History of Maria Menounos in Timeline
Maria Menounos is a multifaceted American entertainer, best known as a television host. She has held prominent roles at Extra, E! News, Today, and Access Hollywood. Her versatility extends to co-hosting the Eurovision Song Contest and the Miss Universe 2023 pageant. Beyond traditional media, Menounos co-created AfterBuzz TV, an online podcast network where she currently serves as CEO. She also has a connection with WWE since 2009, working as an ambassador and competitor in tag team events. Her podcast, Conversations with Maria Menounos, further showcases her engaging communication skills.
1954: Birth of Stavroula "Litsa" Kapernekas
In 1954, Stavroula "Litsa" (née Kapernekas), Maria Menounos' mother, was born. She passed away in 2021.
June 8, 1978: Maria Menounos' Birth
On June 8, 1978, Maria Menounos was born in Medford, Massachusetts, to Greek immigrant parents Konstantinos and Stavroula Menounos.
1995: Beauty Pageant Competitions
In 1995, Maria Menounos began competing in beauty pageants.
1996: Graduation from Medford High School
In 1996, Maria Menounos graduated from Medford High School.
2000: Miss Massachusetts USA Runner-Up
In 2000, Maria Menounos competed for the title of Miss Massachusetts USA and was the first runner-up.
2000: Graduation from Emerson College
In 2000, Maria Menounos graduated from Emerson College, where she participated in the Emerson Independent Video organization.
January 2001: Channel One News Reporting in El Salvador
In January 2001, Maria Menounos reported on the earthquakes in El Salvador for Channel One News.
February 2001: Channel One News Reporting
In February 2001, Maria Menounos, as a reporter for Channel One News, interviewed NATO aircrew members aboard an E-3 AWACS plane during Operation Eagle Assist and interviewed President George W. Bush.
2002: Entertainment Tonight Correspondent
In 2002, Maria Menounos was hired as a correspondent for Entertainment Tonight, covering movies, music, and fashion.
2003: Appearance on Punk'd
In 2003, Maria Menounos appeared on the November 30 episode of Punk'd as one of the celebrities caught in the "Red Carpet Interviews".
2004: Appearance on One on One
In 2004, Maria Menounos appeared in an episode of the UPN series One on One as Glenda.
2005: Departure from Entertainment Tonight and Joining Access Hollywood
In 2005, Maria Menounos left Entertainment Tonight to focus on her acting career and joined Access Hollywood as a correspondent in the fall.
2005: Funding and Restoration of "In the Land of Merry Misfits"
In 2005, Maria Menounos personally funded the recovery and restoration of the independent film "In the Land of Merry Misfits".
2005: Cyber Vixen of the Year award
In 2005, Maria Menounos was named Spike TV's "Cyber Vixen of the Year".
2005: Film and Video Game Appearances
In the summer of 2005, Maria Menounos appeared in the film Fantastic Four as a nurse. Her likeness and voice were also featured in the Electronic Arts video game James Bond 007: From Russia with Love as Eva Adara.
May 2006: Appearance on Scrubs
In May 2006, Maria Menounos appeared on the Scrubs episode "My Extra Mile".
2006: Co-Hosting the Today Show
In 2006, Maria Menounos co-hosted a few episodes of the Today show in the late summer and fall.
2006: Eurovision Song Contest Host
In 2006, Maria Menounos co-hosted the Eurovision Song Contest in Athens, Greece.
2006: Eurovision Song Contest Hosting and Directing "Longtime Listener"
In 2006, Maria Menounos presented the Eurovision Song Contest in Athens and directed the film Longtime Listener, starring Wilmer Valderrama.
April 2007: Co-Hosting the Today Show
In April 2007, Maria Menounos co-hosted a few episodes of the Today show.
April 27, 2007: Starring in "Kickin' It Old Skool"
On April 27, 2007, Maria Menounos starred in Kickin' It Old Skool.
2007: "In the Land of Merry Misfits" Premieres at Tribeca Film Festival
In 2007, the restored film "In the Land of Merry Misfits" premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival.
May 2008: AVP Cuervo Gold Crown Huntington Beach Open Participation
In May 2008, Maria Menounos played in the AVP Cuervo Gold Crown Huntington Beach Open but was eliminated in the qualifying round.
