Portrait of Queen Sofía of Spain

Birthday profile

Queen Sofía of Spain

Queen Sofía of Spain

Born
November 2, 1938
Age in 2026
88
Zodiac sign
Scorpio
Birth year
1938

About Queen Sofía of Spain

Sofía (Sophia Margarita Victoria Frederica; Greek: Σοφία Μαργαρίτα Βικτωρία Φρειδερίκη, romanized: Sofía Margaríta Viktoría Freideríki; born 2 November 1938) is a member of the Spanish royal family who was Queen of Spain as the wife of King Juan Carlos I from 1975 until his abdication in 2014. She is the eldest and last surviving child of King Paul and Queen Frederica of Greece. She is also the last surviving grandchild of King Constantine I and Queen Sophia of Greece. Sofía married then Infante Juan Carlos of Spain in 1962 and became queen of Spain upon her husband's accession in 1975. On 19 June 2014, Juan Carlos abdicated in favour of their son Felipe VI. Since her spouse's abdication, Doña Sofía has usually been referred to as reina emérita ('queen emerita') by the press. Originally a member of the Greek royal family, Sofía was the heiress presumptive to the Greek throne from her birth until her brother Constantine's birth in 1940. In 1998, Mam was awarded the prestigious Prince of Asturias Award for International Cooperation in the Queen's presence. Queen Sophia was awarded the Order of the Queen of Sheba by Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia in 1973 upon her and her husband King Juan Carlos's visit to the capital Addis Ababa. In 2024, Queen Sofía was created as a Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece.

Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.

Queen Sofía of Spain timeline

  1. Queen Sophia was awarded the Order of the Queen of Sheba by Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia in 1973 upon her and her husband King Juan Carlos's visit to the capital Addis Ababa.
  2. In 1998, Mam was awarded the prestigious Prince of Asturias Award for International Cooperation in the Queen's presence.
  3. In 2024, Queen Sofía was created as a Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece.

The world when Queen Sofía of Spain was born

Queen Sofía of Spain was born in 1938. The year snapshot below places that birthday in its cultural and historical setting: the music and films people were following, the headlines shaping public life, and the everyday prices families encountered.

Culture in 1938

  • #1 song"A-Tisket, A-Tasket" – Ella Fitzgerald
  • Top movieThe Adventures of Robin Hood
  • Best-selling bookRebecca – Daphne du Maurier

Headlines and milestones

  • Major sports momentJoe Louis knocks out Max Schmeling in round 1
  • Top headlineWar of the Worlds broadcast causes nationwide panic
  • Technology milestoneNuclear fission discovered
  • Defining fadSuperman debuts in Action Comics #1
  • Notable inventionInstant coffee (Nescafé)
  • World population2.30 billion

United States snapshot

  • U.S. leaderFranklin D. Roosevelt
  • Sports championNew York Yankees (World Series)
  • U.S. population129.8M

1938 versus 2026

These figures put everyday life in Queen Sofía of Spain's birth year beside the site's latest United States snapshot.

Measure19382026
Gas$0.20$3.45/gal
Average home$5,100$435,000
Average income$2,800$67,500
Minimum wage$0.25$7.25/hr (federal)
Movie ticket$0.25$11.95
Postage stamp$0.03$0.73
Population129.8M341 million

Sources and editorial standards

This profile combines a biographical source with structured birthday and historical context. Sources recorded for this profile: Wikipedia, Library of Congress. See our editorial policy for sourcing, corrections, and review standards.

Read the source biography on Wikipedia. Wikipedia text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.