History of Caitlyn Jenner in Timeline
Caitlyn Jenner is an American media personality and retired Olympic gold medal-winning decathlete, formerly known as Bruce Jenner. Jenner gained global recognition for winning gold in the decathlon at the 1976 Montreal Olympics. In later life, Jenner publicly came out as a trans woman in 2015, becoming a prominent figure in the transgender community. This transition was documented in a reality television series, 'I Am Cait,' which explored her journey and the challenges faced by transgender individuals. Beyond athletics and media, Jenner has also ventured into politics, running as a Republican candidate in the 2021 California gubernatorial recall election.
October 28, 1949: William Bruce Jenner Born
On October 28, 1949, William Bruce Jenner, who later became Caitlyn Marie Jenner, was born in Mount Kisco, New York.
1968: Graduation from High School
In 1968, Jenner graduated from Newtown High School in Newtown, Connecticut.
1970: Debut as a Decathlete
In 1970, Jenner debuted as a decathlete in the Drake Relays decathlon in Des Moines, Iowa, finishing in fifth place.
1972: Olympics and Amateur Status
During the Cold War in 1972, three major Olympic titles that had a long history of American success were won by Soviet athletes. Jenner became an American hero by returning the decathlon title to the United States.
1972: Decision to Dedicate to Training
In 1972, Jenner made the decision to dedicate the next four years to training for the decathlon and then move on to other endeavors.
1972: Marriage to Chrystie Scott
In 1972, Jenner married Chrystie Scott (née Crownover).
1972: U.S. Olympic Trials and Munich Olympics
In 1972, Jenner qualified for the Olympic team at the U.S. Olympic Trials and later competed in the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, finishing tenth in the decathlon.
1973: Decathlon Competitions
Between 1973 and 1976, Jenner competed in 13 decathlons.
1973: Graduation from Graceland College
In 1973, Jenner graduated from Graceland College with a degree in physical education.
August 1974: Track & Field News Cover
In August 1974, Jenner was featured on the cover of Track & Field News magazine.
1975: AAU National Championships Loss
In 1975, Jenner experienced a loss at the AAU National Championships due to a "no height" in the pole vault.
1975: Championships and Gold Medal
In 1975, Jenner won the French national championship and a gold medal at the Pan American Games, setting a tournament record.
August 9, 1976: Sports Illustrated Cover
On August 9, 1976, Jenner appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine.
November 30, 1976: Brother Burt's Death
On November 30, 1976, Jenner's younger brother, Burt, was killed in a car accident in Canton, Connecticut.
1976: Gold Medal Victory
At the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal, Jenner won the gold medal in the men's decathlon with a world-record score of 8,618 points.
1976: Decathlon Competitions
Between 1973 and 1976, Jenner competed in 13 decathlons.
1976: Inspired to Train
In 1972 and leading up to 1976, Jenner was inspired to train to compete at the Olympic Games after watching Soviet Mykola Avilov win the decathlon event at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich. Jenner trained six to eight hours a day, every day, 365 days a year.
1976: Awards and Honors
In 1976, Jenner received the James E. Sullivan Award and was named the Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year.
1976: Olympic Trials Record
In 1976, Jenner set a world record at the Olympic trials in Eugene.
1976: Winning the 1976 Summer Olympics decathlon
In 1976, Jenner won the Summer Olympics decathlon.
1976: Saturday Night Live Parody
In 1976, the "hero shot" and the Wheaties cover were parodied by John Belushi on Saturday Night Live.
1976: World and Olympic Record
Jenner's 1976 world and Olympic record was broken by four points by Daley Thompson at the 1980 Olympics in Moscow.
November 22, 1977: Refuting Charges Against Wheaties
On November 22, 1977, Jenner went to San Francisco to refute charges filed by San Francisco district attorney Joseph Freitas that General Mills, the maker of Wheaties, had engaged in deceptive advertising in its campaign that featured Jenner.
1977: Wheaties Spokesperson
In 1977, Jenner became a spokesperson for Wheaties brand breakfast cereal and appeared on the cover of the cereal box.
1978: America Alive! Co-Host
In 1978, Jenner co-hosted the short-lived daytime talk and variety series America Alive!
February 1979: Gentleman's Quarterly Cover
In February 1979, Jenner appeared on the cover of Gentleman's Quarterly magazine.
1979: Victory in the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race
In 1979, Jenner won the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race at the Grand Prix of Long Beach, holding off Al Unser.
