In the 20th century, Maria Callas and Onassis had a very public relationship. Both of them were iconic in their respective spaces and industries. Maria was a prominent opera singer who had many fans. She was responsible for shaping and transforming the world of opera. On the other hand, Onassis was a successful businessman who owned a private shipping fleet. Starting in the late 1950, their romantic affair was quite passionate.
Their relationship had captivated the attention of many people around the world. Eventually, their love story unfolded with tragedies, heartbreak, and scandal. Their decades-long relationship had many events that are worth revisiting. Further, this blog is a complete guide on the love story of Maria Callas and Onassis. Stay tuned to figure out what actually happened between this couple.
Who is Maria Callas?
Maria was born in America on December 2, 1923. Specifically, her birthplace is Manhattan, New York, USA. Her official name was Maria Anna Cecilia Sophia Kalogeropouloas. Maria’s parents were Greek immigrants. While growing up, she had a deep passion for music and opera. As a teenager, she moved to Greece for many reasons. Actually, Maria wanted vocal training to acquire a powerful and expressive voice. Consequently, she went on to revolutionize and transform the world of opera singing.
She had the honour of performing in the biggest opera houses and venues. For example, La Scala (Milan), Royal Opera House (London), Metropolitan Opera (New York), etc. Being an opera singer, Maria earned recognition for the emotional intensity in her voice. In addition, people also praised her dramatic interpretations in opera. She is often referred to as a Greek soprano. At the time, her popularity and influence was unmatched.
The Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award is a major highlight of Maria’s career. Before engaging with Onassis, she was married to Giovanni Battista Meneghini in 1949. This marriage came to an end in 1959 with a divorce when Maria started dating Onassis. Throughout her life, she had three citizenships of Greece, USA, and Italy. At the age of 53, Maria met her demise on September 16, 1977 in Paris, France.
The Life of Aristotle Onassis
The official name given to him at birth is Aristotle Socrates Onassis. He was born on January 20, 1906. Furthermore, his birthplace is situated in Smyrna, Ottoman Empire. By profession, Onassis was a very successful and rich businessman of his time. In fact, he is also addressed as a cultural figure of the 20th century. As a young kid, Aristotle witnessed the destruction of his hometown during the Greco Turkish War. For the same reason, his family relocated to Greece. After growing up, Onassis moved to Argentina to start his professional journey.
Initially, he became a prominent entrepreneur in the tobacco industry. Due to a shift of interests, Onassis started focusing on the shipping industry. Eventually, he built a large and private shipping fleet of his own. This helped him climb the ladder of wealth and become one of the most successful businessmen. His influence at the time is truly undeniable. His innovative ideas like registering ships under flags of convenience helped in overall growth. This led to reduction of shipping costs and his massive global shipping fleet flourished. In the mid 20th century, Onassis privately owned and controlled the largest shipping operation of the world.
Thereafter, Onassis also ventured into airline ownership named Olympic Airways. Meanwhile, the Monte Carlo Casino is also a main highlight of his career. In total, he had two marriages. Onassis married his first wife Tina Livanos in 1946. In 1959, he started dating Maria Callas and divorced Tina legally in 1960. After ending his relationship with Maria Callas, Onassis married Jacqueline Kennedy in 1968. In the end, he died on March 15, 1975. Onassis was 69 years old in France at the time of his demise.
Love Story of Maria Callas and Onassis – The Beginning
Their relationship is referred to as a love affair due to clear reasons. Both Maria Callas and Onassis were still married when they started dating. Everything started in 1957 when Maria met Onassis at a Paris party. Indeed, the host of this party was Elsa Maxwell. Maria Callas was married to Giovanni Battista Meneghini at the time. Meanwhile, Onassis was married to Tina Livanos. This initial meeting wasn’t actually romantic. In 1959, Maria Callas and Onassis officially started their relationship.
They were mutually attracted to each other at the time. Moreover, the couple met multiple times during different social gatherings and events. Maria and Onassis were even onboard together on a Mediterranean cruise tour. Their relationship became intimate at this point. Soon, everyone around the world including the media became aware about their relationship. In other words, the love affair was highly publicized through headlines and public discussions.
Maria Callas and Onassis – Expectations, Conflict, Miscarriage Tragedy, & More
Everything about their love story was sweet and passionate at first. Therefore, some conflicts started arising between the couple. According to sources, Maria felt that Onassis is more than just a lover. She wanted to settle and build a family life with him. However, Onassis was reluctant towards this idea and didn’t agree at all. Many people wonder whether Maria shared a baby with Onassis. Well, their love affair had multiple pregnancies. Sources claim that she suffered from a miscarriage in the start of their relationship. Maria and Onassis had a secret son who was conceived early.
However, the baby died the same day he was born. There is also an unconfirmed claim that Onassis insisted for abortion to Maria during another pregnancy. It seems that Maria was more devoted to the love story than he ever was. All of these tragic events led to their bond being strained. A lot of emotional and psychological struggle is associated with their love story towards the end. Some reports hint at mistreatment and a hunger for control over each other. Despite all the passion, their relationship together is deemed as unstable.
Falling Apart & The End – Maria Callas and Onassis Love Story
Many people who know their full story believe that Maria Callas was the true love of Onassis. However, their love story came to an end. A love triangle was the reason behind their relationship’s end. Maria and Onassis were already struggling with each other. Thereafter, Onassis shocked everyone including Maria with his decision of marrying Jacqueline Kennedy. This became the ultimate rupture of their decade-long affair. Suddenly, Onassis got married to Jacqueline on October 20, 1968.
This marked the end of his romantic journey with Maria Callas. In fact, Maria only became aware about his plans of marriage a few weeks prior. Maria didn’t feel great about Jackie Onassis after the marriage. The two women never met in their life. Her feelings of jealousy often led to fights with Aristotle. The life of Maria Callas turned upside down after losing the love of her life. In 1975, she witnessed the death of Aristotle Onassis which was devastating for her. Towards the end, Maria considerably retreated from her social life.
Conclusion
Even though it was packed with conflict and tragedy, their love affair received a lot of hype. It is still discussed a lot to this day. Both Maria Callas and Onassis were cultural icons of the 20th century. Their love story captivated the minds of many people around the globe. From passion and intimacy to betrayal, tragedy, heartbreak, etc, their love story has it all. It is hoped that this blog helped you develop a better understanding of their journey together.
FAQs
1. How long did their love affair last?
Everything started back in 1959. The love story of Maria Callas and Onassis came to an end in 1968.
2. When did Aristotle Onassis die?
His death was witnessed on March 15, 1975.
3. Who was Maria married to before meeting Onassis?
She was married to Giovanni Battista Meneghini from 1949 until 1959.
Also, Read: Where Is Tyler Childers From | Ella Langley | Frank Ocean
