Audrey Hepburn
An actress of luminous grace who defined cinematic elegance, then devoted her later life to helping the world's most vulnerable children as a UNICEF ambassador.
1929–1993 (age 64)·British actress·Birthday: May 4·The Silent Generation
Biography
Audrey Hepburn's life contained two distinct, profound acts. The first was that of a screen star whose gamine beauty and innate style made her a defining face of mid-century cinema. Born in Belgium and surviving the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands as a child, she brought a fragile strength and a dancer's poise to her roles. Her breakthrough in 'Roman Holiday' won her an Oscar, and she followed with a string of indelible performances in films like 'Sabrina,' 'Funny Face,' and 'Breakfast at Tiffany's,' where her portrayal of Holly Golightly cemented her as a fashion touchstone. Her collaboration with designer Hubert de Givenchy created an aesthetic of sophisticated simplicity that remains influential. The second act began as her film career waned. Appointed a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in 1988, she traveled to some of the world's most desperate regions, using her fame not for glamour but to bear witness and advocate for children suffering from famine and war. This work, she often said, gave her more pride than any film, reframing her legacy as one of compassion as much as artistry.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Audrey was born in 1929, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Audrey Was Born
The biggest hits of 1929
#1 Movie
The Broadway Melody
Best Picture
The Broadway Melody
Audrey's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1929Born
Wall Street crashes, triggering the Great Depression
Gas: $0.21/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Singin' in the Rain" — Cliff EdwardsBest Picture: The Broadway Melody
1934Started school
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stars Fell on Alabama" — Jack TeagardenBest Picture: It Happened One Night
1942Became a teenager
Battle of Midway turns the tide in the Pacific
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,175Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"White Christmas" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Mrs. Miniver
1945Could drive
WWII ends; atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $4,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Sentimental Journey" — Les Brown & Doris DayBest Picture: The Lost Weekend
1947Could vote
India gains independence; the Dead Sea Scrolls found
Gas: $0.23/galHome: $6,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Near You" — Francis CraigBest Picture: Gentleman's Agreement
1950Turned 21
Korean War begins
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,354Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Goodnight Irene" — Gordon Jenkins & The WeaversBest Picture: All About Eve
1959Turned 30
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1969Turned 40
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1979Turned 50
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1989Turned 60
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1993Died at 64
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
Key Achievements
- Won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her first major American film, 'Roman Holiday' (1953).
- Is one of the few performers to have won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Award (EGOT).
- Received the Presidential Medal of Freedom for her humanitarian work with UNICEF in 1992.
- Her performance as Holly Golightly in 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' (1961) became an enduring cultural icon.
Did You Know?
She was fluent in five languages: English, Dutch, French, Spanish, and Italian.
During WWII, she performed silent ballet dances to raise money for the Dutch resistance.
She is one of only two actresses to win an Oscar, Emmy, Grammy, and Tony (the other is Whoopi Goldberg).
Hepburn was an accomplished ballet dancer and initially aspired to be a prima ballerina.
“As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands, one for helping yourself, the other for helping others.”
