Early Life and Education of Britney Spears: A Complete Timeline
Discover the defining moments in the early life of Britney Spears. From birth to education, explore key events.
Britney Spears, dubbed the "Princess of Pop," is a highly influential American singer celebrated for her impact on 21st-century music and credited with reviving the teen pop genre. Recognized for her captivating stage presence and genre-bending explorations across pop, R&B, electropop, and adult contemporary, she remains a prominent figure in popular music.
December 2, 1981: Britney Spears Born
On December 2, 1981, Britney Jean Spears was born. She would become an American singer, known as the "Princess of Pop", who had a significant cultural impact on music, reviving the teen pop genre. She is known for her stage performances and for exploring genres ranging from pop to contemporary rhythm and blues, electropop, and adult contemporary.
1984: Dance Lessons
In 1984, Britney Spears began attending dance lessons in Kentwood and was selected to perform as a solo artist at the annual recital.
August 1991: Reference to Demi Moore's Vanity Fair Cover
The August 2006 nude cover of Harper's Bazaar featuring Britney Spears was compared to Demi Moore's August 1991 Vanity Fair cover.
December 1992: Appearance in The All-New Mickey Mouse Club
In December 1992, Britney Spears appeared in The All-New Mickey Mouse Club alongside other cast members, including Christina Aguilera, Justin Timberlake, and Ryan Gosling.
1992: Early Career
In 1992, Britney Spears began her career as a cast member for the Ruthless! musical and The All-New Mickey Mouse Club television series.
1992: Houston's I Have Nothing
When auditioning with Jive Records, Britney Spears sang Houston's "I Have Nothing".
1994: Return to Mississippi
After The All-New Mickey Mouse Club's cancellation in 1994, Britney Spears returned to Mississippi and enrolled at McComb's Parklane Academy.
June 1997: Negotiations with Lou Pearlman
In June 1997, Britney Spears negotiated with manager Lou Pearlman to join the female pop group Innosense. Her mother sought advice from entertainment lawyer Larry Rudolph and submitted a tape of Britney singing over a Whitney Houston karaoke song.
1997: Signed with Jive Records
In 1997, Britney Spears signed with Jive Records, marking a significant step in her early music career.
April 1998: Recording Debut Album in Sweden
From March to April 1998, Britney Spears recorded half of her debut album at Cheiron Studios in Stockholm, Sweden, with producers Max Martin, Denniz Pop, and Rami Yacoub.
September 7, 2000: 2000 MTV Video Music Awards Performance
On September 7, 2000, Britney Spears performed at the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards, where she removed her black suit to reveal a sequined flesh-colored bodysuit, followed by a heavy dance routine. It marked a shift towards a more provocative persona.
June 2002: Opening of Nyla Restaurant
In June 2002, Britney Spears opened her first restaurant, Nyla, in New York City.
July 2002: Six-Month Break Announcement
In July 2002, Britney Spears announced that she would be taking a six-month break from her career.
November 2002: End of Relationship with Justin Timberlake and Release of "Cry Me a River"
In November 2002, Britney Spears' three-year relationship with Justin Timberlake ended, and Timberlake released the song "Cry Me a River", which featured a Spears look-alike in the music video, fueling rumors of infidelity.
2002: Quoted in Madonnastyle Book
In the 2002 book Madonnastyle by Carol Clerk, Britney Spears is quoted expressing her admiration for Madonna and her aspiration to become a legend like her.
2003: Comments on President George W. Bush and the Iraq War
In 2003, Britney Spears commented on President George W. Bush and the Iraq War, expressing trust in the president's decisions.
July 2004: Engagement to Kevin Federline
In July 2004, Britney Spears became engaged to dancer Kevin Federline, whom she had met three months earlier.
September 18, 2004: Wedding Ceremony with Kevin Federline
On September 18, 2004, Britney Spears and Kevin Federline held a wedding ceremony.
October 2004: Career Break and Release of Curious Perfume
In October 2004, Britney Spears announced a career break to start a family and released her first perfume, Curious, with Elizabeth Arden, which broke the company's first-week gross record for a perfume.
February 2006: Driving Incident with Son Sean
In February 2006, Britney Spears faced public criticism after pictures surfaced of her driving with her son, Sean, on her lap instead of in a car seat.
May 2006: Departure from Kabbalah
In May 2006, Britney Spears announced she no longer studied Kabbalah, explaining, "my baby is my religion".
September 2006: Birth of Second Son, Jayden James
In September 2006, Britney Spears gave birth to her second son, Jayden James.
November 2006: Filing for Divorce from Kevin Federline
In November 2006, Britney Spears filed for divorce from Kevin Federline, citing irreconcilable differences.
