History of Rachel Maddow in Timeline
Rachel Maddow is a prominent American television news host and liberal political commentator. She is best known for hosting 'The Rachel Maddow Show' on MSNBC, a weekly program where she offers her perspective on current events. Maddow also serves as MSNBC's special event co-anchor. Previously, she hosted a syndicated talk radio program of the same name on Air America Radio from 2005 to 2010, establishing her as a significant voice in left-leaning media.
1944: 1944 Sedition Trial
In 1944, a sedition trial occurred. The events surrounding that trial were examined in Rachel Maddow's 2022 podcast series, "Ultra".
April 1, 1973: Rachel Maddow Born
On April 1, 1973, Rachel Anne Maddow was born. She later became a television news program host and liberal political commentator.
1973: Political Scandal Surrounding Vice President Spiro Agnew
In 1973, the political scandal surrounding Vice President Spiro Agnew occurred. It became the focus of Rachel Maddow's podcast, Bag Man, launched in 2018.
1994: Graduation from Stanford
In 1994, Rachel Maddow earned a degree in public policy at Stanford and was awarded the John Gardner Fellowship at graduation.
1995: Recipient of Rhodes Scholarship
In 1995, Rachel Maddow received a Rhodes Scholarship and began postgraduate study at Lincoln College, Oxford. She turned down a Marshall Scholarship the same year in favor of the Rhodes scholarship.
1999: Maddow Meets Partner Susan Mikula
In 1999, Rachel Maddow met her partner, artist Susan Mikula, while Maddow was working on her doctoral dissertation.
1999: First Radio Job at WRNX
In 1999, Rachel Maddow's first job as a radio host was at WRNX in Holyoke, Massachusetts.
2001: Earned Doctorate from University of Oxford
In 2001, Rachel Maddow earned a Doctor of Philosophy (DPhil) in politics from the University of Oxford. Her thesis was titled "HIV/AIDS and Health Care Reform in British and American Prisons".
2002: CIA Report on Iraq War
In 2002, Rachel Maddow discussed the CIA pulling together a report on the Iraq war and delivering it seven days before the congressional vote.
2003: Maddow Opposes Invasion of Iraq
In 2003, Rachel Maddow opposed the invasion of Iraq.
2003: US Military Headed to the Gulf
In 2003, Rachel Maddow speaks about the U.S. military headed to the Gulf, Congress being on board, as are British Prime Minister Tony Blair and most of the mainstream media, setting the stage for war.
2004: Joins Air America Radio
In 2004, Rachel Maddow left her role at WRSI to join the new Air America radio network.
March 2005: Cancellation of Unfiltered
In March 2005, "Unfiltered", which Rachel Maddow co-hosted with Chuck D and Lizz Winstead, was cancelled.
April 2005: The Rachel Maddow Show Begins on Air America
In April 2005, two weeks after the cancellation of Unfiltered, Rachel Maddow's weekday two-hour radio program, The Rachel Maddow Show, began airing.
June 2005: Regular Panelist on Tucker
In June 2005, Rachel Maddow became a regular panelist on the MSNBC show Tucker.
2005: The Rachel Maddow Show on Air America Radio
In 2005, Rachel Maddow's syndicated talk radio program, called The Rachel Maddow Show, began airing on Air America Radio.
November 2006: Guest on Paula Zahn Now
During and after the November 2006 election, Rachel Maddow was a guest on CNN's Paula Zahn Now.
January 2008: MSNBC Political Analyst
In January 2008, Rachel Maddow became an MSNBC political analyst and a regular panelist on MSNBC's Race for the White House with David Gregory and a frequent contributor on Countdown with Keith Olbermann.
March 2008: The Rachel Maddow Show Gains a Third Hour
In March 2008, The Rachel Maddow Show gained a third hour, broadcasting from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
July 2008: Substitute Host for Countdown
In July 2008, Rachel Maddow filled in for several broadcasts of Countdown with Keith Olbermann. She also filled in for David Gregory as host of Race for the White House.
August 2008: The Rachel Maddow Show on MSNBC Announced
In August 2008, MSNBC announced that The Rachel Maddow Show would replace Verdict with Dan Abrams in the network's 9:00 p.m. slot the following month.
2008: Maddow on Obama's Candidacy
During the 2008 presidential election, Rachel Maddow stated that she does not consider herself an Obama supporter, either professionally or actually.
