Raised in Berlin and Dressau, Germany

Stage debut as chorus girl

Screen acting debut in "So Sind die Manner/Napoleon's Kleiner Bruder/Der Kleine Napoleon"

First leading role, opposite William Dieterle in his directorial debut, "Der Mensche am Wege"

Appeared as unbilled extra in G.W. Pabst's "Joyless Street," which starred Asta Nielsen and Greta Garbo

Acted in the German-language film "Manon Lescault"

Had first lead in films in "Die Frau, Nach der Man Sicht Sehnt"

Achieved stardom as Lola Lola in Josef von Sternberg's "Der Blaue Engel/The Blue Angel"

Immigrated to USA (April)

Hollywood debut in English-language version of "The Blue Angel", produced by Paramount but not released till after her second US film, "Morocco", was a smash success

Received sole Best Actress Oscar nomination for "Morocco"

Made "Shanghai Express", the most popular of the seven films she starred in under Josef von Sternberg's direction

First American starring vehicle not directed by von Sternberg, "Song of Songs", helmed by Rouben Mamoulian

Made last film with von Sternberg, "The Devil Is a Woman"

Became American citizen on March 6

Last film under Paramount contract, "Angel"

Voted "box office poison" by motion picture exhibitor's poll, along with Katharine Hepburn, Fred Astaire, Joan Crawford, Edward Arnold and others

Appeared in popular comeback vehicle, the classic comedy-Western, "Destry Rides Again", opposite James Stewart

Devoted considerable time during WWII to entertaining the troops; traveled throughout north Africa and Europe

Directed by Billy Wilder in "A Foreign Affair"

Collaborated with Alfred Hitchcock on "Stage Fright"

Offered a fine turn in "Rancho Notorious", helmed by Fritz Lang

Headlined shows in Las Vegas and in London

Was one of the many stars who made cameo appearances in "Around the World in 80 Days"

Reteamed with Billy Wilder on "Witness for the Prosecution"

Offered a memorable cameo as a gypsy fortune teller in "Touch of Evil", directed by Orson Welles

Was featured in the Stanley Kramer-directed film "Judgment at Nuremberg"; first worked with Maximilian Schell

Enjoyed stage triumph on Broadway with one-woman show

Made television debut hosting and starring in the CBS variety special "Marlene Dietrich: I Wish You Love"

Injured in a stage fall in Australia; retired to her home in Paris

Returned to feature films in small role in "Just a Gigolo"

Subject of the documentary "Marlene", directed by Maximilian Schell; refused to appear on camera although she had telephone conversations with Schell

The city of Berlin purchased her personal collection of some 100,000 photographs, diaries, costumes and other pieces of memorabilia, which formed the core of a new museum, itself part of the German Film Archives, to be housed in the European headquarters of Sony; with the help of Sotheby's in New York, Dietrich's daughter Maria Riva, spent almost a year cataloguing her mother's possessions in preparation for the sale