Forty years later and sports stars, politicians, war heroes and musicians have lined up to pay tribute to the UK's biggest selling newspaper.
In its leader, inside spreads and an eight-page pullout, today's The Sun has revisited classic front pages, including 'Freddie Starr Ate My Hamster' and 'Zip Me Up Before You Go Go'.
Tributes from, among others, Baroness Thatcher, Simon Cowell and Dizzee Rascal feature and the paper has reaffirmed its commitment, made in its debut edition, to be the people's paper.
The News International-owned paper may not be everyone's idea of good read, but as Britain's biggest selling paper - it recorded a circulation of 3,026,556 in October's ABC figures - it has consistently appealed to the newspaper-buying public.
Having spent its entire lifetime courting controversy, under numerous fearless editor including launch editor Larry Lamb and perhaps its most infamous editor Kelvin MacKenzie, it is unsurprising that as it celebrates its 40th birthday The Sun is once again generating its own headlines.
Its decision to move away from supporting Labour and recent coverage of Gordon Brown's condolence letter to the family of a soldier killed in Afghanistan have put the newspaper at the heart of the news agenda.
But while the news media landscape maybe vastly different now to when The Sun first hit the newsstand - with even its publishing legend owner Rupert Murdoch seemingly struggling to get to grips with today's threats to the traditional business model - it would be no surprise if The Currant Bun is still with us in another 40 years.
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