Born April 26 in San Antonio, Texas to Louise, an aspiring writer, and Jody Burnett, who manages a movie house.
Moves to Hollywood, California, where she is raised primarily by her grandmother.
Carol attends the University of California in Los Angeles, where she changes majors from journalism to theater and performs in the UCLA summer stock.
Leaves UCLA and moves to New York City. Father dies.
First TV appearance on The Paul Winchell and Jerry Mahoney Show. Marries Don Saroyan.
Appears on The Jack Paar Show. Her younger sister, Christine, comes to live with her.
Appears in Las Vegas in the Ed Sullivan Revue. Mother dies.
Stars Off-Broadway in Once Upon a Mattress. Becomes a regular on The Garry Moore Variety Show.
Performs at Carnegie Hall with Julie Andrews. Wins Emmy Award for Outstanding Performance in a Variety or Musical Program for The Garry Moore Variety Show. Leaves the show. Does a concert tour. Signs a deal with CBS for specials and discusses variety show. Divorces Saroyan. Wins a Peabody Award.
Wins Emmy Awards for Outstanding Performance in a Variety or Musical Performance for television specials Julie and Carol at Carnegie Hall and Carol and Company. First appearance in a feature film, Who's Been Sleeping in my Bed? Marries TV producer Joe Hamilton, a divorced father of eight, with whom she later has three daughters: actress and writer Carrie Hamilton, Jody Hamilton and singer Erin Hamilton.
TV version of Once Upon a Mattress airs. Appears in Broadway musical Fade Out-Fade In. Moves to Los Angeles.
The Carol Burnett Show debuts.
Wins Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Television Series for The Carol Burnett Show.
Wins Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Television Series-Musical or Comedy for The Carol Burnett Show.
Appears in feature film Pete 'n' Tillie. Second Once Upon a Mattress TV special airs. Second special with Julie Andrews airs. The Carol Burnett Show wins Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety Series-Musical. Wins Golden Globe Award for Actress in a Leading Role-Musical or Comedy Series or Television Movie for The Carol Burnett Show.
The Carol Burnett Show wins Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety Series-Musical. Appears in feature film The Front Page.
Given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The Carol Burnett Show wins Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety Series-Musical.
Wins Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series-Musical or Comedy for The Carol Burnett Show.
The Carol Burnett Show ends. Appears in feature film A Wedding.
Appears on The Dinah Shore show with daughter, Carrie Hamilton. Stars in TV movie Friendly Fire, which wins a Peabody Award.
Appears in feature film H.E.A.L.T.H.
Appears in feature films The Four Seasons and Chu Chu and the Philly Flash.
Appears in feature film Annie. Stars in TV movie Life of the Party: The Story of Beatrice.
Stars alongside Elizabeth Taylor in the HBO production, Between Friends and wins ACE Award for Best Actress in a Dramatic or Theatrical Program. Wins judgment from the National Enquirer.
Divorces Joe Hamilton.
Inducted into the Television Hall of Fame.
Publishes her memoir, One More Time.
The series Carol and Company debuts and airs for two seasons.
The Carol Burnett Show: A Reunion airs. Appears in feature film Noises Off.
Produces two specials, Men, Movies & Carol and Carol Burnett: The Special Years, featuring the most memorable moments from nine of her specials. Appears in TV movie Seasons of the Heart.
Returns to Broadway in Moon Over Buffalo.
Appears in first of three episodes of Mad About You as Helen Hunt's mother.
Wins Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for Mad About You.
Appears in the TV movie The Marriage Fool with Walter Matthau.
Appears on Broadway in Putting it Together.
Marries Brian Miller. The Carol Burnett Show: Show Stoppers with Harvey Korman, Vicki Lawrence and Tim Conway attracts nearly 30 million viewers, becoming the fourth most watched program of 2001.
Daughter Carrie Hamilton dies of cancer at age 38. Hollywood Arms, adopted from her bestselling memoir and written with Hamilton, debuts in Chicago and on Broadway, directed by Hal Prince.
Recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors.
The Carol Burnett Show: Let's Bump up the Lights airs, reuniting Burnett with Conway, Korman, Lawrence, and Lyle Waggoner.
Awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Pasadena Playhouse names its Balcony Theater after daughter, Carrie Hamilton. Afterward, a foundation is established to fund a renovation of the theater.
Receives the career achievement award from the Television Critics Association. Appears on Desperate Housewives.
