Here’s a look at the life of author, television personality and entrepreneur Martha Stewart.
Personal:
Birth date: August 3, 1941
Birth place: Jersey City, New Jersey
Birth name: Martha Helen Kostyra
Father: Edward Kostyra, a pharmaceuticals salesman
Mother: Martha (Ruszkowski) Kostyra, a schoolteacher
Marriage: Andrew Stewart (1961-1990, divorced)
Children: Alexis, 1965
Education: Barnard College, B.A., 1963
Other Facts:
Baby-sat Mickey Mantle’s children
Was a fashion model for Chanel.
Timeline:
1968-1973 – Works as a stockbroker for the small firm or Monness, Hortsman, Williams, and Sidel.
1976 – Launches a Westport, Connecticut, catering business.
1982 – Publishes her first book, “Entertaining.”
1987 – Appointed K-Mart lifestyle consultant.
1991 – Time Inc. begins publishing the Martha Stewart Living magazine.
1993 – Syndicated TV show, “Martha Stewart Living,” debuts.
1995 – Begins writing a weekly syndicated newspaper column and Martha by Mail, a direct-mail catalog business, is launched.
1997 – Buys-out Time Inc.’s share of Martha Stewart Enterprises, valued at approximately $53 million. Changes the company’s name to Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia.
October 19, 1999 – Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia (MSO) launches its initial public offering, raising close to $130 million on its first day of trading. Stewart becomes America’s first self-made female billionaire.
December 27, 2001 – Stewart sells almost 4,000 shares of ImClone Systems, headed by her friend Samuel Waksal.
June 6, 2002 – Stewart comes under investigation by the Justice Department and the SEC for her sale of 3,928 shares of ImClone Systems in December 2001, the day before a company announcement that sent the price of ImClone plummeting.
June 4, 2003 – Indicted on nine charges, including securities fraud and obstruction of justice, Stewart pleads not guilty. Stewart steps down as chairman and CEO of Martha Stewart Omnimedia, Inc., but remains on the board and takes title of Chief Creative Officer.
March 5, 2004 – Stewart is found guilty on four counts: two counts of making false statements, one count of obstruction of justice and one count of conspiracy.
March 8, 2004 – Viacom announces it is dropping Stewart’s television show, “Martha Stewart Living,” from its CBS and UPN television networks. Revlon announces that Stewart has submitted her resignation from the company’s board of directors.
March 15, 2004 – Resigns as a director and chief creative officer of Martha Stewart Omnimedia, Inc. and assumes the position of founding editorial director.
May 18, 2004 – Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia announces that Martha Stewart Living Television will be put on hold for Season 12, the 2004-2005 season.
July 16, 2004 – Sentenced to five months in prison, five months home confinement after release, two years’ probation and fined $30,000.
September 15, 2004 – Announces that she will begin her prison sentence as soon as possible, before her appeal is completed.
October 8, 2004 – Reports to prison in Alderson, West Virginia, to begin serving a five-month prison term.
March 4, 2005 – Released from prison.
August 31, 2005 – Stewart’s home confinement ends.
September 12, 2005 – Stewart’s daily talk show, “Martha,” debuts.
September 21, 2005 – “The Apprentice: Martha Stewart” debuts on NBC.
October 2005 – Stewart enters a deal with home building company KB Homes in which KB Homes builds a subdivision of houses based on designs by Stewart which are in turn inspired by houses owned by Stewart. The first neighborhood of houses is built near Raleigh, North Carolina, and additional neighborhoods are planned near Atlanta, Houston, Orlando and Riverside, California.
2006 – Is named one of the 50 most powerful women in business by Fortune magazine.
August 8, 2006 – Stewart agrees to pay $195,000 to settle an insider trading probe with the SEC. She is barred from serving as chief executive or chief financial officer of any public company for five years.
September 2009 – Stewart announces a new product partnership with The Home Depot, launching in 2010.
January 2010 – The partnership between Stewart and Kmart ends.
March 8, 2011 – Stewart becomes a grandmother when her only daughter Alexis has a daughter by gestational surrogate.
September 2011 – Rejoins the board of directors of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc.
October 18, 2011 – Stewart’s daughter Alexis releases the book “Whateverland: Learning to Live Here” in which she criticizes Stewart’s parenting. Martha Stewart responds by praising the book as “hilarious and enlightening.”
December 7, 2011 – J.C. Penney invests $38.5 million for a 16.6% stake in Stewart’s franchise Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia and enters a 10-year retail partnership showcasing Stewart’s products.
January 6, 2012 – The Hallmark Channel announces that “The Martha Stewart Show” will air until the end of summer 2012.
January 2012 – Macy’s Inc. sues Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia for breach of contract. Macy’s claims that by reaching a deal with J.C. Penney in 2011, MSLO violated a 2006 agreement that granted Macy’s exclusive rights to sell selected Martha Stewart-branded products.
January 2012 – Launches a new line of home office supplies at Staples.
October 2012 – “Martha Stewart’s Cooking School” premieres on PBS.
March 5, 2013 – Stewart appears in New York State Supreme Court to defend her decision to sign a deal with J.C. Penney even though she already had a contract with rival department store Macy’s.
October 2013 – J.C. Penney announces that it has scaled back its partnership with Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia in the face of legal pressure from Macy’s.
January 2, 2014 – Macy’s and Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia settle their legal dispute. The terms of the settlement are not disclosed.
June 16, 2014 – A judge rules that J.C. Penney “interfered” with a deal between rival Macy’s and Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia.
June 22, 2015 – Sequential Brands Group announces that it will acquire 100% of the outstanding shares of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia. Stewart will stay on as chief creative officer in the new company and sit on the board of directors.
November 7, 2016 – VH1 network airs “Martha & Snoop’s Dinner Party,” where Stewart pairs with rap icon Snoop Dogg to entertain with food, music and celebrity.