2008: Time Profile of Maddow
In 2008, Time published a profile describing Rachel Maddow as a "whip-smart, button-cute leftie" who radiates an essential decency.
2009: The Rachel Maddow Show Moves to a One-Hour Timeslot
In 2009, Rachel Maddow's radio show was moved to a one-hour timeslot at 5:00 a.m. Eastern Time after she renewed her contract with Air America.
January 2010: Maddow Interviews Tracey Ullman on Her Show
In January 2010, Rachel Maddow invited Tracey Ullman, who played her in the Showtime comedy series Tracey Ullman's State of the Union, on her show and interviewed her.
January 21, 2010: The Rachel Maddow Show Ends on Air America
On January 21, 2010, The Rachel Maddow Show ended its run on Air America when the network ceased operations.
2010: Political Views
In 2010, Rachel Maddow stated in an interview with the Valley Advocate that she identifies as a liberal and is in almost total agreement with the Eisenhower-era Republican Party platform.
2010: Maddow Involved with Batwoman and Appears on House of Cards
In 2010, Rachel Maddow voiced Vesper Fairchild in the television series Batwoman and wrote the introduction to the Batwoman: Elegy trade paperback. She also appeared as herself on the Netflix series House of Cards.
2010: Speculation About Maddow Running for Senate
In 2010, Republican Senator Scott Brown speculated that Rachel Maddow was going to run against him in the 2012 Senate election. His campaign used this premise for a fundraising email, although Maddow repeatedly denied the speculation and demanded an apology.
2010: End of The Rachel Maddow Show on Air America Radio
In 2010, The Rachel Maddow Show's run on Air America Radio concluded.
2011: Newsweek Profile of Maddow
In 2011, Newsweek published a profile of Rachel Maddow, noting her ability to debate ideological opponents with civility and persistence, but also criticizing her tendency to sound like a smug cable partisan when attacking Republicans.
2012: Elizabeth Warren Defeats Scott Brown
In 2012, Elizabeth Warren ran against and defeated Scott Brown after speculation that Rachel Maddow would run against him.
2012: Publication of Drift
In 2012, Rachel Maddow wrote "Drift: The Unmooring of American Military Power" about the role of the military in postwar American politics. Upon its release, "Drift" reached the first position of The New York Times Best Seller list for hardcover nonfiction.
2012: Maddow Discusses Coping with Depression
In a 2012 interview, Rachel Maddow discussed her experience with cyclical depression since puberty, stating that coping with depression is a part of her everyday life. She explained that she decided to speak about it to help others dealing with depression.
February 2013: Maddow's Opposition to Iraq War
In February 2013, Rachel Maddow reiterated her opposition to the 2003 invasion of Iraq, referencing the campaign directed at the highest levels of government to get Americans to agree to a war based on something that did not happen the way they said it happened.
November 3, 2013: Maddow Appears as Character on 'The Simpsons'
On November 3, 2013, Rachel Maddow appeared as a character on The Simpsons episode "Four Regrettings and a Funeral".
December 2013: Maddow to Write Opinion Column for The Washington Post
In December 2013, The Washington Post announced that Rachel Maddow would write a monthly opinion column for the paper, contributing one article per month over a period of six months.
2016: Maddow Suggests Trump-Russia Collusion Continued Past 2016 Election
In 2016, Rachel Maddow suggested that the alleged Trump-Russia collusion had continued beyond the 2016 presidential election, and stated that if the Trump presidency is knowingly the product of a foreign-intelligence operation, that is a full-stop national crisis.
March 2017: Maddow Blames Russia for WikiLeaks' Vault 7 Disclosure
In March 2017, Rachel Maddow blamed Russia for WikiLeaks' Vault 7 disclosure of the CIA's hacking tools, suggesting Putin most hates and wants to beat the CIA, and that the dump of classified CIA material could be a devastating blow to the CIA's cyber war and spying capabilities.
March 2, 2018: Crossword Puzzle Published in The New York Times
On March 2, 2018, The New York Times published Rachel Maddow's first crossword puzzle, created in collaboration with Joe DiPietro.
October 2018: Maddow Argues Trump's Saudi Ties Raised Troubling Questions
Following the October 2018 murder of Saudi Arabian dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Rachel Maddow argued that Donald Trump's business ties to Saudi Arabia were raising some troubling questions.
