Early Life and Education of Beyoncé: A Complete Timeline

How education and upbringing influenced the life of Beyoncé. A timeline of key moments.

Beyoncé Knowles-Carter is a highly influential American singer, songwriter, actress, and businesswoman. Celebrated for her powerful vocals and captivating live performances, she has become a significant cultural figure in the 21st century. Throughout her three-decade career, she has consistently reinvented her music and performance style, setting new standards for artistry in popular music. She is often considered one of the greatest entertainers and most influential artists of all time.

Sections (5)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Legacy & Impact

1999: Established the Knowles-Rowland Center for Youth

In 1999, Beyoncé, her mother Tina Knowles, and former Destiny's Child bandmate Kelly Rowland established the Knowles-Rowland Center for Youth.

2005: Co-founded the Survivor Foundation

In 2005, following Hurricane Katrina, Beyoncé, Solange, Tina Knowles, and Kelly Rowland co-founded the Survivor Foundation to offer transitional housing for displaced families and support the construction of new homes.

2007: Launched the Knowles-Temenos Place Apartments

In 2007, Beyoncé launched the Knowles-Temenos Place Apartments, a housing development that accommodates 43 displaced individuals.

2008: Donated to Gulf Coast Ike Relief Fund

In 2008, Beyoncé donated $100,000 to the Gulf Coast Ike Relief Fund after Hurricane Ike.

2008: Founded Parkwood Entertainment

In 2008, Beyoncé founded Parkwood Entertainment, an entertainment company established as an imprint of Columbia Records.

2008: Introduction of Sasha Fierce

In 2008, Beyoncé introduced her alter ego Sasha Fierce with the release of her third solo studio album, I Am... Sasha Fierce.

2008: Donated Cadillac Records salary to Phoenix House

In 2008, after learning about Phoenix House during the filming of Cadillac Records, Beyoncé donated her entire $4 million salary from the film to the organization and later founded the Beyoncé Cosmetology Center.

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2009: Performed at President Barack Obama's inauguration

In 2009, Beyoncé performed "America the Beautiful" at President Barack Obama's presidential inauguration and "At Last" during the first inaugural dance.

January 2010: Beyoncé announces hiatus

In January 2010, Beyoncé announced a nine-month hiatus from her music career, during which she traveled extensively and engaged in various cultural experiences.

February 2010: Beyoncé states she no longer needs Sasha Fierce

By February 2010, Beyoncé stated she no longer needed the alter ego Sasha Fierce, having grown more comfortable with herself.

March 2011: Parting ways with Mathew Knowles

In March 2011, Beyoncé and her father, Mathew Knowles, ended their business partnership.

April 2011: Participated in campaign against child obesity

In April 2011, Beyoncé participated in the National Association of Broadcasters Education Foundation's campaign against child obesity by reworking her single "Get Me Bodied".

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April 2011: Discovery of Pregnancy

In April 2011, during a photoshoot in Paris for her upcoming album cover, Beyoncé unexpectedly discovered she was pregnant and decided to keep her pregnancy private.

August 2011: Pregnancy announcement at MTV Video Music Awards

In August 2011, Beyoncé revealed her pregnancy at the MTV Video Music Awards while performing "Love On Top", contributing to the ceremony becoming the most-watched broadcast in MTV history at the time.

August 29, 2011: Pregnancy announcement trends

During the week of August 29, 2011, "Beyonce pregnant" became the most Googled phrase after her pregnancy announcement at the MTV Video Music Awards.

January 7, 2012: Birth of Blue Ivy Carter

On January 7, 2012, Beyoncé gave birth to her first daughter, Blue Ivy Carter, in New York City.

Others born on this day/year

January 2012: Horse-fly named after Beyoncé

In January 2012, research scientist Bryan Lessard named a species of horse-fly, Scaptia beyonceae, after Beyoncé due to its distinctive golden hairs.

December 2012: Joined "Demand a Plan" campaign

In December 2012, Beyoncé joined a coalition of celebrities in the "Demand a Plan" campaign to urge federal action on gun control legislation following the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.

