| Sonja Henie | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | April 8, 1912 Oslo, Norway |
| Died | October 12, 1969 (aged 57) aboard a flight to  Oslo, Norway |
| Medal record | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Olympic Games | |||
| Ladies' figure skating | |||
| Gold | 1928 St. Moritz | Singles | |
| Gold | 1932 Lake Placid | Singles | |
| Gold | 1936 Garmisch-Partenkirchen | Singles | |
Sonja Henie (April 8, 1912 - October 12, 1969) was a Norwegian figure skater and actress. Events 217 - Roman Emperor Caracalla is Assassinated (and succeeded by his Praetorian Year 1912 ( MCMXII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year starting (called Christiania from 1624 to 1878 and Kristiania from 1878 to 1924 is the Capital and largest city of Norway. Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional Events 539 BC - The army of Cyrus the Great of Persia takes Babylon. Year 1969 ( MCMLXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. (called Christiania from 1624 to 1878 and Kristiania from 1878 to 1924 is the Capital and largest city of Norway. Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional The Olympic Games is an international Multi-sport event established for both summer and winter games Figure skating has been contested in the Olympic Games since the 1908 Summer Olympics. The 1928 Winter Olympics, officially known as the II Olympic Winter Games, were a Winter Multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1928 At the 1928 Winter Olympics, three Figure skating events were contested The 1932 Winter Olympics, officially known as the III Olympic Winter Games, were a Winter Multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1932 At the 1932 Winter Olympics, three Figure skating events were contested The 1936 Winter Olympics, officially known as the IV Olympic Winter Games, were a Winter Multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1936 At the 1936 Winter Olympics, three Figure skating events were contested Events 217 - Roman Emperor Caracalla is Assassinated (and succeeded by his Praetorian Year 1912 ( MCMXII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year starting Events 539 BC - The army of Cyrus the Great of Persia takes Babylon. Year 1969 ( MCMLXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional Figure skating is an athletic Sport in which individuals pairs or groups perform spins, jumps, footwork and other intricate and challenging She is a three-time Olympic Champion (1928, 1932, 1936), a ten-time World Champion (1927-1936) and a six-time European Champion (1931-1936). This is the complete list of Olympic Medalists in Figure skating from 1908 to 2006. At the 1928 Winter Olympics, three Figure skating events were contested At the 1932 Winter Olympics, three Figure skating events were contested At the 1936 Winter Olympics, three Figure skating events were contested The World Figure Skating Championships ( "Worlds") is an annual Figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union in which The European Figure Skating Championships ( "Europeans") is an annual Figure skating competition in which figure skaters compete for Henie won more Olympic and World titles than any other ladies figure skater. At the height of her acting career she was one of the highest paid movie stars in Hollywood.
Contents |
Biography
Early life
Sonja Henie was born in Kristiania, current Oslo, the daughter of Wilhelm Henie, a prosperous Norwegian furrier, and his wife Selma. (called Christiania from 1624 to 1878 and Kristiania from 1878 to 1924 is the Capital and largest city of Norway. (called Christiania from 1624 to 1878 and Kristiania from 1878 to 1924 is the Capital and largest city of Norway. Fur clothing is Clothing made entirely of or partially of the Fur of animals In addition to the income from the fur business, both of Henie's parents had inherited wealth.
Wilhelm Henie had been a one-time World Cycling Champion and the Henie children were encouraged to take up a variety of sports at a young age. Henie initially showed talent at skiing, and then followed her older brother Leif to take up figure skating. Snow skiing is a group of sports utilizing Skis as primary equipment Figure skating is an athletic Sport in which individuals pairs or groups perform spins, jumps, footwork and other intricate and challenging As a girl, Henie was also a nationally-ranked tennis player and a skilled swimmer and equestrienne. Tennis is a sport played between two players ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles) Swimming is the movement by humans or animals through Water, usually without artificial assistance For the Roman class see Equestrian (Roman Equestrianism refers to the skill of riding or driving Horses This broad description
Once Henie began serious training as a figure skater, her formal schooling ended. She was educated by tutors, and her father hired the best experts in the world, including the famous Russian ballerina Tamara Karsavina, to transform his daughter into a sporting celebrity. Tamara Platonovna Karsavina (10 March 1885 &ndash 26 May 1978 was a famous Russian Ballerina who eventually settled in England, where she helped found
Competitive career
