Sonja Henie(1912 — 1969)
Sonja Henie
Norvège, États-Unis
5 min read
Norwegian figure skater, three-time consecutive Olympic champion (1928, 1932, 1936) and ten-time world champion. Reinventing herself as a Hollywood movie star, she revolutionized figure skating by bringing dance and showmanship into the sport.
Frequently asked questions
Key Facts
- Born on April 8, 1912, in Oslo (Christiania), Norway
- Olympic figure skating champion at the 1928 (St. Moritz), 1932 (Lake Placid), and 1936 (Garmisch-Partenkirchen) Games
- Ten-time consecutive world champion (1927-1936)
- Became a Hollywood movie star starting in 1936 (films such as 'One in a Million')
- Died on October 12, 1969, aboard an air ambulance
Works & Achievements
The first of her three Olympic titles, won at age 15, which revealed her to the world.
A second Olympic crown, confirming her dominance over world figure skating.
A third consecutive Olympic title, a feat never matched among singles skaters.
A record streak of ten consecutive victories at the World Figure Skating Championships.
Henie's first major Hollywood role, which launched her film career.
A hit musical blending skating and big band, among her most famous films.
Grand touring ice shows that popularized figure skating across the United States.
Anecdotes
At just 11 years old, Sonja Henie already took part in her first Olympic Games, the 1924 edition in Chamonix: she finished last, but the experience shaped her ambition. Four years later, at 15, she won her first Olympic title, becoming one of the youngest champions in history.
Sonja Henie revolutionized figure skating by shortening her skirts above the knee and wearing white, which scandalized part of the audience of the time. Inspired by the dancer Anna Pavlova, she brought ballet movements into her programs and transformed a rigid sport into a true choreographed spectacle.
After her three Olympic titles, she settled in Hollywood and became one of the highest-paid actresses in the United States during the 1930s and 1940s, rivaling stars like Clark Gable at the box office. Her films, built around her ice-skating routines, popularized skating with the American general public.
Sonja Henie was long criticized for skating in an exhibition in the presence of Adolf Hitler in 1936 and saluting him. It was also reported that a photo she had autographed for Hitler may have protected her family's villa in Oslo during the German occupation of Norway.
Having become immensely wealthy thanks to the cinema and her touring ice shows, Sonja Henie assembled, together with her husband Niels Onstad, one of the most important collections of modern art in Norway. They created a museum near Oslo to display it to the public.
Primary Sources
The story of her career as a skater and her move to Hollywood, told in the first person.
Sonja Henie (Norway) is ranked first in the ladies' figure skating event.
Sonja Henie wins her third consecutive Olympic title in figure skating.
Key Places
Birthplace of Sonja Henie, where she learned to skate as a child. She began her career in the skating clubs of the Norwegian capital.
Alpine resort that hosted the 1928 Winter Olympic Games. Henie won her first Olympic title there at age 15.
Site of the 1936 Winter Olympic Games in Nazi Germany. Henie won her third consecutive Olympic title there.
The film capital where Henie became one of the highest-paid actresses of the era. There she shot her ice-skating musicals for 20th Century Fox.
A modern art center founded in 1968 by Sonja Henie and her husband Niels Onstad near Oslo. It houses their collection and keeps her memory alive.