2006: Highly Publicized Personal Problems
From 2006, Britney Spears's erratic behavior and personal struggles were heavily publicized, affecting her career and public image.
January 2007: Death of Aunt Sandra Bridges Covington
In January 2007, Britney Spears' maternal aunt, Sandra Bridges Covington, passed away due to ovarian cancer.
July 2007: Finalization of Divorce from Kevin Federline
In July 2007, Britney Spears and Kevin Federline finalized their divorce, reaching a global settlement and agreeing to share joint custody of their sons.
October 2007: Loss of Custody of Sons
In October 2007, Britney Spears lost physical custody of her sons to Kevin Federline. The reasons for the court ruling were not revealed to the public.
December 2007: Relationship with Adnan Ghalib
In December 2007, Britney Spears began a relationship with paparazzo Adnan Ghalib.
January 2008: Institutionalization and Conservatorship
In January 2008, Britney Spears was institutionalized at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center due to her worsening mental condition. Subsequently, her father Jamie filed a temporary conservatorship suit, granting him and attorney Andrew Wallet temporary control over her affairs.
July 2008: Regaining Visitation Rights
In July 2008, Britney Spears regained some visitation rights to her sons after coming to an agreement with Kevin Federline and his counsel.
2008: Media Attention after MTV Video Music Awards
In 2008, Britney Spears received media attention for her appearance at the MTV Video Music Awards, which was seen as a sign of recovery after a difficult period.
2008: Conservatorship and Circus Album
In 2008, Britney Spears was placed under a controversial conservatorship and recorded the Circus album.
2016: Support for Hillary Clinton
In 2016, Britney Spears posted pictures of a meeting with Hillary Clinton, expressing admiration for her as an inspiration and a voice for women.
March 2017: Britney: Live in Concert World Tour Announcement
In March 2017, Britney Spears announced that her residency concert would be performed abroad as a world tour, called Britney: Live in Concert, with dates planned in select Asian cities.
April 2017: Israeli Election Rescheduled for Britney Spears Concert
In April 2017, the Israeli Labor Party announced it would reschedule its July primary election to avoid conflict with Britney Spears' sold-out Tel Aviv concert, citing traffic and security concerns.
December 2017: Support for the DREAM Act
In December 2017, Britney Spears showed her support for the DREAM Act by posting a photo on social media wearing a "We Are All Dreamers" T-shirt, advocating for the passage of the Act.
2017: Spears reflects on past struggles
In 2017, Britney Spears reflected on her past struggles and acknowledged the need to prioritize her mental health throughout her career.
January 2018: Sunset Fantasy Perfume Release and Piece of Me Tour Announcement
In January 2018, Britney Spears released her 24th perfume, Sunset Fantasy, with Elizabeth Arden, and announced the Piece of Me Tour, scheduled for July 2018 in North America and Europe.
March 20, 2018: Kenzo Campaign
On March 20, 2018, Britney Spears was announced as part of a campaign for the French luxury fashion house Kenzo. The company aimed to 'shake up' the fashion world with Spears' 'La Collection Memento No. 2' campaign.
April 27, 2018: Fashion Line Partnership with Epic Rights
On April 27, 2018, Epic Rights announced a new partnership with Britney Spears to debut her own fashion line in 2019, which would include clothing, fitness apparel, accessories, and electronics.
July 2018: Prerogative Fragrance Release
In July 2018, Britney Spears released her first unisex fragrance, Prerogative.
July 2018: Piece of Me Tour
In July 2018, Britney Spears' Piece of Me Tour took place in North America and Europe. Tickets sold out quickly, and additional dates were added due to high demand. Pitbull was the supporting act for the European leg.
October 18, 2018: Britney: Domination Residency Announcement
On October 18, 2018, Britney Spears announced her second Las Vegas residency show, Britney: Domination, set to launch at Park MGM's Park Theatre on February 13, 2019.
October 21, 2018: Piece of Me Tour Final Performance at Formula One Grand Prix
On October 21, 2018, Britney Spears performed at the Formula One Grand Prix in Austin, marking the final performance of her Piece of Me Tour.
January 4, 2019: Indefinite Hiatus and Residency Cancellation
On January 4, 2019, Britney Spears announced an indefinite hiatus and the cancellation of her Las Vegas residency after her father, Jamie, suffered a near-fatal colon rupture.
March 2019: Andrew Wallet Resigns and Spears Enters Facility
In March 2019, Andrew Wallet resigned as co-conservator of Britney Spears' estate after 11 years. Spears also entered a psychiatric facility amidst stress from her father's illness.
