Magda Gabor
The original Gabor sister, a glamorous socialite whose tumultuous personal life and sharp wit defined an era of Hollywood excess.
1915–1997 (age 82)·Hungarian-American socialite and actress·Birthday: June 11·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Before her younger sisters Zsa Zsa and Eva became household names, Magda Gabor set the template for the Gabor brand of glamour, charm, and marital extravagance. The eldest of the trio, she left Hungary for America, where her beauty and accent opened doors to minor film roles and, more significantly, the highest echelons of society. Magda's true vocation was as a professional celebrity, a mistress of the art of conversation and controversy. She was married six times, her unions ranging from a Turkish doctor to a British actor, each divorce adding to her notoriety. While she never achieved the film success of her sisters, Magda was a constant, glittering presence in gossip columns and on talk shows, where her unapologetic demeanor and witty, often acerbic, commentary on men and money made her a fascinating fixture of mid-century jet-set culture.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Magda was born in 1915, placing them squarely in The Greatest 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 Magda Was Born
The biggest hits of 1915
#1 Movie
The Birth of a Nation
Magda's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1915Born
The Lusitania is sunk by a German U-boat
President: Woodrow Wilson
1920Started school
Women gain the right to vote in the US
Home: $3,395President: Woodrow Wilson"Swanee" — Al Jolson
1928Became a teenager
Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin; Mickey Mouse debuts
President: Calvin Coolidge"Ol' Man River" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: Wings
1931Could drive
The Empire State Building opens as the world's tallest
Gas: $0.17/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Minnie the Moocher" — Cab CallowayBest Picture: Cimarron
1933Could vote
FDR's New Deal launches; Prohibition ends
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stormy Weather" — Ethel WatersBest Picture: Cavalcade
1936Turned 21
Jesse Owens wins four golds at the Berlin Olympics
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"The Way You Look Tonight" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: The Great Ziegfeld
1945Turned 30
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
1955Turned 40
Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $9,550Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Rock Around the Clock" — Bill Haley & His CometsBest Picture: Marty
1965Turned 50
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1975Turned 60
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1985Turned 70
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1995Turned 80
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
1997Died at 82
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
Key Achievements
- Pioneered the 'Gabor' persona of European glamour and multiple marriages that her famous sisters later amplified.
- Appeared in several films and television shows in the 1950s and 1960s, often playing variations of herself.
- Became a ubiquitous figure on the American social and talk show circuit throughout the 1960s and 70s.
- Authored an autobiography, 'I Must Talk.'
Did You Know?
She was the first of the Gabor sisters to marry a millionaire, wedding William Rankin 'Bunky' Morris in 1947.
Her sixth and final marriage, to Tony Terra, lasted only 35 hours, though she sometimes claimed it was 35 days.
She and her sisters Zsa Zsa and Eva all had roles in the 1958 film 'Queen of Outer Space.'
She was a skilled interior decorator and ran her own design business for a time.
“I never hated a man enough to give him his diamonds back.”
