On January 24, 1942, Hollywood stars Ava Gardner and Mickey Rooney tied the knot in a small ceremony. Despite their young age – Ava was just 19 and Mickey 23 – the couple had known each other for a decade, having met on the set of the 1935 film, ‘A Family Affair’.

The couple had a tumultuous three-year marriage, which ended in divorce in 1945. Despite their brief union, they have gone down in history as one of the most iconic couples of Golden Age Hollywood. On their wedding day, they were a picture of youthful exuberance and love, captured in a beautiful black-and-white photograph.

Today, we remember Ava and Mickey’s wedding day with a fondness for the golden age of Hollywood.