Childhood and Education Journey of Heather Armstrong in Timeline

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

Heather Armstrong, also known as Dooce, was a pioneering American blogger who gained significant popularity in the early 2000s with her website dooce.com. Her candid and personal writing attracted millions of readers. While her blog's popularity waned with the emergence of social media, she remained active online until her death by suicide in 2023. Armstrong's work is often credited with influencing the development of personal blogging and internet culture.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements

July 19, 1975: Heather Armstrong's Birth

On July 19, 1975, Heather Brooke Armstrong, née Hamilton, was born. She later became a well-known blogger under the pseudonym Dooce.

1975: Birth and Upbringing

In 1975, Heather Hamilton (later Armstrong) was born in Bartlett, Tennessee, and raised as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

1997: Graduation and Departure from the Church

In 1997, Heather Armstrong graduated from Brigham Young University and subsequently left the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, moving to Los Angeles for work.

2004: First Child's Birth and Shift to Parenting Blog

In 2004, after the birth of her first child, Leta Elise, Heather Armstrong started focusing her blog on parenting, becoming a popular "mommyblogger."

December 10, 2009: "Dooced" Definition on Jeopardy!

On December 10, 2009, the definition of "Dooced" as "getting fired for something you've written on your website" was used on Jeopardy!.

2009: Twitter Incident

In 2009, Heather Armstrong gained media attention for using Twitter to get her washing machine fixed.

2009: Birth of Second Child

In 2009, Heather and Jon Armstrong's second child, Marlo Iris, was born.

2011: Comments about Hate Sites

In 2011, Jon Armstrong joked that traffic from hate sites had been better for the family business than the birth of their second child two years earlier. By then the revenue from Dooce paid salaries not only to the Armstrongs but an assistant and two full-time babysitters.

2012: Separation Announcement

In 2012, Heather and Jon Armstrong announced their separation, which came as a surprise to many readers.

2013: Divorce Finalized

In 2013, Heather and Jon Armstrong's divorce was finalized, with Jon moving to New York City.

2017: Experimental Treatment and Resumption of Posting

After a successful experimental treatment in 2017, Heather Armstrong resumed her Internet posting, though to a smaller audience, and began working as an influencer.