History of Linda McMahon in Timeline

Linda McMahon is an American politician and business executive, notable for her roles in both the public and private sectors. As a Republican, she served as the 25th Administrator of the Small Business Administration from 2017 to 2019. Currently, she holds the position of the 13th United States Secretary of Education since 2025. Prior to her government service, McMahon was a prominent figure in professional wrestling as a promoter. Her career reflects a blend of business acumen and political involvement.

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 become an American politician, business executive, and former professional wrestling promoter.

Others born on this day/year

August 26, 1966: Marriage to Vince McMahon

On August 26, 1966, Linda Edwards married Vince McMahon when she was 17 and he was 21.

1968: Vince McMahon's Employment

In 1968, Vince McMahon worked as a traveling cup salesman.

1969: Graduation from East Carolina University

In 1969, Linda McMahon stated on a vetting questionnaire for the board position that she had a degree in education from East Carolina University, although her degree was actually in French.

1969: Linda McMahon's Employment at Covington & Burling

In 1969, the McMahons moved to Gaithersburg, Maryland, and Linda worked as a receptionist at the corporate law firm of Covington & Burling, where she translated French documents and trained as a paralegal.

1970: Birth of Shane McMahon

In 1970, Linda and Vince McMahon's son, Shane McMahon, was born.

1971: Vince McMahon Joins WWWF

In 1971, Vince McMahon joined his father's company, the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF, later WWF, now WWE).

1976: Birth of Stephanie McMahon

In 1976, Linda and Vince McMahon's daughter, Stephanie McMahon, was born.

1976: Bankruptcy Filing

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

1979: Started Promoting Wrestling Events

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

1980: Co-founded Titan Sports, Inc.

In 1980, Linda McMahon and Vince McMahon co-founded Titan Sports, Inc.

1983: Moved to Greenwich, Connecticut

In 1983, the McMahons moved to Greenwich, Connecticut.

1984: Established First Line of Action Figures

In 1984, Linda McMahon established the company's first line of action figures, Wrestling Superstars.

1986: Began Supporting the Special Olympics

In 1986, the McMahons began supporting the Special Olympics.

1989: Directed Firing of Physician

In 1989, Linda McMahon directed Pat Patterson to fire on-call physician George Zahorian and inform him of imminent legal charges charging him with steroid distribution.

1992: Ring Boy Scandal

In 1992, multiple WWE personnel, including ring announcer Mel Phillips and executives Pat Patterson and Terry Garvin, either resigned or were dismissed after being accused of sexually assaulting young boys.

1993: Became President of Titan Sports, Inc.

In 1993, Linda McMahon became president of Titan Sports, Inc.

1995: Appointment to Governor's Council

In 1995, Linda McMahon was appointed to the Governor's Council for the World Special Olympics by Connecticut Governor Lowell Weicker.

1997: Became CEO of Titan Sports, Inc.

In 1997, Linda McMahon became CEO of Titan Sports, Inc.

May 3, 1999: WWF TV Debut

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

August 2000: Initiated Voter Registration Campaign

In August 2000, Linda McMahon initiated WWE's non-partisan voter registration campaign, "SmackDown! Your Vote".

2000: Deregulation of Wrestling Industry

By 2000, fewer than half of the 50 states had athletic regulations on the wrestling industry, following successful lobbying efforts by the WWF during the 1980s.

2000: Negotiated TV Deal with Viacom

In 2000, Linda McMahon was the primary negotiator for the World Wrestling Federation's TV deal with Viacom.

2000: 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: Member of Board of Trustees

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

2005: Appointment to National Advisory Council

In 2005, Linda McMahon won appointment to The Make-A-Wish Foundation of America National Advisory Council and received the Arthur M. Sackler Award from the Connecticut Grand Opera and Orchestra for WWE's support of its arts education program.

2006: Drug Testing Results

In 2006, Linda McMahon was involved in a congressional investigation into steroid usage in the wrestling industry which revealed that 75 WWE wrestlers—roughly 40 percent—had tested positive for drug use, most commonly for steroids.

