Henie, Sonja [key], 1912–69, Norwegian-American figure skater and movie actress, b. Oslo, Norway. She began ice skating at the age of eight and two years later won the first of six straight Norwegian figure-skating championships. She won the world's figure-skating crown ten consecutive years, the European title eight times in a row, and the Olympic figure-skating championship in 1928, 1932, and 1936. After her last Olympic win she moved permanently to the United States and turned professional. Her ice carnivals attracted millions. She starred in a number of motion pictures and wrote the autobiographical Wings on My Feet (1940).
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: Sports: Biographies