2012: Fundraiser and Vote for Barack Obama

In 2012, Beyoncé held a fundraiser for Barack Obama's presidential campaign and voted for him in the 2012 presidential election.

2012: Ambassador for World Humanitarian Day campaign

In 2012, Beyoncé was an ambassador for the World Humanitarian Day campaign.

January 2013: Performed at President Barack Obama's second inauguration

In January 2013, Beyoncé performed "The Star-Spangled Banner" at President Barack Obama's second inauguration.

2013: Attended rally after George Zimmerman acquittal

In 2013, Beyoncé attended a rally after the acquittal of George Zimmerman in the killing of Trayvon Martin.

2013: Endorsed same-sex marriage

In 2013, Beyoncé endorsed same-sex marriage via Instagram and voiced opposition to North Carolina's Public Facilities Privacy & Security Act.

2013: Sampling Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's TEDx speech

In 2013, Beyoncé publicly aligned with feminism by sampling Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's TEDx speech "We should all be feminists" in "Flawless", released later that year.

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2013: Participated in Gucci's "Chime for Change" initiative

In 2013, Beyoncé took part in Gucci's "Chime for Change" initiative to promote global female empowerment.

2014: Performed at the MTV Video Music Awards before a giant "Feminist" backdrop

In 2014, Beyoncé performed at the MTV Video Music Awards before a giant "Feminist" backdrop.

May 2015: Celebrity fundraiser for Hillary Clinton

In May 2015, Beyoncé attended a celebrity fundraiser for 2016 presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.

June 2016: Donation to United Way of Genesee County

In June 2016, Beyoncé donated over $82,000 to the United Way of Genesee County to assist victims of the Flint water crisis and provided financial support for fourteen Michigan students.

2016: Concert for Hillary Clinton

In 2016, Beyoncé headlined in a concert for Hillary Clinton the weekend before the election.

2016: "Beyoncé Day" in Minnesota

In 2016, May 23 was designated as "Beyoncé Day" in Minnesota to mark her Formation World Tour performance in the state.

February 1, 2017: Announcement of pregnancy with twins

On February 1, 2017, Beyoncé announced on Instagram that she was expecting twins. The post garnered over 6.3 million likes within a few hours, setting a world record for the most-liked image on the platform at the time.

February 2017: Supported transgender youth

In February 2017, Beyoncé supported transgender youth following Donald Trump's federal rollback of protections for transgender students in public schools.

August 2017: Launched BeyGood Houston and donated mattresses

In August 2017, during Hurricane Harvey, Beyoncé launched BeyGood Houston to support those affected and donated $75,000 worth of new mattresses to survivors. She also released a remix of J Balvin and Willy William's "Mi Gente", pledging all proceeds to disaster relief efforts across Puerto Rico, Mexico, the U.S., and the Caribbean in response to Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria, as well as the Chiapas and Puebla earthquakes.

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2018: Endorsed Beto O'Rourke

In 2018, Beyoncé endorsed the bid of Beto O'Rourke during the United States Senate election in Texas.

April 2020: Donation to mental health organizations and featured on "Savage" remix

In April 2020, Beyoncé donated $6 million to mental health organizations to provide mental health and wellness services for essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. She also featured on the remix of Megan Thee Stallion's "Savage", with proceeds supporting Bread of Life Houston's COVID-19 relief efforts.

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December 2020: Donated to alleviate the housing crisis in the U.S.

In December 2020, Beyoncé donated $500,000 to alleviate the housing crisis in the U.S. caused by the cessation of the eviction moratorium.

2020: Endorsed Joe Biden for president

In 2020, Beyoncé endorsed Joe Biden for president.

February 2024: Launched Cécred hair care line

In February 2024, Beyoncé launched Cécred, a hair care line designed to serve a wide range of hair textures.

2024: Endorsed Kamala Harris

In 2024, Beyoncé endorsed Kamala Harris, giving her permission to use "Freedom" as the official song for her presidential campaign.

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2024: Introduced an annual grant program for cosmetology students and hair stylists

In partnership with BeyGood, in 2024, Beyoncé introduced an annual grant program to support cosmetology students and professional hair stylists with financial assistance.