Iconic Vintage National Geographic, October 1978

The first issue of Koko the Gorilla October 1978 issue of National Geographic is one to cherish for life. Koko, renowned for her emotional depth and ability to communicate in sign language.

She became an international celebrity during the course of her life, with a vocabulary of more than 1,000 signs and the ability to understand 2,000 words of spoken English, according to The Gorilla Foundation.

National Geographic magazine featured Koko of its cover twice: First in October 1978, with a photograph that she took of herself in a mirror (perhaps making it one of the earliest prominent animal selfies). She also appeared a second time on the cover in January 1985, in a story about Koko and her pet kitten. Read more about her story here.