April 22, 2019: #FreeBritney Protest
On April 22, 2019, fans protested outside West Hollywood City Hall demanding Britney Spears' release from the facility.
May 2019: Judge Orders Evaluation of Conservatorship
In May 2019, Judge Brenda Penny ordered a professional evaluation of Britney Spears' conservatorship.
2019: Withdrawal from Concert Touring
In 2019, Britney Spears withdrew from regular concert touring to focus on her conservatorship case.
February 2020: Opening of 'The Zone' Interactive Pop-Up Museum
In February 2020, an interactive pop-up museum dedicated to Britney Spears, named "The Zone", opened in Los Angeles, though it was later suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
March 2020: Participating in #DoYourPartChallenge
In March 2020, Britney Spears participated in the #DoYourPartChallenge during the COVID-19 pandemic, encouraging fans to message her on Instagram for supportive words and selecting three fans to assist.
May 2020: Release of 'Mood Ring' and New Glory Album Cover
In May 2020, Britney Spears released Glory's Japanese-exclusive bonus track, "Mood Ring," as a single, and debuted a new cover of the album to streaming and digital platforms worldwide.
August 17, 2020: Spears' Desire to Alter Conservatorship
On August 17, 2020, Britney Spears' court-appointed lawyer submitted a court filing documenting her desire to have her conservatorship altered to reflect her wishes and lifestyle, to instate Montgomery as her permanent conservator, and to replace Jamie with a fiduciary as conservator of her estate.
November 2020: Approval of Bessemer Trust as Co-Conservator
In November 2020, Judge Penny approved Bessemer Trust as co-conservator of Britney Spears' estate alongside Jamie.
February 2021: Premiere of 'Framing Britney Spears' Documentary
In February 2021, the documentary about Britney Spears' career and conservatorship, Framing Britney Spears, premiered on FX.
June 2021: Spears Speaks Out Against Conservatorship
In June 2021, Britney Spears spoke to the court calling her conservatorship "abusive". She said she had lied by "telling the whole world I'm OK and I'm happy", and that she was traumatized and angry. The statement generated widespread media coverage.
August 5, 2021: Conversion to Catholicism
On August 5, 2021, Britney Spears announced that she had converted to Catholicism.
October 2021: Spears thanks fans and #FreeBritney movement
In October 2021, Britney Spears thanked her fans and the #FreeBritney movement for freeing her from her conservatorship.
2021: Conservatorship Dissolved and Documentary Release
In 2021, Britney Spears' conservatorship was dissolved after she publicly testified against her management team and family for abuse. The documentary Framing Britney Spears was released.
April 2022: Pregnancy Announcement
In April 2022, Britney Spears announced her pregnancy with Sam Asghari's child.
September 5, 2022: Declaration of Atheism
On September 5, 2022, Britney Spears stated she no longer believed in God due to her family's treatment and declared herself an atheist.
January 24, 2023: Welfare Check at Spears' Residence
On January 24, 2023, deputies from the Ventura County Sheriff's Office performed a welfare check at Britney Spears' residence after receiving calls from fans concerned about her Instagram activity.
September 2023: Welfare Check Initiated After Instagram Video
In September 2023, an additional welfare check was initiated when Britney Spears posted an Instagram video of herself dancing with knives, which later were confirmed as fake.
October 2023: Publication of 'The Woman in Me' Memoir
In October 2023, Britney Spears published her second memoir, "The Woman in Me", detailing her rise to fame, public media events, her conservatorship, and newfound freedom. The book sold 1.1 million copies in the US and 2.4 million copies worldwide in its first week.
2023: Admission of Affair with Wade Robson
In 2023, Britney Spears admitted to engaging in an affair with Wade Robson, adding more context to the rumors and controversies that swirled around her relationship with Justin Timberlake in the early 2000s.
2023: Memoir on Abortion
In her 2023 memoir, Britney Spears revealed she had an abortion in late 2000 while dating Justin Timberlake, describing it as "one of the most agonizing things I have ever experienced in my life."
January 2024: Reports of Songwriting for Spears
In January 2024, reports circulated that Charli XCX and Julia Michaels had been asked to write songs for Britney Spears, but Spears denied she would return to the music industry.
May 1, 2024: Divorce Settlement
On May 1, 2024, Britney Spears and Sam Asghari reached a divorce settlement.
May 2024: Charli XCX Confirms Songwriting Offer
In May 2024, Charli XCX confirmed that she was asked to write for Britney Spears and traveled to Malibu but the recording did not happen, with the team being present but not Spears.
December 2, 2024: Finalization of Divorce
On December 2, 2024, the judge signed off on the divorce settlement, finalizing Britney Spears' and Sam Asghari's divorce.
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