History of Linda McMahon in Timeline

Linda McMahon is an American business executive, politician, and former professional wrestling promoter. Known for her role in building WWE with her husband Vince McMahon, she transitioned into politics, serving as the 25th administrator of the Small Business Administration from 2017 to 2019 and the 13th United States secretary of education in 2025. She is a member of the Republican Party.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Challenges & Struggles

October 4, 1948: Linda McMahon's Birth

On October 4, 1948, Linda Marie Edwards (later McMahon) was born. She would go on to become a politician, business executive, and wrestling promoter.

Others born on this day/year

August 26, 1966: Marriage to Vince McMahon

On August 26, 1966, Linda Edwards, at the age of 17, married Vince McMahon, who was 21.

1969: False Claim of Education Degree

In 1969, Linda McMahon falsely claimed to have received a bachelor's degree in education from East Carolina University when her degree was actually in French.

1969: Incorrect Degree

In 1969, Linda McMahon incorrectly stated she graduated from East Carolina University with a degree in Education.

1969: Moved to Gaithersburg, Maryland and Worked at Covington & Burling

In 1969, the McMahons moved to Gaithersburg, Maryland, and Linda McMahon began working as a receptionist at the corporate law firm of Covington & Burling, where she translated French documents, trained as a paralegal, and studied intellectual property rights.

1976: Filed for Bankruptcy

In 1976, Linda McMahon and her husband filed for bankruptcy after a series of failed business ventures and while she was pregnant with Stephanie.

1976: Birth of Stephanie McMahon

In 1976, Linda McMahon gave birth to her daughter, Stephanie McMahon.

1979: Started promoting wrestling events

In 1979, Vince McMahon started promoting wrestling events at the Cape Cod Coliseum.

1982: Titan Sports, Inc. purchased Capitol Wrestling

In 1982, Vince McMahon's Titan Sports, Inc. purchased Capitol Wrestling, which was the parent company of the World Wrestling Federation (WWF).

1983: Moved to Greenwich, Connecticut

In 1983, the McMahons moved to Greenwich, Connecticut.

1988: Dismissal and Rehiring of Mel Phillips

In 1988, Mel Phillips was initially dismissed from WWE for sexual misconduct but was rehired several weeks later under the condition that he cease pursuing children.

1989: Directed Firing of On-Call Physician

In 1989, Linda McMahon directed Pat Patterson to fire on-call physician George Zahorian and inform him of imminent legal charges for steroid distribution, as documented in a memo.

1992: WWE Personnel Resignations/Dismissals in "Ring Boys" Scandal

In 1992, multiple WWE personnel, including ring announcer Mel Phillips and executives Pat Patterson and Terry Garvin, either resigned or were dismissed following accusations of sexually assaulting young boys as part of the "ring boys" scandal.

1995: Appointment to Governor's Council for World Special Olympics

In 1995, Linda McMahon was appointed to the Governor's Council for the World Special Olympics by Connecticut Governor Lowell Weicker, whom she met through the Special Olympics because his son is developmentally disabled.

May 3, 1999: WWF TV Debut

On May 3, 1999, Linda McMahon debuted on WWF TV during the Corporate Ministry storyline on Raw during the Attitude Era.

August 2000: Launched SmackDown! Your Vote Campaign

In August 2000, Linda McMahon initiated WWE's non-partisan voter registration campaign, "SmackDown! Your Vote", targeting the 18-to-30 voter demographic.

2000: Launch of GET REAL Campaign

In 2000, Linda McMahon launched 'GET REAL', a WWE campaign to deliver positive messages about education and literacy to young adults.

2000: American Library Association reported the WWF's Know Your Role poster was its highest-selling poster

In 2000, the American Library Association reported the WWF's Know Your Role poster was its highest-selling poster for two straight months.

November 2004: Joined Board of Trustees at Sacred Heart University

In November 2004, Linda McMahon became a member of the board of trustees of Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Connecticut.

2006: Paid $2.5 million for construction of a tennis facility

In 2006, the McMahons paid $2.5 million for construction of a tennis facility in Ebensburg, Pennsylvania.

2006: Drug policy documentation requested

In 2006, the Oversight and Government Reform Committee requested drug policy documentation from WWE and TNA following the Chris Benoit murder-suicide.

January 29, 2007: Named Multichannel News Wonder Woman

On January 29, 2007, Multichannel News named Linda McMahon to its class of "Wonder Women" for her contributions to cable and telecommunications.

2007: Received Secretary of Defense Exceptional Public Service Award

In 2007, WWE, under Linda McMahon's leadership, received the Secretary of Defense Exceptional Public Service Award for its support of deployed service members in Iraq and Afghanistan.

2007: Donation to Donald J. Trump Foundation

In 2007, following Donald Trump's appearance at WrestleMania 23, the McMahons donated $5 million to the Donald J. Trump Foundation.

2007: Oversight and Government Reform Committee investigated steroid usage

In 2007, following the murder-suicide of Chris Benoit, the Oversight and Government Reform Committee investigated steroid usage in the wrestling industry, including WWE.

July 2008: WWE Changed TV Parental Guidelines Rating

In July 2008, WWE changed its TV parental guidelines rating from TV-14 to TV-PG.

2008: Company received the GI Film Festival's Corporate Patriot Award

In 2008, WWE received the GI Film Festival's Corporate Patriot Award.

January 2009: Appointment to Connecticut State Board of Education

In January 2009, Linda McMahon was appointed to the Connecticut State Board of Education by Governor Jodi Rell.