2006: Construction of Tennis Facility

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

2006: Poster Distribution to Libraries

Since 2006, thousands of posters featuring WWE superstars have been distributed to libraries and reading facilities.

January 29, 2007: Named a "Wonder Woman"

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

May 2007: Keynote Speaker at Leadership Breakfast

In May 2007, Linda McMahon appeared as the keynote speaker at the Girl Scout Council of Southwestern Connecticut's Women of Achievement Leadership Breakfast.

2007: Secretary of Defense Exceptional Public Service Award

In 2007, WWE 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, after Donald Trump appeared at WrestleMania 23, the McMahons donated $5 million to the Donald J. Trump Foundation in addition to the payment for the appearance.

2007: Congressional Investigation into 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, and both Linda and Vince McMahon testified.

July 2008: Changed TV Parental Guidelines Rating

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

December 2008: Marketing Strategy for TV-PG Rating

In December 2008, Linda McMahon described the new TV-PG rating as a marketing strategy to attract a young generation of wrestling fans and create loyalty to the brand.

2008: Voter Registration Partnership

As of the 2008 election, Smackdown your Vote! listed 14 voter registration partner organizations and registered many voters online, often in affiliation with Rock the Vote.

2008: Corporate Patriot Award

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

2008: Donations to Educational Institutions

In 2008, the McMahons donated over $8 million to the Fishburne Military School, Sacred Heart University, and East Carolina University.

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: Resignation from WWE

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

2009: Left World Wrestling Entertainment

In 2009, Linda McMahon left World Wrestling Entertainment to run for a seat in the United States Senate from Connecticut as a Republican.

2009: Connecticut Board of Education Member

In 2009, Linda McMahon served on the Connecticut Board of Education for one year, expressing a lifelong interest in education.

2009: Layoffs in WWE

In 2009, WWE laid off workers, which became a point of criticism during Linda McMahon's 2010 campaign for Senate.

2009: Donation to Donald J. Trump Foundation

In 2009, the McMahons donated $5 million to the Donald J. Trump Foundation through WWE.

January 20, 2010: Televised Interview Regarding Steroid Policy

On January 20, 2010, Linda McMahon was interviewed on CBS Face the State and addressed questions regarding the WWE's steroid policy and the lack of follow-up from inquiries made.

April 1, 2010: Resignation from State Board of Education

On April 1, 2010, Linda McMahon resigned from the State Board of Education after a state election commission's legal opinion disallowed board members from soliciting campaign contributions. This followed her entry into the race for U.S. Senate.

2010: Board Member of Close Up Foundation

As of 2010, Linda McMahon served on the board of the Close Up Foundation, a nonprofit which offers youth field trips to Washington, D.C.

2010: Campaign Criticized for Tax Credits and Layoffs

During her 2010 campaign, Linda McMahon's campaign was criticized by Blumenthal's campaign for accepting tax credits while laying off workers in 2009.

2010: Lost Senate Election

In 2010, Linda McMahon lost to Democrat Richard Blumenthal in the general election for a seat in the United States Senate from Connecticut.

2010: "Tip-Off Memo" Became Public

In 2010, the "Tip-Off Memo" from 1989, regarding the firing of a physician accused of steroid distribution, became public during Linda McMahon's Senate campaign, becoming a political liability.

September 20, 2011: Senate Candidacy Announcement

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

April 13, 2012: Dedication of Linda E. McMahon Commons Building

On April 13, 2012, Sacred Heart University officially dedicated and opened the Linda E. McMahon Commons Building on its main campus in Fairfield, Connecticut.

May 18, 2012: Republican Party Endorsement

On May 18, 2012, Linda McMahon earned the endorsement of the state Republican Party at the Connecticut State Republican Convention.

August 14, 2012: Primary Victory

On August 14, 2012, Linda McMahon defeated Chris Shays in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate, spending $15.7 million on the campaign.

