Career Timeline of Caitlyn Jenner: Major Achievements and Milestones

From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Caitlyn Jenner made an impact.

Caitlyn Jenner is an American media personality and retired Olympic gold medal-winning decathlete. Formerly known as Bruce Jenner, she gained fame for her athletic achievements and later transitioned and publicly came out as a transgender woman in 2015. This transition brought her significant media attention, making her a prominent figure in the transgender community and an advocate for transgender rights. She has since appeared in reality television shows and used her platform to speak about her experiences and promote transgender awareness.

Sections (5)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Controversies & Scandals

1970: Decathlon Debut

In 1970, Jenner debuted as a decathlete in the Drake Relays decathlon in Des Moines, Iowa, finishing in fifth place.

1972: Decision to Dedicate to Decathlon

In 1972, Jenner decided to dedicate four years to the decathlon, with the intention of moving on afterwards.

1972: U.S. Olympic Trials and Inspiration

In 1972, Jenner qualified for the Olympic team at the U.S. Olympic Trials and later competed in the Summer Olympics in Munich, West Germany. Inspired by Mykola Avilov, Jenner began an intense training regimen.

1973: Decathlon Competition

From 1973 to 1976, Jenner competed in the decathlons.

August 1974: Track & Field News Cover

In August 1974, Jenner was featured on the cover of Track & Field News magazine as the American champion in the men's decathlon event.

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: Championship Wins

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

Jenner appeared on the cover of the August 9, 1976, issue of Sports Illustrated magazine.

1976: Decathlon Competition

From 1973 to 1976, Jenner competed in the decathlons.

1976: Olympic Trials Record

In 1976, Jenner set a world record at the Olympic trials in Eugene.

1976: Intense Training

In 1976, Jenner trained for the Games, 6–8 hours a day, every day, 365 days a year.

1976: Saturday Night Live Parody

In 1976, The "hero shot", the finish of the final event of the 1976 Olympic decathlon, and the Wheaties cover, were parodied by John Belushi on Saturday Night Live, endorsing "Little Chocolate Donuts".

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1976: Olympic Gold Medal Win

In 1976, at the Olympic Games in Montreal, Jenner won the gold medal in the men's decathlon with a world-record score of 8,618 points.

November 22, 1977: Defense of Wheaties Advertising

On November 22, 1977, Jenner defended Wheaties advertising against charges of deceptive practices, leading to the withdrawal of the suit.

1977: Wheaties Spokesperson

In 1977, Jenner became a spokesperson for Wheaties brand breakfast cereal and appeared on the cover of the cereal box.

1977: NBA Draft Selection

In 1977, Jenner was selected by the Kansas City Kings in the NBA draft as a publicity stunt.

1978: America Alive! Co-host

In 1978, Jenner co-hosted the short-lived daytime talk and variety series America Alive!.

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February 1979: Gentleman's Quarterly Cover

In February 1979, Jenner appeared on the cover of Gentleman's Quarterly.

1980: Olympic Record Broken

In 1980, Jenner's 1976 world and Olympic record was broken by Daley Thompson.

1980: Can't Stop the Music Film Debut

In 1980, Jenner's first film appearance was in the comedy Can't Stop the Music. The golden moment an Olympic love story came out this year as well.

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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.

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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.

1984: Wheaties Spokesperson Succession

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", revealing personal issues with dyslexia.

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1985: Decathlon Score Reevaluation

In 1985, Jenner's Olympic decathlon score from 1976 was reevaluated against the IAAF's updated scoring table and reported as 8,634.

1989: Dirty Tennis Comedy Short

In 1989, Jenner played herself in the comedy short Dirty Tennis written by James Van Patten.

1991: American Record Surpassed

In 1991, Jenner's American record from 1976 was surpassed by Dan O'Brien.

1996: Bruce Jenner's World Class Decathlon Video Game

In 1996, Jenner appeared in the video game Bruce Jenner's World Class Decathlon.

2007: Keeping Up with the Kardashians Debut

In 2007, Jenner began appearing on the reality television series Keeping Up with the Kardashians alongside Kris Jenner and their children.

2016: I Am Cait

From 2015 to 2016, Jenner starred in the reality television series I Am Cait, which focused on her gender transition.

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2018: World and American Ranking

As of 2018, Jenner was ranked twenty-sixth on the world all-time list and ninth on the American all-time list for decathlon.

2021: California Gubernatorial Recall Election

In 2021, Jenner ran in the California gubernatorial recall election as a member of the Republican Party, finishing 13th with one percent of the vote. Also in 2021, Jenner was hired by Fox News as an on-air contributor.