September 16, 2009: Resigned as CEO of WWE

On September 16, 2009, Linda McMahon resigned from her position as CEO of WWE to run for a seat in the United States Senate from Connecticut.

2009: Fleischmann's Quote

In 2009, Andrew Fleischmann dealt with the proposed appointment of McMahon to the State Board of Education.

2009: Service on Connecticut Board of Education

In 2009, Linda McMahon began her one-year service on the Connecticut Board of Education.

April 1, 2010: Resignation from State Board of Education

On April 1, 2010, Linda McMahon resigned from the Connecticut State Board of Education, due to state law restrictions regarding campaign contributions by board members.

2010: Hartford Courant Article Published

In 2010, The Hartford Courant published an article about Linda McMahon's incorrect statement about her degree.

September 20, 2011: Announcement of Senate Candidacy

On September 20, 2011, Linda McMahon officially announced her candidacy for the U.S. Senate in Southington, Connecticut.

May 18, 2012: Endorsement by State Republican Party

On May 18, 2012, Linda McMahon secured the endorsement of the Connecticut State Republican Party at the Connecticut State Republican Convention with a delegate vote of 658 to 351.

August 14, 2012: Defeat of Chris Shays

On August 14, 2012, Linda McMahon defeated Chris Shays in the Republican primary by a three-to-one margin, spending $15.7 million on her campaign.

2012: Donation to Sacred Heart University

In 2012, Linda McMahon donated $5 million to Sacred Heart University in Connecticut, leading to the opening of the Linda E. McMahon Student Commons.

2012: Examination of McMahon's Record

In 2012, as part of her campaign, McMahon's economic plan called for getting rid of outdated/ineffective and duplicative programs.

2012: Hinted Run for Senate

In 2012, immediately after losing to Richard Blumenthal, Linda McMahon hinted that she would run again for Senate.

2015: Attendance at Donor Meeting

In 2015, Linda McMahon attended a meeting with Republican donors near Jackson, Wyoming, to discuss the upcoming Republican nomination process.

2015: Donation to Future 45 Super PAC

In 2015, Linda McMahon donated $1.2 million to Future 45, a Super PAC that funded anti-Bernie Sanders advertisements.

2016: Attendance at Donor Meeting

In 2016, Linda McMahon attended a meeting with Republican donors near Jackson, Wyoming, to discuss the upcoming Republican nomination process.

2016: Donation to Rebuilding America Now Super PAC

In 2016, Linda McMahon donated $6 million to Rebuilding America Now, a Super PAC supporting Donald Trump's presidential campaign.

February 14, 2017: Sworn in as SBA Administrator

On February 14, 2017, Linda McMahon was officially sworn in as the 25th Administrator of the Small Business Administration.

June 17, 2017: CNBC Interview on SBA Goals

On June 17, 2017, in an interview with CNBC, Linda McMahon discussed the goals of the Small Business Administration (SBA) as capital, counseling, contracts, and disaster relief, while also acknowledging the challenges posed by budget cuts and restructuring.

2017: Visited 68 Cities

In 2017, Linda McMahon visited 68 cities to engage with small business owners and advocate for the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017.

January 29, 2018: First Anniversary as Head of SBA

On January 29, 2018, The Washington Post assessed Linda McMahon's first year as head of the SBA, noting improvements in emergency call centers and the administration's online presence.

April 12, 2019: Resignation as SBA Administrator

On April 12, 2019, Linda McMahon's resignation as administrator of the SBA took effect as she prepared to chair America First Action, a pro-Trump Super PAC.

2019: Possible Red Flag Acknowledged

In 2019, a leaked vetting document from Donald Trump's first transition team listed the "ring boys" scandal as a possible "red flag" against Linda McMahon before her Small Business Administrator tenure.

2020: Involvement in Trump's Reelection Campaign

In 2020, America First Action, chaired by Linda McMahon, helped raise $83 million for Donald Trump's reelection campaign. She also became chair of the board for the America First Policy Institute.

April 2023: Acknowledgement at Pioneer Scholarship Gala

In April 2023, Sacred Heart University acknowledged Linda McMahon at its Pioneer Scholarship Gala, which also raised funds for scholarships, recognizing her contributions to the institution.

2023: Years on Board of Trustees

As of 2023, Linda McMahon had served for over 14 years on the Board of Trustees of Sacred Heart University.

October 2024: Named as Defendant in "Ring Boys" Scandal Lawsuit

In October 2024, Linda McMahon, her husband, and WWE were named as defendants in a lawsuit alleging negligence related to the "ring boys" scandal. The lawsuit claims the McMahons fostered a culture of sexual abuse within WWE, referencing the concurrent sex trafficking lawsuit and allegations in the Netflix documentary series Mr. McMahon.

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November 2024: New York Times Article

In late November 2024, The New York Times published an article questioning Linda McMahon's suitability for important education posts, citing her background with World Wrestling Entertainment and concerns about harm to children.

January 20, 2025: Nomination Received in Senate

On January 20, 2025, Linda McMahon's nomination was received in the U.S. Senate and referred to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP).

January 30, 2025: Received Shares of Trump Media

On January 30, 2025, corporate filings stated Linda McMahon had received 25,946 restricted shares of Trump Media, valued at over $800,000. She is an independent director of the corporation's board of directors.

February 13, 2025: Nomination Hearing Scheduled

On February 13, 2025, the nomination hearing was scheduled for Linda McMahon.

March 2025: Restricted Stock Becoming Available

In March 2025, the remainder of Linda McMahon's restricted stock became available in a vesting schedule of installments from March 2025 through March 2027.