A History of Josephine Baker Born Freda Josephine McDonald in St. Louis, Missouri on June 3, 1906, Josephine ran away at age 13 to join a traveling road show. In 1921, she got her first break as a dancer in a successful run of Noble Sissle and Eubie Blake’s Shuffle Along, which toured the country in 1922. Choosing to use the last name of her second husband, Willie Baker, Josephine Baker left the United States for Paris in 1925 to perform in a new musical review called La Revue Nègre, where she quickly became the star of the show at age 19 and the toast of Paris and Europe. She moved on to star in the Folies-Bergère, including a celebrated performance in a banana skirt. From her early days as a chorus girl, Baker developed a talent for comedy but also had a personal sense of high style. She became the inspiration to many of the hottest fashion designers of the time. The musical and artistic rebellion of the 1920s made Paris a hotbed for the arts, fueling the visual artistic movement that erupted after World War I and embodied modernity and change. Paris embraced African-Americans and the radical new musical language called jazz that was first introduced by the touring Captain James Europe in 1917. Many African-American artists moved to Paris or spent considerable time there rather than endure the racism and segregation in America. Baker was one of these expatriates who adopted France as her home. Josephine Baker Timeline June 3, 1906 Josephine Baker born in St. Louis July 2, 1917 East St. Louis race riots 1919 Works at the Chauffer's Club December 22, 1919 Marries Willie Wells January, 1920 Dances with the Jones Family Band Dances at the Booker T. Washington Theatre January 30, 1920 Joins the Dixie Steppers vaudeville group and leaves St. Louis September 17, 1921 Marries Billy Baker February, 1922 Begins work in the traveling version of Shuffle Along in New Haven, Connecticut September 21, 1924 Part in Chocolate Dandies in New York February, 1925 Returns to St. Louis in Chocolate Dandies Summer, 1925 Part in Tan Town Topics September 16, 1925 Leaves on the Berengaria with the new troupe La Revue Nègre October 2, 1925 Opening Night of La Revue Nègre, Théâtre des Champs Elysées She is an instant sensation with the pas de deux Danse Sauvage. December 31, 1925 La Revue Nègre opens in Berlin 1926-27 Stars in La Folie du Jour at the Folies Bergère, first wears Banana Skirt Meets Giuseppe "Pepito" Abatino, who becomes her manager and companion. 1927 Publishes her first autobiography, Les Memoires de Josephine Baker December 10, 1926 Opens her nightclub Chez Josephine on the Rue Fontaine, Paris 1927 Paul Colin Publishes La Tumulte Noir Makes film Sirène de Tropiques 1928 Embarks on a world tour (some of the cities she travels to are: Vienna, Prague, Oslo, Copenhagen, Berlin, Munich, Dresden, Leipzig.) 1929 Tour moves to South America (Argentina, Chile) December, 1929 Meets LeCorbusier on the liner Lutetia from Rio to France. 1930 Opens at the Casino de Paris in Paris qui Remue 1931 Co-authors Mon Sang dans tes veines with Pepito Abatino. Publishes her second autobiography, Voyages et Aventures de Josephine Baker, with Marcel Sauvage. May, 1931 Named Queen of the Expositon Coloniale Internationale Stars at the Casino de Paris in La Joie de Paris 1934 Makes the film Zou Zou 1935 Stars in La Créole Makes the film Princesse Tam Tam Leaves for New York and the Ziegfield Follies Visits her family in St. Louis 1936 Stars in En Super Folies at the Folies Bergère Giuseppe "Pepito" Abatino dies of cancer Nov. 30, 1937 Marries Jean Lion, converts to Judaism and becomes at French citizen 1940-45 Works for the French Resistance, performs for troops 1941 Divorces Jean Lion April 29, 1945 VE Day 1945 Makes the film The French Way (released with English subtitles in 1952) October 8, 1946 Receives the French Medal of Resistance for her wartime work May, 1947 Marries Jo Bouillon 1948 World Tour 1949 Stars in Feeries et Folies at the Folies Bergère Publishes Les Memoires de Josephine Baker recueillis et adaptes par Marcel Sauvage 1951 Performs in Havana, Cuba and returns to the United States. Insists upon integrated audiences in the United States Controversy erupts over the "Stork Club Incident" February 3, 1952 Performs at the Kiel Auditorium in St. Louis 1953 Brings first of 12 adopted children, Akio and Janot, both from Japan 1954 Brings Jari from Finland and Luis from Colombia 1955 Adds Jean-Claude and Moïse from France to her family 1956 Adds Marianne and Brahim from Algeria to her family 1957 All eight children are legally adopted in Sarlat, France Adopts Koffi from Senegal Publishes the fairy tale La tribu arc en ciel (the Rainbow Tribe) 1958 Adopts Mara from Venezuela January 12, 1959 Josephine's mother, Carrie dies Stars in Paris mes Amours at the Olympia Theatre, tours with show Adopts Noël August 18, 1961 Receives the medal of the Legion d'Honneur, the highest honor that France can bestow. August, 1963 Takes part on the March on Washington 1964 Adopts Stellina from Morocco April 4, 1968 Martin Luther King is assassinated 1968 Divorces Jo Bouillon Josephine Baker loses Les Milandes April, 1975 Josephine stars at the Bobino Theatre in Paris. April 12, 1975 Josephine Baker dies in Paris after a show and much acclaim at the Bobino Theatre.

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