Rihanna, born Robyn Rihanna Fenty, turns the big three-oh today!
After growing up in Barbados, Rihanna moved to the United States, signed her first record deal, and released her first album before her 18th birthday.
Her personal life is peppered with adversity, from her parents’ divorce due to her father’s substance abuse to her public domestic violence incident with rapper Chris Brown. However, she is a model of overcoming adversity, collecting more than 200 awards, 31 Billboard Top 10 hits, and 14 No. 1 Billboard hits.
Rihanna’s success doesn’t stop in the music industry, either. She has launched a successful fashion collaboration, Rihanna x Puma, making her the first woman to win the Footwear News Shoe of the Year award. Her makeup line, Fenty Beauty, is known for its vast collection of 40 different foundation shades.
Rihanna’s charitable efforts earned her the 2017 Harvard University Humanitarian of the Year award. Her philanthropic work includes building a breast cancer center in Barbados, a scholarship program for students from Caribbean countries attending college in the United States, as well as supporting efforts for accessible education and AIDS awareness in developing countries.
