History of Mindy Kaling in Timeline
"Mindy Kaling, born Vera Mindy Chokalingam, is a multi-talented American entertainer celebrated for her work in television. She is an accomplished actress, comedian, screenwriter, and producer. Kaling's contributions to the entertainment industry have earned her critical acclaim, including two Screen Actors Guild Awards, a Tony Award, and six Primetime Emmy Award nominations."
June 24, 1979: Mindy Kaling is Born
Vera Mindy Chokalingam, known professionally as Mindy Kaling, was born on June 24, 1979.
1979: Kaling Family Immigrates to the United States
Mindy Kaling's family immigrated to the United States from India in 1979, the same year she was born.
1997: Graduation from Buckingham Browne & Nichols
Mindy Kaling completed her studies at Buckingham Browne & Nichols in 1997.
2001: Graduation from Dartmouth College
Mindy Kaling earned her bachelor's degree in playwriting from Dartmouth College in 2001.
August 2002: Off-Broadway Debut in "Matt & Ben"
In August 2002, Mindy Kaling co-wrote and starred in the off-Broadway play "Matt & Ben", which portrayed a fictionalized account of Matt Damon and Ben Affleck's writing process for "Good Will Hunting".
2004: Joining the Writing Team of "The Office"
Mindy Kaling was hired as a writer-performer for the US adaptation of "The Office" in 2004.
2005: Guest Appearance on "Curb Your Enthusiasm"
Mindy Kaling made a guest appearance on an episode of "Curb Your Enthusiasm" in 2005, playing the role of Richard Lewis's assistant.
April 2006: Guest Writing for "Saturday Night Live"
Mindy Kaling contributed as a guest writer for an episode of "Saturday Night Live" in April 2006.
2007: Film Appearance in "License to Wed"
Mindy Kaling had a minor role in the film "License to Wed", alongside her "The Office" co-stars John Krasinski, Angela Kinsey, and Brian Baumgartner, in 2007.
2009: Role in "Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian"
Mindy Kaling appeared as a Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum tour guide in the film "Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian" in 2009.
2010: Primetime Emmy Award Nomination for "The Office"
Mindy Kaling and Greg Daniels were nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series for the "Niagara" episode of "The Office" in 2010.
2010: Voice Acting Debut in "Despicable Me"
Mindy Kaling made her film debut as a voice actor in the animated movie "Despicable Me" in 2010.
September 15, 2011: Promotion to Executive Producer on "The Office" and Publication of First Memoir
On September 15, 2011, Mindy Kaling signed a new contract with Universal Television, extending her role on "The Office" for Season 8 and promoting her to full executive producer. This contract also included a development deal for "The Mindy Project." Additionally, she published her first memoir, "Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns)", which became a New York Times Best Seller.
September 29, 2011: Re-launch of Mindy Kaling's Blog
Mindy Kaling's blog, "Things I've Bought That I Love", was relaunched on her website on September 29, 2011. She initially wrote it under the pseudonym Mindy Ephron.
2011: Film Debut in "No Strings Attached"
Mindy Kaling appeared in the film "No Strings Attached" in 2011.
2011: Role in "No Strings Attached"
Mindy Kaling portrayed Shira, a doctor and roommate to Natalie Portman's character, in the film "No Strings Attached" in 2011.
2012: Creation and Launch of "The Mindy Project"
In 2012, Mindy Kaling pitched, wrote, produced, and starred in the single-camera comedy series "The Mindy Project" which premiered on Fox the same year.
2012: Voice Acting in "Wreck-It Ralph" and Founding of Kaling International
Mindy Kaling lent her voice to the animated film "Wreck-It Ralph" and established her production company, Kaling International, in 2012.
2012: Appearance in "The Five-Year Engagement"
Mindy Kaling made an appearance as Vanetha in the film "The Five-Year Engagement" in 2012.
2012: Kaling Named to Time 100 List
Mindy Kaling's influence was recognized in 2012 when she was included in Time magazine's Time 100 list of the world's most influential people.
2012: Passing of Mindy Kaling's Mother
Mindy Kaling's mother, Swati Chokalingam, passed away from pancreatic cancer in 2012.
2013: Kaling Named One of Time's 100 Most Influential People
Mindy Kaling's impact on the world earned her a spot on Time magazine's list of the 100 most influential people in 2013.
2013: Recognition as One of Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People
Time magazine included Mindy Kaling in their list of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2013.
2014: Kaling Named One of Glamour's Women of the Year
In 2014, Mindy Kaling was honored as one of Glamour magazine's Women of the Year.
May 2015: "The Mindy Project" Canceled by Fox
Fox decided to cancel "The Mindy Project" in May 2015.
