Exhibit A (First serious assignment))_
- **DD-760-F02**: Died at her home in New York City on September 2, 2026, aged 92. _(Write-up · Exhibit F (Last interview))_

## File Synthesis

Steinem's name sat on the masthead of a magazine whose 300,000 test copies sold out before it had published a single regular issue.

1. **First serious assignment**: Esquire editor Clay Felker gave her what she later called her first 'serious assignment', a 1962 article on contraception that he made her rewrite.
2. **Show magazine**: Her Playboy Club exposé, 'A Bunny's Tale', ran in two parts in Huntington Hartford's Show magazine and became a 1985 TV film starring Kirstie Alley.
3. **The 1969 article**: Wikipedia credits her 1969 New York magazine piece 'After Black Power, Women's Liberation' with bringing her national attention as a feminist leader.
4. **Kali on the cover**: The December 1971 preview of Ms., published inside New York magazine, showed a pregnant, eight-armed Kali holding a clock, a skillet, a typewriter and an iron, among other objects.
5. **Wonder Woman**: The first stand-alone issue, dated July 1972, put Wonder Woman on its cover; Warner Communications, owner of DC Comics, was an investor.
6. **Last interview**: She died at her Manhattan home on September 2, 2026, aged 92, and a Famous Last Words interview filmed in February 2025 aired the next day.

## Related case files

- [Kirk (DD-672)](https://detailenjoyer.com/case/kirk/): Another Persons of Interest profile of an American organization founder

## Reel vs. record

- **Imprecise**: the Reel dates Ms. to 1972. A preview issue ran as an insert in New York magazine in December 1971, and Wikipedia's Ms. article dates the co-founding to 1971; the first stand-alone issue appeared in July 1972. [Wikipedia: Ms. (magazine)]
- **Missing context**: the Reel ties her rise to the 1963 Playboy Club article; Wikipedia credits her 1969 article 'After Black Power, Women's Liberation' with bringing her national attention. [Wikipedia: Gloria Steinem]
- **Detail**: Wikipedia's two articles disagree on how fast the 300,000 test copies sold out, three days (Ms.) or eight days (Gloria Steinem). [Wikipedia: Ms. (magazine); Wikipedia: Gloria Steinem]

## Video: Steinem: Ms. Sold Out Its 300,000 Test Copies Before Its First Regular Issue

- Duration: 24.2 s · Published: 2026-10-30
- File: https://detailenjoyer.com/assets/videos/DfGu3ZbR-ZG.mp4

### Transcript

Did you know, Gloria Steinem helped transform the American feminist movement from a grassroots campaign into a national political and cultural force? Born in Ohio in 1934, she began her career as a journalist, gaining attention in 1963 when she went undercover as a Playboy Bunny. In 1972, she co-founded Ms. Magazine, a national platform to discuss subjects, including abortion rights, workplace discrimination, and domestic violence. NOW YOU KNOW!

## Questions & answers

**Q: Which magazine ran 'A Bunny's Tale'?**  
A: Huntington Hartford's magazine, in two parts. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit B (Show magazine) · Wikipedia: Gloria Steinem; Wikipedia: A Bunny's Tale)_

**Q: Who played Steinem in the 1985 TV film?**  
A: A Bunny's Tale (1985). _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit B (Show magazine) · Wikipedia: Gloria Steinem; Wikipedia: A Bunny's Tale)_

**Q: Which 1969 article brought her national attention?**  
A: Published in New York magazine. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit C (The 1969 article) · Wikipedia: Gloria Steinem)_

**Q: Who was on the first stand-alone Ms. cover?**  
A: July 1972; the preview had Kali. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit E (Wonder Woman) · Wikipedia: Ms. (magazine))_

**Q: When did Steinem die?**  
A: At home in Manhattan, aged 92. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit F (Last interview) · Wikipedia: Gloria Steinem; UN News (Sept. 3, 2026): Gloria Steinem: A voice for women, to the very end)_

## Sources

- [Wikipedia: Gloria Steinem](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gloria_Steinem)
- [Wikipedia: Ms. (magazine)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ms._(magazine))
- [Wikipedia: A Bunny's Tale](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Bunny%27s_Tale)
- [UN News (Sept. 3, 2026): Gloria Steinem: A voice for women, to the very end](https://news.un.org/en/story/2026/09/1168272)

## Cite this case file

Easterling, Marcus. "Steinem." The Detail Department (DetailEnjoyer), case file DD-760, last updated Oct 30, 2026. https://detailenjoyer.com/case/steinem/