FACTBOX - Key facts about pop singer Madonna

REUTERS - Speculation that U.S. pop singer Madonna and her husband Guy Ritchie plan to divorce grew on Wednesday after a report in a British newspaper said the couple would announce the split "imminently".

Here are some facts about Madonna, one of the most successful pop stars of all time:

* BIRTH:

-- Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone was born in Bay City, Michigan on Aug. 16, 1958, the third of eight children in a devout Italian Catholic family.

* MUSIC/FILM CAREER:

-- Her breakthrough came in 1984 when she signed a record deal and made her first two big hits "Like a Virgin" and "Holiday". She was on her way.

-- In 1985 she married Hollywood wild boy Sean Penn and landed one of her most memorable screen roles in "Desperately Seeking Susan".