Henie won her first major competition, the senior Norwegian championships, at the age of 9. She then placed eighth in a field of eight at the 1924 Winter Olympics, at the age of eleven. The 1924 Winter Olympics, officially known as the I Olympic Winter Games, were a Winter Multi-sport event which was held in 1924 in Chamonix During the 1924 program, she skated over to the side of the rink several times to ask her coach for directions. Year 1924 ( MCMXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. But by the next Olympiad, she needed no such assistance. Henie won the first of an unprecedented ten World Figure Skating Championships in 1927 at the age of fourteen, and her first Olympic gold medal the following year. Year 1927 ( MCMXXVII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Olympic Games is an international Multi-sport event established for both summer and winter games She also won six consecutive European championships. Towards the end of her career, she began to be strongly challenged by younger skaters including Hedy Stenuf and Cecilia Colledge, but she held off these competitors to win her third Olympic title at the 1936 Winter Olympics. Hedy Stenuf was an Austrian Figure skater who later competed for France and the United States. Magdelena Cecilia Colledge ( November 28 1920 &ndash April 12 2008) was a British figure skater. The 1936 Winter Olympics, officially known as the IV Olympic Winter Games, were a Winter Multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1936
During her competitive career, Henie traveled widely and worked with a variety of foreign coaches. At home in Oslo, she trained at Frogner Stadium, but during the latter part of her competitive career she was coached primarily by the American Howard Nicholson in London. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. In addition to traveling to train and compete, she was much in demand as a performer at figure skating exhibitions in both Europe and North America. Henie became so popular with the public that police had to be called out for crowd control on her appearances in various disparate cities such as Prague and New York. It was an open secret that, in spite of the strict amateurism requirements of the time, Wilhelm Henie demanded "expense money" for his daughter's skating appearances. Amateurism (from Fr amateur "lover of" from OFr from L Both of Henie's parents had given up their own pursuits in Norway -- leaving Leif to run the fur business -- in order to accompany Sonja on her travels and act as her managers.
Henie is credited with being the first figure skater to adopt the short skirt costume in figure skating, and make use of dance choreography. See also, Choreography (literally "dance-writing" from the Greek words "χορεία" (circular dance see chorea) and "γραφή" Her innovative skating techniques and glamorous demeanor transformed the sport permanently and confirmed its acceptance as a legitimate sport in the Winter Olympics.
Professional and film career
After the 1936 World Figure Skating Championships, Henie gave up her amateur status and took up a career as a professional performer in acting and live shows. The World Figure Skating Championships ( "Worlds") is an annual Figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union in which While still a girl, Henie had decided that she wanted to move to Hollywood and become a movie star when her competitive days were over, without considering that her thick accent might hinder her acting ambitions.
In 1936, following a successful ice show in Hollywood orchestrated by her father to launch her film career, she was hired by Darryl Zanuck at Fox Studios with a contract that made her one of the highest-paid actresses of the time. Darryl Francis Zanuck ( September 5, 1902 &ndash December 22, 1979) was an Academy Award -winning producer, Writer After the success of her first film, One in a Million, Henie's position was assured and she became increasingly demanding in her business dealings with Zanuck. Henie also insisted on having total control of the skating numbers in her films.
In addition to her film career at Fox, Henie formed a business arrangement with Arthur Wirtz, who produced her touring ice shows under the name of "Hollywood Ice Revue". Arthur Michael Wirtz ( January 23 1901 &ndash July 21 1983) was a powerful figure in sports and arena operation Wirtz also acted as Henie's financial advisor. At the time, figure skating and ice shows were not an established form of entertainment in the United States, and Henie's popularity as a film actress attracted many new fans to her live appearances. At the height of her fame, her touring activities brought Henie as much as $2 million per year. She also had numerous lucrative endorsement contracts, and deals to market skates, clothing, jewelry, dolls, and other merchandise branded with her name. These activities made her one of the wealthiest women in the world in her time.
Henie broke off her arrangement with Wirtz in 1950 and for the next three seasons produced her own tours under the name "Sonja Henie Ice Revue". It was an ill-advised decision to set herself up in competition with Wirtz, whose shows now featured the new Olympic champion Barbara Ann Scott. Barbara Ann Scott (born May 9, 1928 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada) is a Canadian retired Figure skater. Since Wirtz controlled the best arenas and dates, Henie was left playing smaller venues and markets already saturated by other touring ice shows such as Ice Capades. The Ice Capades was a traveling entertainment show featuring theatrical performances involving Ice skating. The collapse of a section of bleachers during a show in Baltimore, Maryland in 1952 compounded the tour's legal and financial woes.
In 1953 Henie formed a new partnership with Morris Chalfen to appear in his European Holiday On Ice tour. Morris Chalfen purchased and relocated a near-extinct National Basketball League (NBL franchise Holiday on Ice is an ice show currently produced by Joop van den Ende's Stage Entertainment Group with its headquarters in Amsterdam Netherlands This was a great success; but a subsequent South American tour in 1956 was a disaster. Henie was drinking heavily at that time and could no longer keep up with the demands of touring, and this marked her retirement from skating.