2012: Hinted Run for Senate

In 2012, Immediately after her loss to Blumenthal, McMahon hinted she would run again for Senate.

2012: Lost Senate Election

In 2012, Linda McMahon lost to Democrat Chris Murphy in the race for Connecticut's other Senate seat.

2012: Examination of Record

In 2012, as part of her 2012 campaign, Linda McMahon's economic plan called for getting rid of 'outdated/ineffective and duplicative programs', and expressed support for a 2012 proposal by President Barack Obama to merge the SBA, the Commerce Department's core functions and four other entities into one unit".

2015: Attended Meeting Near Jackson, Wyoming

In 2015, Linda McMahon attended a meeting near Jackson, Wyoming with other Republican donors and prospective political candidates.

2015: Donation to Future 45

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

December 7, 2016: Nomination as SBA Administrator

On December 7, 2016, President-elect Donald Trump announced his nomination of Linda McMahon to be Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA).

2016: Attended Meeting Near Jackson, Wyoming

In 2016, Linda McMahon attended a meeting near Jackson, Wyoming with other Republican donors.

2016: Donation to Rebuilding America Now

In 2016, Linda McMahon donated $6 million to Rebuilding America Now, a Super PAC with the purpose of electing Donald Trump as US president.

January 24, 2017: Senate Confirmation Hearing

On January 24, 2017, the Senate confirmation hearing for Linda McMahon's nomination as Administrator of the Small Business Administration began.

February 14, 2017: Sworn in as Administrator of the Small Business Administration

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

June 17, 2017: Interview with CNBC

On June 17, 2017, in an interview with CNBC, Linda McMahon stated that the main goals of the SBA were capital, counseling, contracts and disaster relief, and were being challenged by a five percent budget cut and future restructuring.

2017: Small Business Tour

In 2017, Linda McMahon visited 68 cities to hear from small business owners and to support the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 backed by President Trump.

2017: Administrator of the Small Business Administration

In 2017, Linda McMahon was appointed as the 25th administrator of the Small Business Administration.

January 29, 2018: SBA Progress

On January 29, 2018, on Linda McMahon's first anniversary as head of the SBA, The Washington Post said the SBA's progress under McMahon had been "so far, so good" and credited her with improving the SBA's offices' emergency call centers in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, hiring an additional 3,000 people to work them, and revamping the administration's online presence.

March 29, 2019: Stepping Down as SBA Administrator

On March 29, 2019, the Trump administration announced that Linda McMahon would step down as the administrator of the Small Business Administration to assume new responsibilities within President Trump's reelection campaign.

April 12, 2019: Resignation as Administrator of the SBA

On April 12, 2019, Linda McMahon's resignation as administrator of the SBA took effect. She then became the founding chairperson of the America First Policy Institute.

2019: Resignation from the Small Business Administration

In 2019, Linda McMahon resigned from her position as the administrator of the Small Business Administration.

2020: Chaired America First Action

In 2020, America First Action, a pro-Trump Super PAC chaired by Linda McMahon, helped raise $83 million for Trump's reelection campaign. McMahon also serves as chair of the board for the America First Policy Institute.

October 2024: Lawsuit Accusing Negligence Regarding Ring Boy Scandal

In October 2024, Linda McMahon was named as a defendant in a lawsuit accusing her, her husband, and the WWE of negligence regarding the ring boy scandal. The lawsuit alleged that the McMahons fostered a culture of sexual abuse within the WWE.

November 19, 2024: Nomination for U.S. Secretary of Education

On November 19, 2024, Linda McMahon was nominated by President-elect Donald Trump to serve as U.S. Secretary of Education for the second Trump presidential administration.

December 2024: Lawsuit Paused

In December 2024, a federal judge paused the lawsuit against Linda McMahon pending the outcome of a legal challenge to a state law.

January 20, 2025: Nomination Received in U.S. 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).