1980: Film Appearance
In 1980, Jenner made her film appearance in the comedy Can't Stop the Music and starred in the made-for-TV movie The Golden Moment: An Olympic Love Story.
1980: Contacted by NASCAR Winston Cup Series Team
In 1980, Jenner was contacted by NASCAR Winston Cup Series team DiGard Motorsports about driving the No. 88 car for the 1981 season, expressing interest but ultimately not being hired.
1980: United States National Track and Field Hall of Fame Induction
In 1980, Jenner was inducted into the United States National Track and Field Hall of Fame.
1980: World and Olympic Record Broken
Jenner's 1976 world and Olympic record was broken by four points by Daley Thompson at the 1980 Olympics in Moscow.
January 5, 1981: Marriage to Linda Thompson
On January 5, 1981, Jenner married songwriter Linda Thompson in Hawaii.
January 1981: Divorce from Chrystie Scott Finalized
In January 1981, Jenner's divorce from Chrystie Scott (née Crownover), whom she married in 1972, was finalized. They have two children, including son Burt.
1981: Olympic Decathlon Video Game
In 1981, Jenner appeared in the video game Olympic Decathlon.
1981: Grambling's White Tiger
In 1981, Jenner starred in the made-for-TV movie Grambling's White Tiger.
1981: Ricky Rudd Hired by NASCAR Winston Cup Series Team
In 1981, Ricky Rudd was hired by NASCAR Winston Cup Series team DiGard Motorsports for the No. 88 car, after Jenner had expressed interest in the role in 1980.
1982: CHiPs Guest Star
During the 1981–1982 season, Jenner became a semi-regular cast member in the police series CHiPs, guest-starring as Officer Steve McLeish for six episodes.
1982: Second victory in the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race
In 1982, Jenner won the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race for a second time, passing Ted Nugent with two laps remaining.
1984: Mary Lou Retton Succeeds Jenner
In 1984, Mary Lou Retton succeeded Jenner as a spokesperson for Wheaties.
1985: Silver Spoons Appearance
In 1985, Jenner appeared in an episode of the sitcom Silver Spoons called "Trouble with Words" and revealed personal issues with dyslexia.
1985: Olympic Decathlon Score Reevaluated
In 1985, Jenner's Olympic decathlon score was reevaluated against the IAAF's updated decathlon scoring table and was reported as 8,634 for comparative purposes.
February 1986: Separation and divorce from Linda Thompson
By February 1986, Jenner and Linda Thompson had separated and subsequently divorced.
1986: Victory at 12 hours of Sebring and success in IMSA Camel GT series
In 1986, Jenner achieved her first victory in the 12 hours of Sebring in the IMSA GTO class, driving the 7-Eleven Roush Racing Ford Mustang with co-driver Scott Pruett, finishing 4th overall. 1986 was Jenner's most successful year, finishing second in the championship to Pruett.
1986: Olympic Hall of Fame Induction
In 1986, Jenner was inducted into the Olympic Hall of Fame.
1989: Dirty Tennis Appearance
In 1989, Jenner played herself in the comedy short Dirty Tennis written by James Van Patten.
April 21, 1991: Marriage to Kris Kardashian
On April 21, 1991, Jenner married Kris Kardashian (née Houghton) after five months of dating.
1991: Marriage to Kris Kardashian after stopping hormone replacement therapy
In 1991, Jenner married Kris Kardashian after stopping hormone replacement therapy when their romance became more serious.
1991: American Record Surpassed
In 1991, Jenner's converted mark from 1985 stood as the American record until it was surpassed by eventual gold medalist, and world record holder, Dan O'Brien.
1994: Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame and Connecticut Sports Hall of Fame Induction
In 1994, Jenner was inducted into the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame and the Connecticut Sports Hall of Fame.
1996: Bruce Jenner's World Class Decathlon Video Game
In 1996, Jenner appeared in the video game Bruce Jenner's World Class Decathlon.
January 2002: Participation in The Weakest Link
In January 2002, Jenner participated in an episode of the American series 'The Weakest Link,' which featured Olympic athletes.
March 2003: Cast member of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!
In March 2003, Jenner was part of the cast of the American series 'I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!'.
2003: Appearance on I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!
In 2003, Jenner appeared on the American version of 'I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!'.
May 2005: Cameo appearance in The Apprentice
In May 2005, Jenner made a cameo appearance in a season-three episode of 'The Apprentice'.
