McCall's published fiction by such well-known authors as Alice Adams, Lester Atwell, Ray Bradbury, Gelett Burgess, Willa Cather, Jack Finney, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Barbara Garson, John Steinbeck, Tim O'Brien, Tony J. Caridi, Anne Tyler and Kurt Vonnegut.

A pair of pioneering female illustrators, Jessie Willcox Smith and Neysa McMein, drew dozens of McCall's cover portraits.

Film critic Pauline Kael worked at McCall's from 1965 to 1966, and was reportedly fired after writing a highly unfavorable review of The Sound of Music.

Though still mainly a vehicle to sell McCall's sewing patterns, The Queen began to publish homemaking and handiwork information, and by 1890 had expanded to 12 pages.

[5] In order to reflect the magazine's expanded range of topics, the name was changed to McCall's Magazine—The Queen of Fashion in 1897.

Despite the name changes, for many years information on McCall's patterns filled an average of 20 percent of the magazine's pages.

[6] In 1913, the magazine was purchased by the banking firm of White Weld & Co., which organized the McCall Corporation under the direction of president Edward Alfred Simmons.

[5] In 1922, Harry Payne Burton became editor, and for the first time such well-known fiction writers as Kathleen Norris, Harold Bell Wright, Zane Grey and Booth Tarkington had stories published in McCall's.

[8] Pearl Harbor was attacked on December 7, 1941, and Otis Wiese immediately revamped the February 1942 issue then in preparation.

Readers were asked to sign a pledge that stated "As a consumer, in the total defense of democracy, I will do my part to make my country ready, efficient and strong.

[8] During the post-war era, fiction was no longer such an important draw for readers; they wanted more articles and picture spreads.

[8] In 1954 Wiese began to reformat McCall's with a "Togetherness" slogan; it was announced that the magazine would no longer be just for women, but aimed at the entire family.

Under his leadership, circulation rose to 8.4 million, making it the third most popular magazine in the United States after Reader's Digest and TV Guide.

[17] In 1989, McCall's was sold to The New York Times Company, and in 1994, German-based Gruner + Jahr announced plans to purchase their magazine business.

O'Donnell said in a statement, "I decided I could not participate in a magazine that bears my name when I could not be assured it would reflect my vision, values and editorial direction.

From 1951 to 1967, McCall's, in partnership with American Women in Radio and Television (AWRT), presented the Golden Mike Award for Women in Radio and Television, making it the first "magazine with a national circulation which has ever paid tribute to the public service record of any group in radio and television," with the Golden Mikes being "the only awards given exclusively to women Broadcasters and Executives for public service accomplishments in the communications field.

"[20] Award criteria were based "exclusively on civic engagement, community service, charity, health and safety....