In 1938, she published her autobiography, which was republished in a revised edition in 1954. Year 1938 ( MCMXXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1954 ( MCMLIV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1954 Gregorian calendar) She retired from acting in 1958 with the film Hello, London, which was never released. Year 1958 ( MCMLVIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
Nazi controversy
Henie's connections with Adolf Hitler and other high-ranking Nazi officials made her the subject of controversy before, during, and after World War II. Hi and welcome to Wikipedia! Please understand that this article is frequently vandalized and vandalism is reverted immediately Nazism, which was a short name for National Socialism (Nationalsozialismus refers primarily to the Ideology and practices of the National Socialist German World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including During her amateur skating career, she performed often in Germany and was a favorite of German audiences as well as of Hitler personally. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. As a wealthy celebrity, she moved in the same social circles as royalty and heads of state and made Hitler's acquaintance as a matter of course.
Controversy appeared first when Henie greeted Hitler with a Nazi salute during an exhibition in Berlin some time prior to the 1936 Winter Olympics; she was strongly denounced by the Norwegian press. The Hitler salute (Hitlergruß also known in Germany during World War II as the Deutscher Gruß (literally German Greeting) or in English as the Berlin is the capital city and one of sixteen states of Germany. The 1936 Winter Olympics, officially known as the IV Olympic Winter Games, were a Winter Multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1936 She did not repeat the salute at the Olympics in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, but after the Games she accepted an invitation to lunch with Hitler at his resort home in nearby Berchtesgaden, where Hitler presented Henie with an autographed photo with a lengthy inscription. Garmisch-Partenkirchen is a Market town in Bavaria, southern Germany. Berchtesgaden (bɛʁçtəsˈgaːdən is a municipality in the German Bavarian Alps. After beginning her film career, Henie kept up her Nazi connections, for example personally arranging with Joseph Goebbels for the release of her first film, One in a Million, in Germany. Paul Joseph Goebbels (German pronunciation ˈɡœbəls English generally ˈɡɝbəlz (29 October 1897 1 May 1945 was a German politician and Reich Minister of Public
During the Occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany, German troops saw Hitler's autographed photo prominently displayed in the Henie family home. Starting with the invasion of April 9, 1940, Norway was under Military occupation of German forces and civil rule of a German As a result, none of Henie's properties in Norway were confiscated or damaged by the Germans. Henie became a naturalized citizen of the United States in 1941. Naturalization is the acquisition of Citizenship or Nationality by somebody who was not a citizen or national of that country when he or she was born The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Like many Hollywood stars, she supported the U. S. war effort through USO and similar activities, but she was careful to avoid supporting the Norwegian resistance movement, or making public statements against the Nazis. "USO" redirects here for other uses see USO (disambiguation The United Service Organizations Inc Norwegian Resistance Movement (Norske Motstandsbevegelsen is a militant offshoot of the Swedish Resistance Movement, with its base in Norway For this, she was condemned by many Norwegians and Norwegian-Americans.
After the war, Henie was mindful that many of her countrymen considered her to be a Quisling. Quisling, after Norwegian politician Vidkun Quisling, who assisted Nazi Germany to conquer his own country is a term used to describe traitors and However, she made a triumphant return to Norway with the Holiday on Ice tour in 1953 and 1955. Holiday on Ice is an ice show currently produced by Joop van den Ende's Stage Entertainment Group with its headquarters in Amsterdam Netherlands
Personal life
Henie was married three times, to Dan Topping, Winthrop Gardiner, and the wealthy Norwegian shipowner and art patron Niels Onstad at the time of her retirement from touring in 1956. Daniel Reid Topping ( June 11 1912 - May 18 1974) was a part owner and president of the New York Yankees baseball team from 1945 to Together, Henie and Onstad settled in Oslo and accumulated a large collection of modern art that formed the basis for the Henie-Onstad Art Centre at Høvikodden, near Oslo. The Henie-Onstad Art Centre is a museum located at Høvikodden in the municipality of Bærum, Norway. (called Christiania from 1624 to 1878 and Kristiania from 1878 to 1924 is the Capital and largest city of Norway.
In addition to her marriages, Henie had a variety of lovers, including her skating partners Jack Dunn and Stewart Reburn, a much-publicized affair with Tyrone Power, and a later romance with actor Van Johnson. Jack Dunn (died 1939 was a British figure skater who competed in the 1930s Stewart Reburn (born August 11, 1912, date of death unknown was a Canadian figure skater who competed in men's singles and pairs Tyrone Edmund Power Jr (May 5 1914 – November 15 1958 usually credited simply as Tyrone Power and known sometimes as " Ty Power " was an Charles "Van" Johnson (born August 25, 1916) is an American film and television actor and dancer
According to the biography Queen of Ice, Queen of Shadows, written by her brother Leif with Raymond Strait, Henie was obsessed with money and sex, had a vile temper when crossed, and used her family and others shamelessly to advance her own ends.
