What was the real name of Swedish actress Greta Garbo?

Greta Garbo was one of the stars of the Hollywood silent era known as the Divine one she is renowned for being mysterious.

Born Greta Lovisa Gustafsson on September 18th 1905 in Stockholm, Sweden as one of three children born to Karl Alfred Gustafsson (1871-1920) a labourer and Anna Lovisa Karlsson (1872-1944) a housewife who later worked at a jam factory.

In the winter of 1919, the Spanish flu spread throughout Stockholm and Garbo's father, to whom she was very close, became ill. He began missing work and eventually lost his job. Garbo stayed at home looking after him and taking him to the hospital for weekly treatments. He died in 1920 when she was 14 years old.

Garbo first worked as a soap-lather girl in a barber's shop but eventually, on the advice of her friends, applied for, and accepted, a position in the PUB department store running errands and working in the millinery department. Before long, she began modeling hats for the store's catalogues which led to a more lucrative job as a fashion model. In late 1920, a director of film commercials for the store began casting Garbo in roles advertising women's clothing.

Her first role in Hollywood was the 1926 'Torrent' alongside Ricardo Cortez, her final role came in 1942 with 'Two-Faced women' after which she retired from acting despite rumour over the years of her going back in front of the camera the projects never materialised but the public and media continued to be fascinated by Garbo.