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Christian Dior was born in Granville, Manche. -
He enrolled at the Sciences Po (École des Sciences Politiques) to begin his studies in political science. -
After Christian Dior's graduation, he opened a small art gallery with money he received from his father, who had agreed to give his son his financial support on the condition that the family name would not be put above the gallery door. -
Christian Dior was forced to close the gallery, a year that included the deaths of both his older brother and mother, and the financial collapse of his father's business.
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Christian Dior contracted tuberculosis. -
Following the closing of his gallery, Christian Dior began to make ends meet by selling his fashion sketches, and ended up landing a job illustrating the magazine Figaro Illustré. -
Christian Dior was employed by the fashion designer Robert Piguet, who gave him the job of design assisant and he ended up designing three of Piguet collections. -
When World War II began, Dior served in the south of France as an officer in the French army.
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Following France's surrender to Germany, Dior returned to Paris, where he was soon hired by fashion designer Lucien Lelong. During the remaining years of the war, Lelong's design house would consistently dress the women of both Nazis and French collaborators. -
Dior's younger sister, Catherine, was working for the French Resistance. She was captured and sent to a concentration camp, but survived; she was eventually released in 1945. -
Several months after appearing on the cover of Time magazine, Christian Dior traveled to Italy to vacation in the town of Montecatini. While there, he suffered what was his third heart attack and died, at the age of 52.
