Born September 4, 1981, Beyoncé Giselle Knowles grew up in a wealthy suburb outside Houston. She calls her childhood home “my foundation.”
Source: HBO, “Life Is But A Dream”
Every year, her parents treated their daughters with a visit to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. "It was like the biggest family picnic," she said. "We'd eat fried Snickers."
Source: Essence
Her mother Tina owned a hair salon, Headliners, where Beyoncé swept hair off the floor and sang "for tips to pay for my season pass to Six Flags," said the roller-coaster fanatic.
Source: Essence
Tina said a five-year age difference between Beyoncé and Solange didn't stop the sisters from putting on shows together and charging admission. "They have always been very protective of each other and very close," she said.
Source: Access Hollywood
In the early ‘90s, she formed the group Gyrls Tyme with future Destiny’s Child members LeToya Luckett, LaTavia Roberson, and cousin Kelly Rowland, among others.
Source: People
They peaked on the talent show circuit in 1992, with a performance on the national televised game show "Star Search."
Source: TIME
Beyoncé's father Mathew left his six-figure sales job at Xerox to manage the girls full-time. He successfully negotiated a deal for them with Columbia Records in 1997.
The group changed their name to Destiny's Child, borrowing from a passage in the Book of Isaiah.
Source: MTV
Destiny's Child made their record debut with the song "Killing Time" on the "Men in Black" soundtrack, and sold over one million copies of their self-titled album in 1997.
Source: MTV
Between 1997 and 2005 — and after undergoing several member shifts — Destiny's Child reigned as the world's top-selling female vocal group, achieving combined sales of more than 60 million records.
Source: Digital Spy, TIME
The "Independent Woman" embarked on a solar career in 2003, releasing her first album "Dangerously in Love" and picking up five Grammy Awards.
Source: Biography.com
Beyoncé began dating hip-hop mogul Jay-Z at age 20. The couple lit up the stage performing "Crazy in Love" at the MTV Video Music Awards.
Source: HBO, "Life Is But A Dream", E! Online
She launched an acting career, appearing alongside Mike Meyers in "Austin Powers in Goldmember," Steve Martin in "Pink Panther," and Jennifer Hudson and Jamie Foxx in "Dreamgirls."
Source: IMDB
Her second studio album "B'Day" featured hits "Irreplaceable," "Déjá Vu," and "Beautiful Liar." The album dropped on her birthday.
Source: Access E Music
In 2008, Jay Z put a ring on it in an ultra-private wedding ceremony, surrounded by 40 close friends and family members in Hov's New York City penthouse.
Source: People
The couple tattooed the Roman numeral IV on their left-hand ring fingers. Beyoncé's birthday is September 4, Jay Z's is December 4, and the couple were married on April 4.
Mrs. Carter released the epic girl power anthem "Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)," off her third consecutive number-one album, "I am… Sasha Fierce."
Source: Beyoncé.com
During her 2009 I AM…World Tour, she planned "tour field trips" for the band and crew: "Egypt was the best. When I visited the pyramids, I started singing 'Ave Maria' inside. I've never heard acoustics so clear."
Source: Essence
Beyoncé and Jay Z suffered a miscarriage around this time. She described hearing her first child's heartbeat as "the most beautiful music I ever heard in my life."
Source: HBO, "Life Is But A Dream"
Beyoncé always felt destined to be a mom, and is very close with her nephew Julez. She took him on a trip to France because he speaks the language fluently, and babysits on the weekends.
Source: HBO, "Life Is But A Dream"
She kept a video diary on her MacBook to "figure out life": "Thank god for my computer. Sometimes when there's no one to talk to, I talk out loud so I can get all of my thoughts out."
Source: HBO, “Life Is But A Dream”
After 15 years of being managed by dad Mathew, Beyoncé decided to take the business reigns: "I needed boundaries, and I think my dad needed boundaries."
Source: HBO, "Life Is But A Dream"
After the split, she spent nine months traveling the world and writing her first magazine cover story for Essence.
Source: Essence
The career hiatus reignited her creativity, and the fourth studio album "4" spawned the diverse singles "Run the World (Girls)," "Best Thing I Never Had," "Love On Top," and "Party."
Source: Billboard
She and hubby Hov announced their second pregnancy during the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards.
Source: MTV
In January 2012, Beyoncé and Jay Z welcomed baby girl Blue Ivy, theoretically named for dad's "Blueprint" album trilogy and the couple's obsession with the number four.
Source: Glamour UK
[Having a daughter] just gives you purpose," Beyoncé said. "I realized why I was born and more than anything, all of the things I want to pass onto my child. The best way of doing that is not by preaching or telling her, but showing her by example.
Source: Huffington Post
In February, Beyoncé's HBO special, "Life Is but a Dream" drew 1.8 million viewers, making it the largest audience for an HBO documentary since Spike Lee's piece in 2006.
Source: MTV
Beyoncé hopes to further her acting career before settling into full-time motherhood: "I don't think it is possible, [but] I would love to have an Oscar. That is the most ambitious thing — I have time for that."
Source: MTV