March 2006: Participation in Skating with Celebrities
In March 2006, Jenner partnered with Tai Babilonia for 'Skating with Celebrities'; they were eliminated during the fifth of seven episodes.
2007: Keeping Up with the Kardashians
In 2007, Jenner began appearing on the reality television series Keeping Up with the Kardashians.
2008: Additional Television and Talk Show Appearances
In 2008, Jenner made additional television appearances, including Nickelodeon's made-for-TV film 'Gym Teacher: The Movie' and episodes of 'Murder, She Wrote'. Jenner also appeared in the 'Lingo Olympic Winners' episode, and talk shows such as 'Hannity' and season 1, episode 21 of 'The Bonnie Hunt Show'.
November 2010: Photograph shown in It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
In November 2010, a photograph of Jenner was shown in a janitor's resume in an episode of 'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia'.
2010: San Jose Sports Hall of Fame Induction
In 2010, Jenner was inducted into the San Jose Sports Hall of Fame.
2011: Appearance in Jack and Jill
In 2011, Jenner appeared in the Adam Sandler comedy 'Jack and Jill' in a scene with Al Pacino. The film won the Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Picture.
June 2013: Separation from Kris Kardashian
In June 2013, Jenner and Kris Kardashian separated; however, the separation was not made public until October.
2013: Robin Roberts receiving Arthur Ashe Courage Award
In 2013, Robin Roberts, an anchorwoman, received the Arthur Ashe Courage Award.
September 2014: Kris Kardashian files for divorce
In September 2014, Kris Kardashian filed for divorce from Jenner, citing irreconcilable differences.
December 2014: Finalization of divorce terms
In December 2014, the divorce terms between Jenner and Kris Kardashian were finalized.
2014: Glamour's Women of the Year controversy
In 2014, Caitlyn Jenner's celebration at Glamour magazine's Women Of The Year in New York sparked controversy. Chris Mandle criticized Jenner's comments as 'offensive and insulting,' and James Smith returned his deceased wife's 'Woman of the Year' award, deeming Glamour's decision insulting to her memory, objecting specifically to Jenner's commentary on the "hardest part about being a woman."
2014: Michael Sam receiving Arthur Ashe Courage Award
In 2014, Michael Sam, an openly LGBT footballer, received the Arthur Ashe Courage Award.
February 2015: Involvement in fatal multiple-vehicle collision
In February 2015, Jenner was involved in a fatal multiple-vehicle collision on the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, California, resulting in the death of Kim Howe.
March 23, 2015: Divorce from Kris Kardashian finalized
On March 23, 2015, the divorce between Jenner and Kris Kardashian was finalized, going into effect after a six-month delay.
April 2015: Coming out as a trans woman
In April 2015, Jenner came out as a trans woman in a 20/20 television interview with Diane Sawyer, discussing her lifelong struggle with gender dysphoria.
May 2015: Filming and airing of Keeping Up with the Kardashians: About Bruce
In May 2015, a two-part special titled 'Keeping Up with the Kardashians: About Bruce' was filmed and aired, preparing her children for the personal and public aspects of her transition.
June 2015: Private appearance at Los Angeles LGBT Center
In June 2015, Caitlyn Jenner made a private appearance at the Los Angeles LGBT Center, where she spoke with trans youth, after coming out as a trans woman.
June 2015: Debut of new name and image
In June 2015, Jenner debuted her new name and image, and began publicly using feminine pronouns.
June 2015: Name Change
In June 2015, William Bruce Jenner was known as Bruce, before changing names to Caitlyn Marie Jenner.
July 2015: Receiving Arthur Ashe Courage Award
In July 2015, Caitlyn Jenner received the Arthur Ashe Courage Award during the 2015 ESPY Awards for embracing her truth and helping educate people on the challenges that the transgender community faces.
July 2015: Renaming Ceremony
In July 2015, Jenner held a renaming ceremony, adopting the name Caitlyn Marie Jenner.
July 2015: Premiere of I Am Cait
In July 2015, the eight-part TV documentary series "I Am Cait" premiered on E! to an audience of 2.7 million viewers. The show focused on Jenner's transition and its impact on her relationships.
August 2015: Winning the Social Media Queen award at the Teen Choice Awards
In August 2015, Jenner won the Social Media Queen award at the Teen Choice Awards.
September 2015: Depiction on South Park
Beginning in September 2015, Jenner was parodied on the satirical American animated program South Park.
