Find Out Who the Hollywood "It Girl" Was the Year You Were Born
Let her beauty astound you and talent impress you.
We take a look back at some of the most talented breakout stars throughout the years.
1934: Ginger Rogers
Rogers' onscreen footwork, alongside Fred Astaire, made her a true icon of the early 1930s.
1935: Bette Davis
The Academy Award that Davis won for her performance in this year's film Dangerous would set the tone for her immensely successful career in the years to come.
1936: Greta Garbo
After acting in a number of earlier silent films, Garbo continued to steal the show in films with sound. Her 1936 film, Camille, earned Garbo her third Oscar nom — and, of course, the "It Girl" title.
1937: Katharine Hepburn
Long before another It Girl with the same last name took to the silver screen, this Hepburn won over viewers with a number of iconic 1930s performances.
1938: Ella Fitzgerald
The "First Lady of Song" put out her first No. 1 hit, "A-Tisket, A-Tasket," this year.
1939: Judy Garland
Garland brought her singing and acting skills together as Dorothy in 1939's forever-beloved film version of The Wizard of Oz.
1940: Joan Fontaine
Alfred Hitchcock's 1940 film Rebecca was what really rocketed this It Girl into the spotlight.
1941: Vivien Leigh
Two years prior, Leigh played Scarlett O'Hara in Gone With the Wind. Need we say more?
1942: Hedy Lamarr
Aside from being one of the most iconic actresses of her time, Lamarr was also an inventor: She and friend George Antheil patented a radio signaling device, meant to keep war enemies from decoding messages, this year. You go, girl!
1943: Betty Grable
Grable's superstar power reached far beyond her widely acclaimed "Million Dollar Legs" — she was voted the No. 1 box office draw by American movie exhibitors this year.
1944: Rita Hayworth
Dubbed "The Great American Love Goddess" by LIFE magazine, Hayworth was one of the most popular movie actresses of the 1940s.
1945: Joan Crawford
Crawford showed us the power of a comeback when she stunned us with (and earned an Academy Award for!) her title role in Mildred Pierce.
1946: Ava Gardner
Gardner became a star after her 1946 role in the movie version of Ernest Hemingway's The Killers.
1947: Doris Day
A true legend, Day added "actress" to her resume in the late 1940s. (Fun fact: She was already the highest-paid vocalist in the world by the end of 1946.)
1948: Dinah Shore
Shore's hit track "Buttons and Bows" was the No. 1 most popular song for 10 weeks this year.
1949: Sarah Vaughan
An American jazz legend, Vaughan — a.k.a. "The Divine One" — achieved chart-topping success in 1949 with her hit, "Black Coffee."
1950: Debbie Reynolds
Reynolds has held many an iconic role over the years (think Kathy in Singin' in the Rain and, more recently, Bobbi on Will & Grace), but her career really began with her 1950 breakout role in Three Little Words.
1951: Lucille Ball
This It Girl might just also be our favorite funny girl of all time. It was this year that the iconic I Love Lucy made its debut.
1952: Grace Kelly
Before becoming the Princess Consort of Monaco, Kelly began her path to stardom with a role in the Western film High Noon.
1953: Marilyn Monroe
This year's It Girl needs no introduction … but we will remind you that, in 1953, she became one of Hollywood's most profitable stars thanks to her roles in Niagara, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and How to Make a Millionaire.
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