Tyra Banks, born on December 4, 1973 in Los Angeles, California, was a leading international fashion model, becoming the first black woman to land the cover of the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue. She later tried her hand at acting before creating and hosting her own reality TV show, Project Runway, followed by her own daytime talk show, for which she’s won an Emmy.

Supermodel Tyra Banks was born on December 4, 1973 in Inglewood, California. Tyra Banks' father, Don Banks, was a computer consultant and her mother, Carolyn, was a medical photographer. Banks' parents divorced when she was only 6 years old, but she says that she was too young for the divorce to have much impact on her. "As far as I could see, I had it made," Banks remembers. "I stayed with Mommy on the weekdays and Daddy on the weekends. I had two birthday parties, two Christmases. Double the presents, double the love."