From ballet student to the most famous French film star of the 1950s and 1960s, and from 1973 a campaigner for animals.
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Brigitte Bardot 20
1934Brigitte Bardot born in ParisBorn into a well-off Parisian family, she trains as a ballet dancer from childhood.
1950Brigitte Bardot on the cover of ElleAt 15 she appears on the cover of Elle, which brings her to the attention of director Marc Allégret and his assistant Roger Vadim.
1952Brigitte Bardot makes her film debutShe appears in the comedy Le Trou normand, the first of some 45 films.
1952Brigitte Bardot marries Roger VadimShe marries the aspiring director at 18. They divorced in 1957 but kept working together.
1956Brigitte Bardot stars in And God Created WomanVadims film makes her an international star and a symbol of sexual freedom.
1959Brigitte Bardot marries Jacques CharrierShe marries the actor, her co-star in Babette Goes to War.
1960Brigitte Bardot stars in La VéritéHenri-Georges Clouzots courtroom drama earns her some of the best reviews of her career.
1960Brigitte Bardot gives birth to Nicolas-Jacques CharrierHer only child is born in Paris. He was raised mainly by his father.
1963Brigitte Bardot stars in ContemptJean-Luc Godards Le Mépris, shot in Rome and Capri, becomes her most acclaimed film.
1965Brigitte Bardot stars in Viva Maria!Louis Malles adventure comedy pairs her with Jeanne Moreau.
1966Brigitte Bardot marries Gunter SachsShe marries the German playboy and photographer in Las Vegas. They divorced in 1969.
1967 – 1968Brigitte Bardot records with Serge GainsbourgTheir duets include Harley Davidson and Bonnie and Clyde. She asked him to shelve their first version of Je taime... moi non plus.
1969Brigitte Bardot becomes the model for MarianneShe is the first celebrity chosen as the face of the bust of Marianne, the symbol of the French Republic.
1973Brigitte Bardot retires from actingAt 39 she makes her last film and withdraws to La Madrague, her home in Saint-Tropez.
1977Brigitte Bardot campaigns against the seal huntHer trip to the ice floes of eastern Canada draws worldwide attention to the killing of seal pups.
1986Brigitte Bardot founds the Brigitte Bardot FoundationShe sells jewellery and film memorabilia to fund an animal welfare foundation in her name.
1992Brigitte Bardot marries Bernard dOrmaleHer fourth husband, a businessman and former adviser to the Front National, stays with her until her death.
1996Brigitte Bardot publishes Initiales B.B.Her memoir becomes a bestseller in France.
2008Brigitte Bardot fined for inciting racial hatredA Paris court fines her for the fifth time over remarks about Muslims, in a letter to the interior minister.
2025Brigitte Bardot dies in Saint-TropezShe dies at 91 at La Madrague. President Macron calls her a legend of the century.