History of Maria Shriver in Timeline
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.
November 6, 1955: Maria Shriver Born
On November 6, 1955, Maria Owings Shriver was born. She is an American journalist, author, a member of the Shriver and Kennedy families, former First Lady of California, and the founder of The Women's Alzheimer's Movement.
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.
1968: Family Moved to Chicago
In the summer of 1968, Maria Shriver's family temporarily moved to Chicago following Eunice Kennedy Shriver's work with the Special Olympics.
1970: Returned to Bethesda, Maryland
In 1970, Maria Shriver returned permanently from France to Bethesda, Maryland.
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.
1973: Graduated Stone Ridge School
In 1973, Maria Shriver graduated from Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart high school.
June 1977: Graduation from Georgetown University
In June 1977, Maria Shriver graduated from Georgetown University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in American studies.
April 26, 1986: Marriage to Arnold Schwarzenegger
On April 26, 1986, Maria Shriver married Arnold Schwarzenegger in Hyannis, Massachusetts.
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 1988 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
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.
1993: Appearance in Last Action Hero
In 1993, Maria Shriver appeared as herself in the film "Last Action Hero".
1998: Peabody Award
In 1998, Maria Shriver received a Peabody Award for her reporting at NBC.
2000: Published Book: Ten Things I Wish I'd Known Before I Went Out Into The Real World
In 2000, Maria Shriver published her book "Ten Things I Wish I'd Known Before I Went Out Into The Real World".
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.
October 2004: Naming of Maria Shriver rose
In October 2004, a hybrid rose was named after Maria Shriver. The Maria Shriver rose contains starchy-white blooms and a powerful citrus fragrance.
2004: Attendance at Democratic and Republican National Conventions
In 2004, Maria Shriver attended both the Democratic National Convention to watch her uncle Ted Kennedy speak, and the Republican National Convention to watch her husband speak.
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.
2006: Appearance in That's So Raven
In 2006, Maria Shriver played a minor role as herself in "Be Prepared", an episode of the television series "That's So Raven" promoting a "Preparedness Plan".
March 23, 2007: Substitute Host on 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.
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.
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.
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.
2009: Shinnyo-en Foundation's 2009 Pathfinders to Peace Award
In 2009, Maria Shriver was honored with the Shinnyo-en Foundation's 2009 Pathfinders to Peace Award, recognizing her embodiment of compassion, harmony, and peace.
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.
May 9, 2011: Separation Announcement
On May 9, 2011, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver announced their separation after 25 years of marriage.
May 13, 2011: Message to Twitter followers
On May 13, 2011, Maria Shriver thanked her Twitter followers for their kindness, support, and compassion in a message posted on Twitter.
May 17, 2011: Schwarzenegger's Public Admission
On May 17, 2011, Arnold Schwarzenegger publicly admitted to fathering a child with a household staff member, leading to a painful and heartbreaking revelation for Maria Shriver.
July 1, 2011: Filing for Divorce
On July 1, 2011, Maria Shriver filed for divorce from Arnold Schwarzenegger, citing "irreconcilable differences".
2011: Separation from Arnold Schwarzenegger
In 2011, Maria Shriver separated from her husband, Arnold Schwarzenegger, after having four children with him.
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.
2016: Published Coloring Book Color Your Mind
In 2016, Maria Shriver published "Color Your Mind", a coloring book for people with Alzheimer's.
2017: Alzheimer's Association Lifetime Achievement Award
In 2017, the Alzheimer's Association awarded Maria Shriver with its first-ever Lifetime Achievement Award.
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.
2018: Published I've Been Thinking...
In 2018, Maria Shriver published "I've Been Thinking...: Reflections Prayers and Meditations for a Meaningful Life", which became an instant No. 1 New York Times bestseller.
January 2019: Released I've Been Thinking...The Journal
In January 2019, Maria Shriver released a companion journal, "I've Been Thinking...The Journal: Reflections, Prayers and Inspirations for Your Meaningful Life".
December 2021: Finalization of Divorce
In December 2021, Maria Shriver's divorce from Arnold Schwarzenegger was finalized after various legal disputes.
2021: Divorce from Arnold Schwarzenegger
In 2021, Maria Shriver finalized her divorce from Arnold Schwarzenegger.
May 2022: Investment in Dave's Hot Chicken
In May 2022, Maria Shriver was reported to be an early investor in Dave's Hot Chicken, an American fast food chain.
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