July 13, 2008: Celebrity Softball Game at Yankee Stadium
On July 13, 2008, Maria Menounos played in the celebrity softball game at Yankee Stadium in New York.
November 2008: Hosting Dogcatemy Celebrity Gala
In November 2008, Maria Menounos filled in as host for the North Shore Animal League's Dogcatemy Celebrity Gala.
2008: Hosting Hollywood Green, Role in Tropic Thunder, and Obama Family Interview
In 2008, Maria Menounos became the host of Hollywood Green on the Planet Green network, had a role in the movie Tropic Thunder, and became the first journalist to interview the entire Obama family.
2008: Charity Work Involvement
In a 2008 NBC interview, Maria Menounos shared that she has been involved in charity work since age 13 and has always wanted to help many causes in the charity world.
February 11, 2009: Appearance on Knight Rider
On February 11, 2009, Maria Menounos appeared on the Knight Rider series episode "Fly By Knight" as a DEA agent.
October 12, 2009: WWE Raw Guest Host and In-Ring Debut
On October 12, 2009, Maria Menounos joined Nancy O'Dell and guest hosted WWE Raw, making her in-ring debut in a six-diva tag team match, with her team victorious against Alicia Fox, Beth Phoenix, and Rosa Mendes.
2009: WWE Career Beginnings
In 2009, Maria Menounos began her appearances and involvement with WWE.
2009: WWE In-Ring Debut
In 2009, Maria Menounos made her in-ring debut with WWE, and has served as a WWE ambassador since 2013.
April 25, 2010: Earth Day Network's Climate Rally Presentation
On April 25, 2010, Maria Menounos presented at the Earth Day Network's Climate Rally in Washington, DC.
2010: Madden NFL Pro-AM MVP
In 2010, Maria Menounos was named the Madden NFL Pro-AM MVP.
August 4, 2011: Joining Extra
On August 4, 2011, Maria Menounos joined Warner Bros.'s Extra, co-hosting the show with Mario Lopez.
December 11, 2011: WWE Tribute to the Troops Appearance
On December 11, 2011, Maria Menounos returned at WWE Tribute to the Troops, teaming with Alicia Fox, Eve Torres, and Kelly Kelly to defeat The Bella Twins and The Divas of Doom, with Menounos pinning Beth Phoenix for the win.
April 1, 2012: WrestleMania XXVIII Victory
On April 1, 2012, at WrestleMania XXVIII, Maria Menounos teamed with Kelly Kelly to defeat Beth Phoenix and Eve Torres, with Menounos pinning Phoenix for the win despite suffering two cracked ribs.
May 15, 2012: Elimination from Dancing with the Stars
On May 15, 2012, Maria Menounos and her partner Derek Hough were eliminated from the 14th season of Dancing with the Stars, placing fourth in the competition.
2012: Hosting MTV's The Real World and The Challenge Reunion Specials
From 2009 to 2012, Maria Menounos hosted various reunion specials of MTV's The Real World and The Challenge.
2012: Allure magazine nude pose and sexual abuse disclosure
In 2012, Maria Menounos posed nude for the May issue of Allure magazine. Also in 2012, she disclosed to Howard Stern that she had been sexually abused by two doctors during previous medical examinations.
2012: Red Cross and AMC Joint Effort
In 2012, Maria Menounos took part in Red Cross's and AMC joint effort to raise awareness for donating blood.
April 6, 2013: WWE Hall of Fame Induction
On April 6, 2013, Maria Menounos inducted Bob Backlund into the WWE Hall of Fame at Madison Square Garden.
May 2013: Launching Conversations with Maria Menounos
In May 2013, Maria Menounos began a new interview series called Conversations with Maria Menounos; Zoe Saldana was her first guest.
August 18, 2013: SummerSlam Axxess Tag Team Match
On August 18, 2013, at SummerSlam Axxess, Maria Menounos teamed with Natalya, defeating Brie Bella and Eva Marie.
2013: WWE Ambassador
In 2013, Maria Menounos became an ambassador for WWE.
March 18, 2014: Premiere of Chasing Maria Menounos
On March 18, 2014, Maria Menounos' reality TV series Chasing Maria Menounos premiered on the Oxygen Network.
May 2014: Departure from Extra and Signing with E! Entertainment
In May 2014, after three years of hosting Extra, Maria Menounos left the show and signed a multi-year contract with E! Entertainment to host and produce several programs.
