(WUSA) -- Supermodel and actress Tyra Banks turns 39 years old today.

Banks was born in Los Angeles, California.

Her efforts to become a model were difficult at first, but in 1990, she landed a contract with Elite Model Management. She would later become the first black woman to grace the cover of the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue.

Take a look at Tyra through the years in these photos, courtesy of Getty Images.