September 2015: Legal change of name and gender
In September 2015, Jenner's name was legally changed to Caitlyn Marie Jenner and her gender to female.
October 2015: Named one of Glamour Women of the Year
In October 2015, Glamour magazine named Jenner one of its 25 Glamour Women of the Year, calling her a "Trans Champion".
October 2015: "I Am Cait" renewed for second season
In October 2015, the TV documentary series "I Am Cait" was renewed for a second season.
November 2015: Listed as one of Entertainment Weekly's Entertainers of the Year
In November 2015, Jenner was listed as one of Entertainment Weekly's 2015 Entertainers of the Year.
December 2015: Named Barbara Walters' Most Fascinating Person of 2015
In December 2015, Jenner was named Barbara Walters' Most Fascinating Person of 2015.
December 2015: Settlement of lawsuit by Jessica Steindorff
In December 2015, Jessica Steindorff, a Hollywood agent involved in the February 2015 car collision, settled her lawsuit against Jenner.
2015: Diane Sawyer interview
In 2015, Caitlyn Jenner did an interview with Diane Sawyer.
2015: Identification as asexual
In 2015, Jenner stated that she has never been sexually attracted to men, but always to women, and given the difficulty many people have understanding the difference between sexual orientation and gender identity, she would identify as asexual for the time being.
2015: Vanity Fair cover and Twitter debut
In 2015, Jenner's emerging gender identity was revealed in a Vanity Fair interview. Jenner also debuted on Twitter, amassing over one million followers in four hours and three minutes, setting a Guinness World Record. Four days later Jenner was up to 2.37 million followers, with another 1.5 million followers on Instagram.
2015: General Mills Response to Jenner Coming Out
In 2015, when Jenner came out as a trans woman, General Mills initially stated that "Bruce Jenner continues to be a respected member of Team Wheaties" and later clarified that "Bruce Jenner has been a respected member of Team Wheaties, and Caitlyn Jenner will continue to be."
2015: Recognition as Person of the Year and Out100
In November 2015, Caitlyn Jenner was listed as a runner-up for The Advocate's Person of the Year and was named "Newsmaker of the Year" on the Out100 list by Out magazine.
January 2016: Settlement of lawsuit by Howe's stepchildren
In January 2016, the stepchildren of Kim Howe, who died in the February 2015 car collision, settled their lawsuit against Jenner.
March 6, 2016: Premiere of second season of I Am Cait
On March 6, 2016, the second season of "I Am Cait" premiered. In 2016, the show tied for Outstanding Reality Program at the GLAAD Media Awards.
April 8, 2016: Release of "Finally Free" lipstick
On April 8, 2016, MAC Cosmetics collaborated with Caitlyn Jenner to release a lipstick called "Finally Free," with 100% of the selling price going to the MAC AIDS Fund Transgender Initiative.
April 2016: Listed on Out magazine's Power 50 list
In April 2016, Caitlyn Jenner was listed as No. 8 on Out magazine's Power 50 list.
April 2016: Involvement in Republican presidential primaries
In April 2016, Jenner became an exemplar for Donald Trump's opposition to North Carolina's Public Facilities Privacy & Security Act. Jenner soon posted a video showing that she had taken Trump up on his offer to use any restroom of her choosing at his Trump Tower property.
April 2016: Listed in the Time 100
In April 2016, Jenner was listed in the Time 100.
May 2016: GLAAD Media Award for Diane Sawyer interview
In May 2016, Caitlyn Jenner's 2015 interview with Diane Sawyer won Outstanding TV Journalism – Newsmagazine at the GLAAD Media Awards.
June 2016: Trump's promise to fight for the LGBT community
In June 2016, Donald Trump tweeted his promise to fight for the LGBT community, a tweet that Caitlyn Jenner later juxtaposed with his 2017 ban on transgender people from serving in the military.
June 2016: Featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated
In June 2016, Jenner became the first openly transgender person to be featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated.
June 2016: Depiction in Kanye West's 'Famous' video and Epic Rap Battles of History
In June 2016, Jenner was depicted in Kanye West's song "Famous" video and in an episode of Epic Rap Battles of History.
September 2016: Appearance in Transparent
In September 2016, Jenner appeared in the Amazon Prime TV series 'Transparent' in a dream sequence during the season three episode "To Sardines and Back".
2016: Starred in I Am Cait
From 2015 to 2016, Jenner starred in the reality television series I Am Cait, which focused on her gender transition.
