Discover the defining moments in the early life of Sophia Loren. From birth to education, explore key events.
Sophia Loren, born Sofia Costanza Brigida Villani Scicolone, is a renowned Italian and French actress whose career spans over 70 years. A prominent figure in both Italian and Hollywood cinema, she represents one of the last surviving stars from Hollywood's Golden Age. Her enduring presence and significant contributions have solidified her status as a cinematic icon.
In 1907, Riccardo Scicolone Murillo, Sophia Loren's father, was born. He was an engineer.
In 1910, Romilda Villani, Sophia Loren's mother, was born. She was a piano teacher and aspiring actress.
In September 1934, Sofia Costanza Brigida Villani Scicolone, who would become known as Sophia Loren, was born.
On September 20, 1934, Sofia Costanza Brigida Villani Scicolone was born in Rome, Italy, to Romilda Villani and Riccardo Scicolone Murillo.
In 1938, Sophia Loren's sister, Maria, was born to her parents. Her father initially did not want to recognize Maria as his daughter.
In 1950, Sophia Loren first met Carlo Ponti. She was 15 and he was 37 at the time, beginning a complex relationship.
In 1950, at the age of 15, Sofia Loren entered the Miss Italia beauty pageant as Sofia Lazzaro and won the title of Miss Elegance 1950.
In 1951, Sofia Lazzaro enrolled in the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia and appeared as an uncredited extra in Mervyn LeRoy's film "Quo Vadis".
On September 17, 1957, Sophia Loren married Carlo Ponti by proxy in Mexico. This was prior to Ponti obtaining a legal divorce, which caused legal complications.
In 1962, Sophia Loren and Carlo Ponti had their marriage annulled to avoid bigamy charges, but they continued to live together.
In 1962, Sophia Loren's sister, Maria, married Romano Mussolini, the youngest son of Benito Mussolini.
In 1965, Sophia Loren and Carlo Ponti became French citizens after their application was approved by then French Prime Minister Georges Pompidou.
On April 9, 1966, Sophia Loren officially married Carlo Ponti after he obtained a divorce in France. The marriage followed years of legal complications due to Italian divorce laws.
On December 29, 1968, Sophia Loren and Carlo Ponti welcomed their first son, Carlo Ponti Jr.
In 1968, Sophia Loren became a mother, leading her to appear in fewer movies.
On January 6, 1973, Sophia Loren and Carlo Ponti had their second son, Edoardo Ponti.
Sophia Loren's 1974 earnings were at the heart of a decades-long tax dispute, which she was eventually cleared of in 2013.
In 1976, Sophia Loren met her father for the third time at his deathbed, where she forgave him for abandoning her mother.
In September 1999, Sophia Loren filed a lawsuit against 79 adult websites for posting altered nude photos of her on the internet.
In 2001, Sophia Loren returned as president of the jury for the 61st edition of the Miss Italia pageant.
Since 2006, Sophia Loren's primary residence has been in Geneva, Switzerland.
In May 2007, Sophia Loren, a fan of the football club S.S.C. Napoli, jokingly promised to do a striptease if the team won while they were third in Serie B. She was 72 years old at the time.
In 2010, Sophia Loren crowned the 71st Miss Italia pageant winner.
In 2013, the Supreme Court of Italy cleared Sophia Loren of tax evasion charges in a decades-long dispute over her 1974 earnings.
In September 2023, Sophia Loren underwent emergency surgery following fractures to her hip and femur sustained from a fall at her home in Switzerland.
After turning 90 in September 2024, Sophia Loren dismissed retirement rumors and expressed hopes to star in new productions.