September 15, 2015: Publication of Second Memoir
Mindy Kaling's second memoir, "Why Not Me?", focusing on events in her life since 2011, was released on September 15, 2015. It debuted at the top spot on the New York Times bestseller list.
2015: Voice Acting in "Inside Out"
Mindy Kaling provided a voice role for the animated film "Inside Out" in 2015.
2015: Kaling Voices Disgust in Inside Out
Mindy Kaling lent her voice to the character of Disgust in Pixar's animated film "Inside Out," which was released in 2015.
March 2017: Announcement of Final Season of "The Mindy Project"
Mindy Kaling revealed in March 2017 that the upcoming sixth season of "The Mindy Project" would be its last.
September 2017: Premiere of Final Season of "The Mindy Project"
The sixth and final season of "The Mindy Project" began airing in September 2017.
November 14, 2017: Conclusion of "The Mindy Project"
"The Mindy Project" aired its final episode on November 14, 2017, concluding its six-season run.
December 2017: Kaling Welcomes Daughter, Katherine
Mindy Kaling became a mother in December 2017 with the birth of her daughter, Katherine. Kaling has chosen to keep the paternity of her children private.
2017: Kaling Co-Creates NBC Show Champions
In 2017, NBC picked up "Champions," a show co-created by Mindy Kaling. Kaling was also involved in the show as a writer and producer.
March 8, 2018: Champions Premieres on NBC
On March 8, 2018, "Champions," a show co-created, written, and produced by Mindy Kaling, premiered on NBC. Kaling also had a recurring guest role on the show, which was unfortunately canceled after one season.
June 10, 2018: Kaling Receives Honorary Degree from Dartmouth
Mindy Kaling received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire, on June 10, 2018.
2018: Film Appearances in "A Wrinkle in Time" and "Ocean's 8"
Mindy Kaling starred in two films in 2018: "A Wrinkle in Time" and "Ocean's 8".
2019: Speaking Out About Sexism in the Television Industry
In 2019, Mindy Kaling discussed the sexism she faced within the Television Academy in an interview with Elle Magazine. She revealed she was required to prove her contributions as a producer for "The Office" to ensure she received proper credit when the show was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series.
2019: Writing, Producing, and Starring in "Late Night"
Mindy Kaling wrote, produced, and acted in the film "Late Night" in 2019.
April 27, 2020: Never Have I Ever Premieres on Netflix
Mindy Kaling's comedy series, "Never Have I Ever," co-created with Lang Fisher, premiered on Netflix on April 27, 2020. The show, partially based on Kaling's own childhood, follows an Indian American high school student dealing with her father's death and received praise for its South Asian representation.
September 2020: Kaling's Son, Spencer, is Born
Mindy Kaling welcomed her second child, a son named Spencer, in September 2020.
2020: Publication of Third Memoir
In 2020, Mindy Kaling released her third memoir, "Nothing Like I Imagined (Except For Sometimes)", through Amazon Original Stories.
February 2021: HBO Max Orders Velma Series
In February 2021, HBO Max announced their order for "Velma," an adult-oriented Scooby-Doo spin-off series. Mindy Kaling was attached to executive produce and voice the main character, Velma.
2021: Kaling Awarded National Medal of Arts
Mindy Kaling was selected to receive the prestigious National Medal of Arts in 2021.
May 2022: Legally Blonde 3 Release Delayed
The release of "Legally Blonde 3," co-written by Mindy Kaling and Dan Goor, was originally scheduled for May 2022. However, the film faced indefinite delays due to ongoing script revisions.
January 12, 2023: Velma Premieres to Mixed Reviews
"Velma," an adult-oriented Scooby-Doo spin-off series executive produced by and starring the voice talent of Mindy Kaling as the titular character, premiered on January 12, 2023. The series received mixed to negative reviews from critics and sparked polarized reactions from fans.
March 2023: Kaling Receives National Medal of Arts
Mindy Kaling was awarded the 2021 National Medal of Arts by US President Joe Biden in a White House ceremony held in March 2023.
2023: Kaling Joins Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art Board
Mindy Kaling was appointed as a board member of the Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art in 2023, joining historian June Li and Young Yang Chung.
February 2024: Kaling Welcomes Third Child, Anne
In February 2024, Mindy Kaling gave birth to her third child, a daughter named Anne.
June 2024: Kaling Featured in Los Angeles Times "L.A. Influential" Series
The Los Angeles Times recognized Mindy Kaling's impact in its June 2024 "L.A. Influential" series, highlighting her as a creator making her mark on Los Angeles.
August 21, 2024: Kaling Speaks at Democratic National Convention
Mindy Kaling showed her support for Kamala Harris by speaking at the Democratic National Convention on August 21, 2024.