Born: 3 June 1906 · Died: 12 April 1975 · Age at death: 68
How old was Josephine Baker when she died?
Josephine Baker died aged 68. She was born on 3 June 1906 and died on 12 April 1975.
American-born French entertainer, Resistance agent and civil rights activist
Did you know?She worked as a spy during the Second World War, smuggling secret messages written in invisible ink on her sheet music.
Quick facts
Date of birth3 June 1906
Date of death12 April 1975
Age at death68
Cause of deathCerebral hemorrhage
NationalityAmerican-French
BirthplaceSt. Louis, United States
Occupationsinger, vedette, film actor
Editor's Take:
Josephine Baker left a segregated America and became the toast of Paris. Her dancing was daring and her humour sharp. During the war she used her fame as cover, carrying secret messages in her sheet music for the Resistance. She later fought segregation in the United States. She refused to perform for segregated audiences. She adopted twelve children from different backgrounds, calling them her 'Rainbow Tribe'. France honoured her as a national hero.
Key Milestones
1925: Becomes a sensation in Paris
1937: Becomes a French citizen
1940: Begins working for the French Resistance
1963: Speaks at the March on Washington
Freda Josephine Baker (née McDonald; June 3, 1906 – April 12, 1975) was an American-born French dancer, singer, and actress, and a spy for the French Resistance. Her career was centered primarily in Europe, mostly in France.
