Jayne Mansfield was a superstar when she was alive , but today she is perhaps most famous for her tragic death at the eld of 34 . Get the fact behind theJayne Mansfield deathand her lasting impact .

What Was Jayne Mansfield Famous For?

Model and actress Jayne Mansfield was renowned for her appearances in Playboy magazine and her much - gossip - about personal life . Like Marilyn Monroe before her , Jayne Mansfield was bruit to have dated John F. Kennedy , andThe Hollywood Reporterhas called her " the first world champion . "

Born Vera Jayne Palmer at Bryn Mawr , Pennsylvania , she married Paul Mansfield in 1950 , at the geezerhood of 17 , and give birth to girl Jayne Marie Mansfield the same year . After studying dissemble in Texas , Mansfield arrived in Los Angeles in 1954 , looking for work infilm .

She was Playboy ’s Playmate of the Month in February 1955 , an achievement that would help launch her playing career .

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Jayne Mansfield’s Death

On June 29 , 1967 , Jayne Mansfield died in a automobile clangour at the age of 34 .

She was in a railcar on Route 90 from Gus Stevens Supper Club in Biloxi , Mississippi , to New Orleans with her boyfriend Sam Brody and the three child Jayne share with ex-husband - hubby Mickey Hargitay — Mickey Hargitay Jr. , Zoltan Hargitay and Mariska Hargitay . Behind the bike was Gus Stevens Supper Club number one wood Ronnie Harrison .

The 1966 Buick Electra crashed when the tractor - poke motortruck it was behind slowed down , cause the front of the Buick to lodge underneath thetruck . The adult in the front seat — Mansfield , Brody and Harrison — died upon impingement .

Mansfield ’s three children exist , with Mariska Hargitay going on to become a famous actress in her own right , starring as Olivia Benson in " Law & Order : Special Victims Unit . "

The Mansfield Bar

lamentably , Mansfield ’s death was preventable . Underride guard ( also known as rearward impingement guard or Mansfield bar ) are blade bars placed at the back of truck to prevent smaller vehicle from " underriding " the larger truck , which is on the dot how Mansfield croak .

Mansfield ’s death sparked increased interest in underride guards , but they were n’t legally required until1996 .