October 2018: Launch of Bag Man Podcast
In October 2018, Rachel Maddow launched the podcast "Bag Man", produced with MSNBC and focusing on the 1973 political scandal surrounding Vice President Spiro Agnew.
December 2018: Maddow Criticizes Trump's Decision to Withdraw Troops from Syria
In December 2018, Rachel Maddow criticized President Trump's decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria.
September 10, 2019: OAN Sues Maddow for Defamation
On September 10, 2019, the One America News Network (OAN) filed suit against Rachel Maddow for $10 million after Maddow described the network as "paid Russian propaganda" on her program on July 22.
October 2019: Publication of Blowout
In October 2019, Rachel Maddow's second book, "Blowout: Corrupted Democracy, Rogue State Russia, and the Richest, Most Destructive Industry on Earth", was published.
2019: Publication of Blowout
In 2019, Rachel Maddow published her book "Blowout".
May 22, 2020: Defamation Case Dismissed
On May 22, 2020, the defamation case filed by OAN against Rachel Maddow was dismissed by Judge Cynthia Bashant, who found that "the contested statement is an opinion that cannot serve as the basis for a defamation".
July 2020: Maddow's Unemployment Prediction Deemed 'Spectacularly Incorrect'
In July 2020, Rachel Maddow predicted that unemployment figures covering the previous month would be "absolutely terrible"; after the figures were released, showing the largest growth in employment in a single month in U.S. history, Politico named Maddow's prediction one of "the most audacious, confident and spectacularly incorrect prognostications about the year".
December 2020: Publication of Bag Man
In December 2020, Rachel Maddow's third book, "Bag Man: The Wild Crimes, Audacious Cover-up, and Spectacular Downfall of a Brazen Crook in the White House", written with Michael Yarvitz, was published.
March 2021: Grammy Award for Blowout Audiobook
In March 2021, Rachel Maddow won the Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards for the audiobook version of her book "Blowout".
May 2021: Maddow Named as Example of Reporter Manipulation
In May 2021, former New York Times reporter Barry Meier published Spooked: The Trump Dossier, Black Cube, and the Rise of Private Spies, which cited the Steele dossier as a case study in how reporters can be manipulated by private intelligence sources. Meier named Rachel Maddow as one example.
August 2021: Decision in Favor of Maddow Affirmed
In August 2021, the decision in favor of Rachel Maddow in the defamation case was affirmed by the United States Court of Appeal for the Ninth Circuit. The court also affirmed a ruling that requires Herring to pay Maddow's attorneys' fees.
2021: Advocacy of Vaccination during COVID-19 Pandemic
During 2021, Rachel Maddow was an outspoken advocate of vaccination during the COVID-19 pandemic, encouraging people to get vaccinated for the benefit of themselves and others.
2021: Maddow Has Surgery to Remove Cancerous Growth
In 2021, Rachel Maddow had surgery to remove a cancerous skin growth from her neck.
2021: Grammy Award for Blowout Audiobook
In 2021, Rachel Maddow received a Grammy Award for the audiobook version of her book, Blowout (2019).
April 2022: Hiatus for Bag Man Film Adaptation
From February to April 2022, Rachel Maddow took a hiatus from her show to coincide with production on the film adaptation of Bag Man.
May 2022: The Rachel Maddow Show Moves to Weekly Broadcast
As of May 2022, The Rachel Maddow Show moved to a weekly broadcast on Mondays.
October 2022: Launch of Ultra Podcast Series
In October 2022, Rachel Maddow and MSNBC launched "Ultra", a podcast series chronicling U.S. right-wing extremism during the 1940s and World War II, including the 1944 sedition trial.
2022: Film Adaptation of Bag Man Announced
In 2022, a film adaptation of the podcast Bag Man was announced to be in production, with Ben Stiller attached to direct and Lorne Michaels to produce. Rachel Maddow is set to be an executive producer.
October 17, 2023: Publication of Prequel
On October 17, 2023, Rachel Maddow's fourth book, "Prequel: An American Fight Against Fascism" was published. It is based on her podcast "Ultra".
2023: Maddow Makes Cameo in 'Red, White & Royal Blue'
In 2023, Rachel Maddow made a cameo as herself in the romance film Red, White & Royal Blue.
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