2016: Stance on Republican presidential primaries and Donald Trump
In 2016, Caitlyn Jenner expressed leaning towards political conservatism as a Republican, and stated she liked Ted Cruz in the 2016 Republican presidential primaries. Though not endorsing Donald Trump, she suggested he would be good for women's issues but stated she would never support Hillary Clinton. Jenner said she voted for Trump in the 2016 presidential election, although voter records suggest she never cast a ballot.
2016: Cover of The Advocate's February/March issue
In 2016, Caitlyn Jenner was featured on the cover of The Advocate's February/March issue.
January 2017: Completion of gender-affirming surgery
In January 2017, Jenner completed gender-affirming surgery.
February 2017: Response to Trump rescinding transgender student rights
In February 2017, following President Trump's decision to rescind federal requirements granting transgender students the right to choose the school restroom matching their gender identity, Caitlyn Jenner tweeted to Trump, criticizing the decision and reminding him of his promise to protect the LGBTQ community.
April 2017: Support for same-sex marriage
In April 2017, Caitlyn Jenner voiced her support for same-sex marriage.
April 25, 2017: Publication of memoir, The Secrets of My Life
On April 25, 2017, Caitlyn Jenner's memoir, "The Secrets of My Life", was published.
July 2017: Contemplation of Senate run and condemnation of transgender military ban
In July 2017, Caitlyn Jenner considered running in the 2018 race for the U.S. Senate to represent California. Also in July 2017, she condemned President Trump's order reinstating a ban on transgender people from serving in the military.
October 2018: Withdrawal of support for Donald Trump
In October 2018, Caitlyn Jenner withdrew her support for Donald Trump, citing the Trump administration's relentless attacks on the trans community.
2018: World and American All-Time List Ranking
As of 2018, Jenner was ranked twenty-sixth on the world all-time list and ninth on the American all-time list.
2018: Possible senate run
In July 2017, Caitlyn Jenner contemplated running in the 2018 race for the U.S. Senate to represent California.
November 2019: Participation in I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!
In November 2019, it was announced that Jenner would be participating in the nineteenth season of the British version of 'I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!'
April 2021: Consideration and launch of campaign for Governor of California
In early April 2021, it was reported that Caitlyn Jenner was considering running for Governor of California in the 2021 recall gubernatorial election as a Republican. Later in April 2021, on April 23, Jenner officially launched her campaign.
May 2021: Views on transgender girls in sports
In May 2021, during her run for governor, Caitlyn Jenner stated that trans girls should not be allowed to compete in girls' sports at school, aligning with Republican Party views. Jenner reiterated her views on Twitter, stating it's about fairness and protecting girls' sports, leading to criticism from transgender rights advocates.
September 2021: Support of the Texas Heartbeat Act
In September 2021, Caitlyn Jenner supported the Texas Heartbeat Act, which made all post-six-week abortions illegal, sparking widespread criticism.
2021: Criticism for views on transgender issues and support for Republican Party
In 2021, Caitlyn Jenner's decision to run for governor of California received pushback from LGBT activists and trans people, citing concerns about her views on transgender issues and support for the Republican Party. Her opposition to trans girls in girls' sports also drew criticism.
2021: Appearance on The Masked Singer and Big Brother VIP
In 2021, Jenner appeared as "Phoenix" on season five of 'The Masked Singer' and was the second contestant unmasked. In the same year, Jenner also appeared in the Australian version of 'Big Brother VIP'.
2021: Gubernatorial Recall Election and Fox News
In 2021, Jenner ran in the California gubernatorial recall election and finished 13th with one percent of the vote. Six months later, Jenner was hired by Fox News as an on-air contributor.
2021: End of Keeping Up with the Kardashians
In 2021, Jenner's appearance on the reality television series Keeping Up with the Kardashians came to an end.
2022: Comments on Lia Thomas's win
In 2022, Caitlyn Jenner stated that trans swimmer Lia Thomas was not the "rightful winner" of the NCAA Division I women's 500-yard freestyle event.
2022: Hired as on-air contributor for Fox News
In 2022, Fox News hired Jenner as an on-air contributor.
2022: Founded Jenner Racing
In 2022, Jenner founded Jenner Racing, a team in the all-female W Series open-wheel championship. The series folded midseason, though their driver Jamie Chadwick was declared the champion as the points leader when the final races were canceled.
April 2024: Reversal and support for Donald Trump
In April 2024, Caitlyn Jenner again reversed her political position by supporting Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election.
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