Julia Child

Every entry, with its source

At 0

1. Aug 15, 1912

   Born in Pasadena, California

   Into a wealthy family with a cook, which is why she never learned to cook as a child.

   Source: en.wikipedia.org

At 21

1. c. 1934

   Graduated from Smith College with a degree in history

   She played sports there.

   Source: en.wikipedia.org

At 29

1. c. 1942

   Joined the OSS, the wartime intelligence agency

   She started as a typist in Washington and later helped develop a shark repellent to protect underwater explosives.

   Source: en.wikipedia.org

At 31

1. c. 1944

   Posted to Kandy, Ceylon, handling top-secret files

   There she met Paul Child, a fellow OSS employee with a sophisticated palate.

   Source: en.wikipedia.org

At 34

1. Sep 1, 1946

   Married Paul Child

   In Lumberville, Pennsylvania. He introduced her to fine food.

   Source: en.wikipedia.org

At 35

1. c. 1948

   Moved to Paris at 36; a first meal in Rouen changed her

   Oysters, sole meuniere and wine at La Couronne. She later called it a revelation.

   Source: en.wikipedia.org

At 38

1. c. 1951

   Graduated from Le Cordon Bleu at 38

   She then studied privately with master chefs and co-founded a small cooking school with Simone Beck and Louisette Bertholle.

   Source: en.wikipedia.org

At 48

1. c. 1961

   Mastering the Art of French Cooking published

   726 pages, a decade of testing, one rejection before Knopf took it. A bestseller. She was 49.

   Source: en.wikipedia.org

At 50

1. Feb 11, 1963

   The French Chef premieres on WGBH

   She was 50. The show ran nationally for ten years.

   Source: en.wikipedia.org

At 53

1. c. 1966

   Emmy for The French Chef

   The first Emmy ever given to an educational program. A Peabody had come the year before.

   Source: en.wikipedia.org

At 67

1. c. 1980

   Became a regular on ABC's Good Morning America

   A new national audience at 67.

   Source: en.wikipedia.org

At 76

1. c. 1989

   Published The Way to Cook, her self-declared magnum opus

   A book plus an instructional video series, at 77.

   Source: en.wikipedia.org

At 88

1. Nov 19, 2000

   Made a Knight of France's Legion of Honour

   At 88.

   Source: en.wikipedia.org

At 90

1. c. 2003

   Presidential Medal of Freedom

   The highest US civilian honor, at 91.

   Source: en.wikipedia.org

At 91

1. Aug 13, 2004

   Died of kidney failure in Montecito, California

   Two days short of 92. Her kitchen is on display at the Smithsonian.

   Source: en.wikipedia.org