December 2, 2013 marks the 90th anniversary of the birth of the American-born Greek opera singer, Maria Callas. Born Anna Maria Sofia Cecilia Kalogeropoulos, she is considered the one of the most influential opera singers of the 20th century, as well as a renowned fashion icon. (14 PHOTOS)
Maria Callas, The Birth Of A Legend
1
Maria Callas at the inauguration of the so-called "Little Scala" or "Piccola Scala" hall of Milan's La Scala opera house on December 26, 1955
2
Callas with her husband, Giovanni Battista Meneghini, in 1958
3
Maria Callas waving as she arrives at Milan's Malpensa airport on January 16, 1958
4
Callas leaving a nightclub in Milan with her companion, Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis, on September 6, 1959
5
Callas, considered both a diva and a fashion icon, on June 19, 1961
6
Callas singing at a charity gala for the Maltese Order hospital at the Champs Elysées theater in Paris on June 5, 1963
7
Callas performing with mezzo-soprano Giulietta Simionato in the Bellini opera "Norma," in Paris on May 23, 1964
8
Callas holding her two favorite dogs at Orly airport in Paris on January 9, 1966
9
Callas signing autographs in Moscow on June 22, 1970
10
Egyptian actor Omar Sharif (left) and French actor Jean-Pierre Cassel (right) flank Maria Callas during the last rehearsal session of the "Gala de l'Union des Artistes" in Paris on April 23, 1971
11
Italian baritone Tito Gobbi (center), Princess Grace of Monaco (left) and her daughter Caroline (right) as they leave the Greek Orthodox Church in Paris after funeral services for Maria Callas on September 20, 1977
12
The gravestone of Maria Callas at Pere Lachaise Cemetery in Paris
13
White leather gloves worn by the opera singer Maria Callas in "La Traviata" along with pieces of jewelry she wore, displayed in the exhibition, "Maria Callas: A Woman, a Voice, a Myth" at the Italian Cultural Institute in New York in 2011
14
Opening of the exhibition "Maria Callas Forever…" in St. Petersburg, Russia on November 3, 2011