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 member of the Kennedy and Shriver families. She served as the First Lady of California during her marriage to Arnold Schwarzenegger, whom she divorced after 25 years. Shriver founded The Women's Alzheimer's Movement, a non-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness and funding research for Alzheimer's prevention. She has been a prominent voice on women's health issues and social justice causes.
1968: Mother founded Special Olympics
In 1968, Maria Shriver's mother founded the Special Olympics, and Shriver has been a lifelong advocate for people with intellectual disabilities.
1972: Volunteered for her father's U.S. vice presidential race
In 1972, Maria Shriver volunteered for her father's U.S. vice presidential race and discovered her passion for broadcast journalism.
1987: Co-anchored NBC News's Sunday Today
From 1987, Maria Shriver co-anchored NBC News's Sunday Today.
1988: Emmy-winning coverage of the Summer Olympics
In 1988, Maria Shriver was co-anchor for NBC's Emmy-winning coverage of the Summer Olympics.
1990: End of NBC News's Sunday Today anchor
Until 1990, Maria Shriver co-anchored NBC News's Sunday Today.
1992: Contributing anchor on Dateline NBC
From 1992, Maria Shriver was a contributing anchor on Dateline NBC.
2000: Published "Ten Things I Wish I'd Known..."
In 2000, Maria Shriver published her book "Ten Things I Wish I'd Known Before I Went Out Into The Real World", in which she describes becoming passionate about broadcast journalism after volunteering for her father's 1972 U.S. vice presidential race.
August 2003: Took 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: Became First Lady of California
Following her husband's November 17, 2003, inauguration as the 38th Governor of California, Maria Shriver became the First Lady of California. She then returned to reporting, making two more appearances for Dateline NBC.
2003: Began leading 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's Alzheimer's diagnosis
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 asked to be "relieved of [her] duties at NBC News," citing concerns the network had over the 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" who have changed their communities, their state, their country and the world.
2004: Left NBC News
In 2004, Maria Shriver left NBC News to focus on her role as First Lady of California.
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.
March 23, 2007: Substitute host of Larry King Live
On March 23, 2007, Maria Shriver returned to television news as a substitute host of the panel-discussion talk show Larry King Live on CNN with musician Sheryl Crow and other guests.
February 3, 2008: Shriver endorses 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: Premiere of The Alzheimer's Project on HBO
In May 2009, "The Alzheimer's Project", a four-part documentary series executive produced by Maria Shriver, premiered on HBO.
May 2009: Planting of edible garden at state capitol
In May 2009, Maria Shriver planted the first edible garden at a state capitol, teaming up with Alice Waters. The garden's produce is distributed to local food banks.
June 2009: Expansion of WE Invest nationally
In June 2009, Maria Shriver expanded WE Invest nationally through a partnership with Kiva, creating the first-ever 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 various organizations.
December 2009: Created the WE Connect–Million Meals Initiative
In December 2009, Maria Shriver, in partnership with The Women's Conference, created the WE Connect–Million Meals Initiative.
March 2010: Held a Community Resources Fair
In March 2010, Maria Shriver held a three-day Community Resources Fair in Fresno and Los Angeles through WE Connect.
2010: Published "The Shriver Report: A Woman's Nation Takes on Alzheimer's"
In 2010, Maria Shriver and the Alzheimer's Association published "The Shriver Report: A Woman's Nation Takes on Alzheimer's".
2010: The Women's Conference attracted more than 30,000 attendees.
In 2010, The Women's Conference attracted more than 30,000 attendees and 150 world opinion leaders over three full days.
April 30, 2013: Shriver rejoins NBC as special anchor
On April 30, 2013, NBC announced that Maria Shriver would rejoin the network as a special anchor.
October 18, 2013: Return to Today anchor desk
On October 18, 2013, Maria Shriver returned to the anchor desk on "Today", filling-in for Savannah Guthrie.
2013: Returned to NBC News
In 2013, Maria Shriver returned to NBC News as a special anchor.
2013: Release of The Shriver Report in partnership with TIME and NBC News.
In 2013, The Shriver Report was released in partnership with TIME and NBC News.
2014: Published "The Shriver Report: A Woman's Nation Pushes Back from the Brink"
In 2014, Maria Shriver published "The Shriver Report: A Woman's Nation Pushes Back from the Brink", which focuses on women and their children in poverty.
2016: Published "Color Your Mind"
In 2016, Maria Shriver published the coloring book "Color Your Mind", a coloring book for people with Alzheimer's.
2018: Co-executive producer of Take Your Pills
In 2018, Maria Shriver and her daughter, Christina Schwarzenegger, were co-executive producers of "Take Your Pills", an hour-long documentary on psychostimulant medications.
Mentioned in this timeline
Home Box Office HBO is an American pay television service...
Arnold Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American actor businessman former politician and...
CBS is a major American commercial broadcast television and radio...
California is the most populous US state located on the...
NBC News is the news division of NBC an American...
Ice cream a beloved frozen dessert is typically crafted from...
Trending
10 days ago Investment firms increase holdings in ProShares UltraPro QQQ (NASDAQ:TQQQ): PPSC, Marshall Financial, IMC Chicago.
8 days ago Supreme Court upholds Tennessee's ban on gender-affirming care for transgender youth: Landmark case.
Jameela Alia Jamil is an English actress activist and presenter She started her career on Channel by hosting a pop...
11 days ago Alex Eala progresses to Nottingham Open qualifiers, aiming for main draw spot.
2 months ago Yastremska Faced Gauff at WTA Madrid Open; Also Played Jones.
2 days ago QuantumScape's Cobra Process Integration Reduces Solid-State Production Time, Shares Surge.
Popular
Sergio Gor is a Maltese American businessman and political operative...
Jupiter is the fifth and largest planet from the Sun...
Cristiano Ronaldo often called CR is a Portuguese professional footballer...
Donald John Trump is an American politician media personality and...
John M Keane is a retired American general formerly the...
Alex Caruso is an American professional basketball player currently with...