Born in Houston, TX

September 4, 1981

Beyonce Giselle Knowles was born on September 4, 1981 in Houston, Texas to Tina Beyince, a costume designer of Louisiana Creole descent, and Mathew Knowles, a record manager and former salesman, who is African American. The elder of two children, her parents decided on her first name as a tribute to her mother's maiden name.

First talent show

Feburary 1, 1988

By age seven, Knowles entered to her first talent show. She won the contest, singing John Lennon's "Imagine", and honored with a standing ovation.

Met LaTavia Roberson

May 10, 1990

At eight, Knowles met LaTavia Roberson while in an audition for a girl musical group.

Kelly Rowland joined

May 10, 1992

Primarily, the group was a trio when her cousin Kelly Rowland joined them in 1992.

LeToya Luckett joined

May 10, 1993

Not long after the inclusion of Rowland, the original lineup was completed after LeToya Luckett joined in 1993, turning them into a quartet.

Louie Welch Middle School

August 29, 1994 - June 14, 1996

Louie Welch Middle School

High School for the Performing and Visual Arts

August 29, 1997 - June 14, 2000

Knowles attended the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Houston

Signed to Columbia Records

October 19, 1997

Signed to Columbia records

The Writing's on the Wall

July 27, 1999

The record features their biggest hits like "Bills, Bills, Bills", Jumpin' Jumpin'" and "Say My Name".

Alief Elsik High School

August 29, 2000 - June 14, 2001

...and later went to Alief Elsik High School, in the Houston neighborhood of Alief

Jay-Z

August 10, 2002 - Now

Jay-Z

Dangerously in Love

June 1, 2003

Having earned the recognition as a viable artist, Knowles dropped her debut solo album, Dangerously in Love, in June 2003. Produced by many musical collaborators, including Scott Storch and Rich Harrison, the album contains a combination of uptempo and slow jam songs, featuring various contemporary singers. The album entered the Billboard 200 at number one, selling 317,000 copies in its first week.

Won 5 Grammys

Feburary 8, 2004

Knowles won five at the 2004 Grammy Awards for her solo effort, which included Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for "Dangerously in Love 2", Best R&B Song for "Crazy in Love" and Best Contemporary R&B Album.

B'Day

September 5, 2006

B'Day was released worldwide on September 4, 2006 and on September 5, 2006 in the United States to coincide with the celebration of her twenty-fifth birthday. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 for selling more than 541,000 copies, making it her highest first-week sales as solo artist since Dangerously in Love.