Career Timeline of Maria Shriver: Major Achievements and Milestones

Discover the career path of Maria Shriver, from the first major opportunity to industry-changing achievements.

Maria Shriver is an American journalist, author, and activist, belonging to the Shriver and Kennedy families. She served as the First Lady of California during her marriage to Arnold Schwarzenegger, with whom she has four children. Shriver is known for her journalistic work and her founding of The Women's Alzheimer's Movement, a non-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness and funding research for Alzheimer's prevention, particularly in women. She divorced Schwarzenegger in 2021.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements

1968: Mother founded Special Olympics

In 1968, Maria Shriver's mother founded Special Olympics. Maria has been a lifelong advocate for people with intellectual disabilities and is a member of the International Board of Special Olympics.

1972: Volunteering for Father's Campaign

In 1972, while volunteering for her father's U.S. vice presidential race, Maria Shriver was sent to the back of the campaign plane with the press corps, which she says sparked her passion for broadcast journalism.

August 1985: Co-Anchored CBS Morning News

From August 1985, Maria Shriver co-anchored The CBS Morning News with Forrest Sawyer.

August 1986: End of CBS Morning News Anchor

In August 1986, Maria Shriver's role as co-anchor of The CBS Morning News came to an end.

1986: Joins NBC News

In 1986, Maria Shriver joined NBC News after briefly anchoring the CBS Morning News. She then anchored weekend editions of the Today show and the NBC Nightly News.

1987: Co-anchored NBC News's Sunday Today

From 1987, Maria Shriver co-anchored NBC News's Sunday Today.

1989: Saturday anchor of NBC Nightly News

In 1989, Maria Shriver served as Saturday anchor for NBC Nightly News.

1990: End of NBC News's Sunday Today Anchor

In 1990, Maria Shriver's role as co-anchor of NBC News's Sunday Today came to an end.

1992: Contributing anchor on Dateline NBC

From 1992, Maria Shriver served as a contributing anchor on Dateline NBC.

1996: Contributing anchor of NBC Nightly News

From 1996, Maria Shriver served as a contributing anchor on NBC Nightly News.

1999: End of contributing anchor of NBC Nightly News

In 1999, Maria Shriver's role as contributing anchor on NBC Nightly News came to an end.

August 2003: Unpaid leave of absence from NBC News

In August 2003, Maria Shriver took an unpaid leave of absence from NBC News when her husband became a candidate in the 2003 California gubernatorial recall election.

November 17, 2003: Husband's Inauguration as Governor

On November 17, 2003, Maria Shriver's husband was inaugurated as the 38th Governor of California, and she became the First Lady of California. Following this, she returned to reporting, making two more appearances for Dateline NBC.

2003: Began Leading the California Governor & First Lady's Conference on Women

In 2003, Maria Shriver began leading the California Governor & First Lady's Conference on Women when Schwarzenegger took office.

2003: Father Diagnosed with Alzheimer's

In 2003, Maria Shriver's father, Sargent Shriver, was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, leading her to become an advocate and fundraiser for Alzheimer's patient care and biomedical research.

February 3, 2004: Relieved of duties at NBC News

On February 3, 2004, Maria Shriver requested to be "relieved of [her] duties at NBC News," citing concerns about a conflict of interest between her role as a journalist and her status as the First Lady of California.

2004: Created The Minerva Awards

In 2004, Maria Shriver created The Minerva Awards to honor and reward "remarkable California women".

2004: Leaves NBC News

In 2004, Maria Shriver left NBC News to focus on her role as First Lady of California.

2004: End of contributing anchor on Dateline NBC

In 2004, Maria Shriver's role as contributing anchor on Dateline NBC came to an end.

2005: Launched WE Connect Program

In 2005, Maria Shriver launched her WE Connect Program, which connects working families in need with money-saving programs and support services.

January 21, 2008: American Idealist Aired on PBS

On January 21, 2008, the documentary "American Idealist: The Story of Sargent Shriver", executive-produced by Maria Shriver, originally aired on PBS. The film chronicled the life, accomplishments, and vision of her father, Sargent Shriver.

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February 3, 2008: Endorsement of Barack Obama

On February 3, 2008, Maria Shriver endorsed Senator Barack Obama for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination at a UCLA rally.

February 2008: Launched Lovin' Scoopful Ice Cream Company

In February 2008, Maria Shriver launched an ice cream company called "Lovin' Scoopful" with her brother, Tim Shriver. Twenty-five percent of the proceeds from Lovin' Scoopful benefits the Special Olympics.

November 2008: Launch of California Legacy Trails

In November 2008, Maria Shriver launched the California Legacy Trails, a web-based multimedia learning tool designed to help students learn California history.

May 2009: The Alzheimer's Project Premieres

In May 2009, "The Alzheimer's Project", a four-part documentary series for which Maria Shriver was the executive producer, premiered on HBO. It later earned two Emmy Awards.

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May 2009: Planting of first edible garden

In May 2009, Maria Shriver planted the first edible garden at a state capitol, teaming up with Alice Waters, to distribute the food grown to local food banks.

June 2009: Expansion of WE Invest Program

In June 2009, Maria Shriver expanded the WE Invest program nationally through a partnership with Kiva, creating the first online peer-to-peer microlending program in the U.S.

October 2009: Launched The Shriver Report

In October 2009, Maria Shriver launched "The Shriver Report: A Woman's Nation Changes Everything", a national study and comprehensive report conducted in partnership with several organizations. The report revealed that American women make up half of the United States workforce for the first time.

December 2009: WE Connect–Million Meals Initiative

In December 2009, Maria Shriver, in partnership with The Women's Conference, created the WE Connect–Million Meals Initiative. Through this initiative, The Women's Conference made a donation to The California Association of Food Banks to provide more than one million meals to California families in need.

March 2010: Community Resources Fair

In March 2010, Maria Shriver held a three-day Community Resources Fair in Fresno and Los Angeles through WE Connect, which provided vital programs and free support services.

2010: The Shriver Report: A Woman's Nation Takes on Alzheimer's Publication

In 2010, "The Shriver Report: A Woman's Nation Takes on Alzheimer's" was published. It is a study by Maria Shriver and the Alzheimer's Association.

2010: The Women's Conference Attendance

In 2010, The Women's Conference event, under Maria Shriver's leadership, attracted more than 30,000 attendees and 150 world opinion leaders over three full days.

April 30, 2013: Return to NBC News

On April 30, 2013, NBC announced that Maria Shriver would rejoin the network as a special anchor, focusing on issues surrounding the shifting roles of women in American life.

October 18, 2013: Return to the Today show anchor desk

On October 18, 2013, Maria Shriver returned to the anchor desk on Today, filling in for Savannah Guthrie for the first time since 1998 as co-anchor with Matt Lauer.

2013: The Shriver Report Released

In 2013, "The Shriver Report: A Woman's Nation Changes Everything" was released in partnership with TIME and NBC News.

2013: Returns to NBC News

In 2013, Maria Shriver returned to NBC News as a special anchor.

2014: The Shriver Report: A Woman's Nation Pushes Back from the Brink Publication

In 2014, "The Shriver Report: A Woman's Nation Pushes Back from the Brink" was published. It is about women and their children in poverty, by Maria Shriver, with editors Olivia Morgan, and Karen Skelton.