Claudia Schiffer was born August 25, 1970 in Rheinberg, Germany. She was seventeen when discovered by Michael Levaton partying at a nightclub. She went to Paris to jumpstart a modeling career, and quickly became a staple of Chanel ads. She was catapulted into stardom as the face of Guess? jeans in 1989. Magazine covers followed well into the nineties: Elle, Cosmopolitan, Vogue, Vanity Fair, GQ, and People Magazine (she was named one of the most beautiful people in the world in 1990), to name a few. Claudia became a very familiar face and a household name thanks to these covers and print advertisements, for she would never run out of products and clothing stores to endorse: She got signed up by Pepsi, Mango, L'Oreal, Fanta, and Dom Perignon.

Beyond catwalks and runways for the likes of Versace and Dolce and Gabbana, Claudia would later land roles in films like Richie Rich (her first, in 1994) and 2003's Love Actually (in a semi-cameo role). She also made an appearance in a Bon Jovi music video.

Beyond her career, Claudia has done her share of helping others. She was named as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador for the United Kingdom in 2006. The United Nations Childen's Fund (UNICEF) typically taps in celebrities to accommodate the position, to allow those who have a "demonstrated interest in UNICEF issues to use their fame to draw attention to important issues. This may take the form of public appearances and talks, visits to troubled regions, which draw attention from the media, and use of their political access to advocate UNICEF causes." (Reference.com)

On a personal note, Claudia used to date magician David Copperfield (they were actually engaged in 1993) and actor Tim Jeffries. She is now married to film producer Matthew Vaughn, with whom she has two children, Caspar Matthew, born in 2003, and Clementine de Vere Drummond, born a year later.

References: New York Magazine and Wikipedia (though Reference.com) entry on Claudia Schiffer.