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Sonja Henie

Chronology



1912 Born April 8, outside of Oslo, Norway, to Hans Wilhelm Henie and Selma Lochman Nielsen
1918 Receives first pair of ice skates
1921 Wins Norway's junior-level national competition
1922 Studies with private tutor to allow for longer practice sessions
1923 Wins Norwegian National Championship
1927 Sees Anna Pavlova dance in London
1927 Wins first of ten Women's World Figure Skating Championship titles
1928 Awarded Olympic gold medal in figure skating at St. Moritz
1930 Performs in New York City's Madison Square Garden in amateur exhibition
1932 Awarded Olympic gold medal in figure skating at Lake Placid
1936 Awarded Olympic gold medal in figure skating at Garmisch-Partenkirchen
1936 Wins tenth World Championship title
1936 Signs contract to skate in U.S. tour, Sonja Henie's Night,
1936 Rents Hollywood arena to woo filmmakers
1936 Signs five-year contract with Twentieth-Century Fox
1936 Appears in first film, One in a Million
1937 Begins touring in Hollywood Ice Review
1938 Rated third-most-popular film star in poll
1940 Marries Daniel Reid Topping
1941 Becomes U.S. citizen
1946 Divorces Daniel Reid Topping
1948 Makes last film in Hollywood
1949 Marries Winthrop Gardiner, Jr.
1952 Ends long relationship with promoter Arthur Wirtz and tours independently
1952 Stops appearing in arena-style shows after bleacher accident injures 250 spectators
1956 Divorced by Winthrop Gardiner, Jr.
1956 Marries Niels Onstad
1956 Retires from professional skating
1958 Appears in British film Hello London
1968 Donates modern art collection to Norway; builds Henie-Onstad Museum near Oslo
1968 Diagnosed with leukemia
1969 Dies on ambulance plane flying from Paris to Oslo

Additional topics

Famous Sports StarsFigure SkatingSonja Henie Biography - Early Advantages, Youthful Champion, Chronology, Turning Professional, Film Stardom, Awards And Accomplishments - SELECTED WRITINGS BY HENIE: