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, the "Princess of Pop," is an American singer who rose to fame as a teenager and significantly impacted popular music. With over 150 million records sold, she's among the best-selling music artists globally. Spears is credited with reviving teen pop in the late 1990s and early 2000s and remains an influential figure in the entertainment industry.

Sections (7)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals Legacy & Impact

September 11, 2001: Terrorist attacks of September 11

On September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks occurred, leading to a grant from Britney Spears and The Britney Spears Foundation to the Twin Towers Fund.

2001: Release of album Britney marks transition to adulthood

In 2001, Britney Spears' album 'Britney' marked a shift in her public image, transitioning from an innocent teen idol to a more mature performer.

November 2002: End of relationship with Justin Timberlake

In November 2002, Britney Spears' relationship with Justin Timberlake ended after three years. Timberlake released the song "Cry Me a River", and its music video, featuring a Spears look-alike, fueled rumors of Spears engaging in an affair.

2003: Release of album In the Zone completes journey into adulthood

In 2003, Britney Spears released 'In the Zone', which was seen as the completion of her transition into adulthood, characterized by transparent sexuality and nightclub sounds.

January 2004: Marriage to Jason Allen Alexander

In January 2004, Britney Spears married Jason Allen Alexander in Las Vegas, Nevada. The marriage was annulled 55 hours later, citing Spears' lack of understanding of her actions.

July 2004: Engagement to Kevin Federline

In July 2004, Britney Spears became engaged to Kevin Federline, whom she had met three months earlier. Federline had recently broken up with actress Shar Jackson, who was still pregnant with their second child.

September 18, 2004: Wedding ceremony with Kevin Federline

On September 18, 2004, Britney Spears and Kevin Federline held a wedding ceremony, though they were not legally married until weeks later.

October 2004: Career break to start a family

In October 2004, Britney Spears took a career break to start a family.

August 2005: Release of 'Someday (I Will Understand)'

In August 2005, Britney Spears released "Someday (I Will Understand)", which was dedicated to her first child.

February 2006: Driving incident with son Sean

In February 2006, pictures surfaced of Britney Spears driving with her son, Sean, on her lap instead of in a car seat, prompting criticism from child advocates. Spears claimed it was due to a frightening encounter with paparazzi.

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.

Others born on this day/year

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

Starting in 2006, Britney Spears' erratic behavior and personal problems became highly publicized, negatively impacting her career and public image.

January 2007: Death of maternal aunt Sandra Bridges Covington

In January 2007, Britney Spears' maternal aunt, Sandra Bridges Covington, died of ovarian cancer.

July 2007: Finalization of divorce from Kevin Federline

In July 2007, Britney Spears' divorce from Kevin Federline was finalized, with both agreeing to share joint custody of their sons.

October 2007: Loss of physical 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.

2007: Photos of Spears sold for a combined value of $100 million

According to Vanity Fair, photos of Britney Spears sold for a combined value of $100 million in 2007 due to her constant presence in the media and as a paparazzi target.

January 2008: Hospitalization and Conservatorship

In January 2008, Britney Spears refused to relinquish custody of her sons. She was hospitalized and placed under a conservatorship led by her father, Jamie Spears, and attorney Andrew Wallet, giving them control of her assets.

July 2008: Regaining visitation rights

In July 2008, Britney Spears regained some visitation rights after coming to an agreement with Kevin Federline and his counsel.

2008: Media attention on professional and personal life

In 2008, Britney Spears' appearance at the MTV Video Music Awards was seen as a sign of professionalism after facing a previous disastrous performance and losing control of her life.

2008: The Britney Spears Foundation had a deficit of $200,000

In 2008, it was reported that The Britney Spears Foundation had a deficit of $200,000.

2011: The Britney Spears Foundation was closed

In 2011, after Britney Spears went through conservatorship, her father and lawyer Andrew Wallet zeroed out the efforts of the Britney Spears Foundation, leading to its closure.

2016: Spears posts pictures of a meeting with Hillary Clinton on social media

In 2016, Britney Spears posted pictures on social media of a meeting with Hillary Clinton, describing her as "an inspiration and [a] beautiful voice for women around the world".

March 2017: Britney: Live in Concert World Tour Announcement

In March 2017, Britney Spears announced her residency concert would be performed abroad as a world tour, Britney: Live in Concert, with dates in select Asian cities.

April 2017: Israeli Labor Party Reschedules Primary Election for Tel Aviv Concert

In April 2017, the Israeli Labor Party rescheduled its July primary election to avoid conflict with Britney Spears' sold-out Tel Aviv concert, citing traffic and security concerns.