She was diagnosed with leukemia in the mid-1960s. Leukemia or leukaemia (Greek leukos λευκός, "white" aima αίμα, "blood" is a Cancer of the Blood She died at age 57 in 1969 during a flight from Paris to Oslo. Year 1969 ( MCMLXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city (called Christiania from 1624 to 1878 and Kristiania from 1878 to 1924 is the Capital and largest city of Norway. Considered by many as one of the greatest figure skaters in history, she and her husband are buried in Oslo on the hilltop overlooking the Henie-Onstad Art Centre. The Henie-Onstad Art Centre is a museum located at Høvikodden in the municipality of Bærum, Norway.
Competitive highlights
| Event/Season | 1923 | 1924 | 1926 | 1927 | 1928 | 1929 | 1930 | 1931 | 1932 | 1933 | 1933 | 1935 | 1936 |
| Norwegian Championships | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| European Championships | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st |
| World Championships | - | 5th | 2nd | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st |
| Winter Olympics | - | 8th | - | - | 1st | - | - | - | 1st | - | - | - | 1st |
Awards
- Inducted into the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame (1976). The European Figure Skating Championships ( "Europeans") is an annual Figure skating competition in which figure skaters compete for The World Figure Skating Championships ( "Worlds") is an annual Figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union in which The Winter Olympic Games are a winter Multi-sport event held every four years The World Figure Skating Hall of Fame serves as a repository for the sport of figure skating
- Inducted into the International Women's Sports Hall of Fame (1982).
- She has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a Sidewalk along Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street in Hollywood Los Angeles California, USA, that
- In 1938, at age 25, she became the youngest person made a knight first class of The Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav. The Royal Norwegian Order of St Olav ( Norwegian: Den Kongelige Norske St
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1927 | Seven Days for Elizabeth | Skater |
| 1929 | Se Norge | Herself |
| 1936 | One in a Million | Greta "Gretchen" Muller |
| 1937 | Thin Ice | Lili Heiser |
| Ali Baba Goes to Town | Herself (Cameo) | |
| 1938 | Happy Landing | Trudy Ericksen |
| My Lucky Star | Krista Nielsen | |
| 1939 | Second Fiddle | Trudi Hovland |
| Everything Happens at Night | Louise | |
| 1941 | Sun Valley Serenade | Karen Benson |
| 1942 | Iceland | Katina Jonsdottir |
| 1943 | Wintertime | Nora |
| 1945 | It's a Pleasure | Chris Linden |
| 1948 | The Countess of Monte Cristo | Karen Kirsten |
| 1958 | Hello London | Herself |
References
- Raymond Strait and Leif Henie: Queen of Ice, Queen of Shadows: The Unsuspected Life of Sonja Henie. Events January 10 - Fritz Lang 's science-fiction fantasy Metropolis premieres in Germany Events The days of the Silent film were numbered A mad scramble to provide synchronized sound was on The year 1936 in film involved some significant events Events Nov 6 - first Porky Pig animated cartoon The year 1937 in film involved some significant events Events April 16 - Way Out West premieres in Thin Ice is a 1937 United States comedy/romance film directed by Sidney Lanfield. Ali Baba Goes to Town is a 1937 movie starring Eddie Cantor, Tony Martin, and Roland Young. The year 1938 in film involved some significant events Events January &mdash MGM announces that Judy Garland The year 1939 in film involved some significant events Events Movie historians and film buffs often look back on the year 1939 as "the The year 1941 in film involved some significant events in particular the release of a film consistently rated as one of the greatest films of all time Sun Valley Serenade is a 1941 film starring Sonja Henie,Lynn Bari John Payne, and Milton Berle. The year 1942 in film involved some significant events in particular the release of a film consistently rated as one of the greatest films of all time The year 1943 in film involved some significant events Events Top grossing films (U The year 1945 in film involved some significant events Events Paramount Studios releases theatrical short Cartoon The year 1948 in film involved some significant events Events Laurence Olivier 's Hamlet becomes the The year 1958 in film involved some significant events Events February 16- " In the Money " by William ISBN 0-8128-8518-X.
External links
- Sonja Henie at the Internet Movie Database
- CNNSI.com - 100 Greatest Female Athletes
- olympic.org Athlete Profile - Henie
- Whims of Fate: Sonja Henie
- Sonja Heine by Reidar Børjeson
- Sonja Henie Snapshot - Fan website
- Photographs of Sonja Henie
Navigation
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | Henie, Sonja |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | Norwegian figure skater |
| DATE OF BIRTH | April 8, 1912 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Oslo, Norway |
| DATE OF DEATH | October 12, 1969 |
| PLACE OF DEATH | |
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