August 17, 2014: SummerSlam Appearance and ALS Ice Bucket Challenge
On August 17, 2014, Maria Menounos appeared at the SummerSlam pay-per-view and accepted Stephanie McMahon's challenge for the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, nominated by Vince McMahon.
2014: Daytime Emmy win for Extra
In 2014, Extra, the show Maria Menounos co-hosted, won the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Entertainment News Program.
2014: WWE Hall of Fame Red Carpet Host
In 2014, Maria Menounos began hosting the WWE Hall of Fame red carpet pre-show, a role she continued for six years.
2014: CES Entertainment Matters Ambassador
In 2014, Maria Menounos was named the 2014 CES Entertainment Matters Ambassador for AfterBuzzTV.
July 2015: Joining E! News as Co-Anchor
In July 2015, The Hollywood Reporter announced that Maria Menounos would replace Giuliana Rancic as the co-anchor of E! News.
2015: Hosting Conversations with Maria on SiriusXM and FirstLook
In 2015, Maria Menounos began hosting a daily radio show called Conversations with Maria on SiriusXM and became the host of National CineMedia's pre-show program FirstLook.
2016: WWE Network's Swerved Appearance and SummerSlam Interviewer
In 2016, Maria Menounos appeared in one episode of the WWE Network's Swerved and was a backstage interviewer for SummerSlam.
April 2017: Meningioma removal surgery
In April 2017, Maria Menounos underwent surgery to remove a benign meningioma, which is an intracranial tumor.
July 2017: Stepping Down from E! News Due to Brain Tumor Battle
In July 2017, Maria Menounos stepped down from her position at E! News due to an ongoing battle with a brain tumor.
2017: Host of Noovie
In 2017, Maria Menounos became the host of National CineMedia's pre-show program Noovie since its launch.
2017: Marriage to Keven Undergaro in Times Square
In 2017, Maria Menounos married Keven Undergaro in Times Square during the New Year's festivities, with Steve Harvey officiating the ceremony.
January 28, 2018: Special Guest Ring Announcer at Royal Rumble
On January 28, 2018, Maria Menounos was the special guest ring announcer for the first-ever women's Royal Rumble match at the Royal Rumble.
2018: Greek Orthodox wedding
In 2018, Maria Menounos and Keven Undergaro had a Greek Orthodox wedding in Akovos, Greece, her father's village.
2019: WWE Hall of Fame Red Carpet Host
In 2019, Maria Menounos concluded her six-year run as host of the WWE Hall of Fame red carpet pre-show.
2019: End of WWE Career
In 2019, Maria Menounos ended her appearances and involvement with WWE.
2020: Partnership with GSTV for Better Together Videos
In 2020, Maria Menounos partnered with GSTV to air short videos called Better Together with Maria Menounos on GSTV-affiliated gas pump video screens, providing tips for physical and emotional health and relationship advice.
June 2021: Hosting The Challenge: All Stars Reunion
In June 2021, Maria Menounos co-hosted the reunion show for season one of The Challenge: All Stars with Nate Burleson.
December 2021: Hosting The Challenge: Spies, Lies & Allies Reunion
In December 2021, Maria Menounos hosted the reunion show for the 37th season of The Challenge, titled The Challenge: Spies, Lies & Allies.
2021: Death of Stavroula "Litsa" Kapernekas
In 2021, Stavroula "Litsa" Kapernekas, Maria Menounos' mother, passed away.
January 2023: Diagnosis and surgery for pancreatic cancer
In January 2023, Maria Menounos was diagnosed with stage II pancreatic cancer and underwent surgery. The cancer was detected through a whole-body MRI screening, after initially being missed on a hospital-ordered CT test.
February 7, 2023: Announcement of having a baby via surrogate
On February 7, 2023, Maria Menounos and her husband announced they were expecting a baby with the assistance of a surrogate.
May 19, 2023: Announcement of dual citizenship
On May 19, 2023, Maria Menounos announced that she had obtained dual citizenship between the United States and Greece.
2023: Co-hosted Miss Universe 2023
In 2023, Maria Menounos co-hosted the Miss Universe pageant.
2025: Working in Lifetime Short Film
In 2025, Maria Menounos worked with Taye Diggs in the Lifetime short film I'll Be Home for Margarita Day, presented by Chili's.
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