| Sonja Henie was born on April 8, 1912 in Oslo, Norway. She was an Olympic and World Champion figure skater who helped increase the popularity of competitive figure skating. She won the gold medal for figure skating at the 1928, 1932, and 1936 Winter Olympics.
Henie started skating and dancing as a child. She won the first of ten consecutive world championships in 1927, and in 1928 her first Olympic gold medal at Saint Moritz, Switzerland. She dominated amateur women's figure skating for 10 years, winning her third Olympic gold medal at Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, in 1936.
Henie turned professional in the United States in 1936. In 1941, she became a citizen of the United States. She performed in popular ice shows into the 1950s, and made a number of successful films, which often featured her skating. She made ice skating television specials in the 1950s. Henie died on October 12, 1969. |
Norway