November 4, 2017: Grand Opening of Nevada Childhood Cancer Foundation Britney Spears Campus

On November 4, 2017, Britney Spears attended the grand opening of the Nevada Childhood Cancer Foundation Britney Spears Campus in Las Vegas.

December 2017: Publicly shows support for the DREAM Act

In December 2017, Britney Spears publicly showed support for the DREAM Act by posting a photo of herself wearing a "We Are All Dreamers" T-shirt after the announcement that Donald Trump would end the DACA policy.

2017: Spears reflects on past struggles and mental health

In 2017, Britney Spears reflected on her past struggles and emphasized the importance of taking breaks and prioritizing mental health.

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 which took place in July 2018 in North America and Europe.

March 20, 2018: Kenzo Campaign Announcement

On March 20, 2018, Britney Spears was announced as part of a campaign for French luxury fashion house Kenzo for their '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: Piece of Me Tour in North America and Europe

In July 2018, Britney Spears' Piece of Me Tour took place in North America and Europe, with Pitbull as the supporting act for the European leg. Tickets were sold out quickly.

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.

February 13, 2019: Planned Launch of Britney: Domination Residency

Britney Spears' planned residency show, Britney: Domination, was set to launch at Park MGM's Park Theatre on February 13, 2019, but was later cancelled.

March 2019: Resignation of Co-conservator and Entry into Psychiatric Facility

In March 2019, Andrew Wallet resigned as co-conservator of Britney Spears' estate after 11 years. Britney Spears entered a psychiatric facility amidst stress from her father's illness that same month.

April 22, 2019: Fan Protests for Spears' Release

On April 22, 2019, fans protested outside the West Hollywood City Hall and demanded Britney Spears' release amidst conservatorship concerns.

May 2019: Judge Orders Evaluation of Conservatorship

In May 2019, Judge Brenda Penny ordered a professional evaluation of Britney Spears' conservatorship.

February 2020: Opening of "The Zone" Interactive Pop-Up Museum

An interactive pop-up museum dedicated to Britney Spears, dubbed "The Zone", opened in Los Angeles in February 2020, but was later suspended in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

March 2020: #DoYourPartChallenge Participation

In March 2020, Britney Spears participated in the #DoYourPartChallenge, helping people with their needs during the COVID-19 pandemic. She offered supportive words to fans on Instagram, selecting three to assist.

August 17, 2020: Court Filing for Conservatorship Alterations

On August 17, 2020, Britney Spears' lawyer submitted a court filing documenting her desire to alter her conservatorship, instate Montgomery as permanent conservator, and replace Jamie 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 22, 2021: The New York Times Obtains Confidential Court Documents

On June 22, 2021, The New York Times obtained confidential court documents stating that Britney Spears had pushed for years to end her conservatorship.

October 2021: Spears thanks her fans and the #FreeBritney movement

In October 2021, Britney Spears thanked her fans and the #FreeBritney movement for "freeing me from my conservatorship".

April 2022: Pregnancy Announcement

In April 2022, Britney Spears announced her pregnancy with Sam Asghari's child, which later ended in a miscarriage the following month.

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 several calls from concerned fans. Spears was found to be safe.

September 2023: Additional welfare check initiated

In September 2023, an additional welfare check was initiated when Spears posted an Instagram video of herself dancing with knives.

October 24, 2023: Release of Memoir, The Woman in Me

On October 24, 2023, Britney Spears' memoir, The Woman in Me, was released, detailing her rise to fame, public media events, her conservatorship, and her newfound freedom. The book sold 1.1 million copies in the United States and 2.4 million copies worldwide in its first week.

The Woman in Me

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2023: Confession about affair with Wade Robson

In 2023, Britney Spears admitted to engaging in an affair with Wade Robson, following initial denials of possible relationships with Limp Bizkit's frontman Fred Durst.

January 2024: Reports of Songwriting for Spears Surface

In January 2024, reports circulated that Charli XCX and Julia Michaels had been asked to write songs for Britney Spears.

February 2024: Partnership with Glace for "Britney Brûlée" dessert

In February 2024, Britney Spears collaborated with New York City dessert shop Glace to create the "Britney Brûlée" dessert. A portion of the proceeds from the sales of this dessert will be donated to The Trevor Project.

May 1, 2024: Divorce Settlement Reached

On May 1, 2024, Britney Spears and Sam Asghari reached a divorce settlement.

May 2024: Charli XCX Confirms Songwriting Request

In May 2024, Charli XCX confirmed she was asked to write for Britney Spears and travelled to Malibu, but was unsure if Spears was involved as she didn't record it.