Important Dates

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Important Dates

1988

Robyn Rihanna Fenty is born on the Caribbean island of Barbados on February 20.

2003

Rihanna sings for music producer Evan Rogers, who invites her to New York to record a demo tape.

2004

Def Jam signs Rihanna for a six-album deal.

2005

Rihanna releases her first album, Music of the Sun, and tours with Gwen Stefani.

2006

The Believe Foundation, Rihanna's charity to help children in need around the world, opens.

January 2006

Barbados honors Rihanna at the Barbados Music Awards with eight awards.

April 2006

A Girl Like Me, Rihanna's sophomore album, comes out less than a year after her first album.

October–December 2006

To promote A Girl Like Me, Rihanna joins Jay-Z and Ne-Yo on the Rock Tha Block Tour in Australia and tours with the Pussycat Dolls.

2007

Rihanna records “Umbrella” with Jay-Z, and the single later sky-rockets from number forty-one to number one.

May 2007

Good Girl Gone Bad, Rihanna's third album, marks a change in her style and attitude.

September 2007

Rihanna begins her tour to promote her album Good Girl Gone Bad; the tour continues until April 2008.

2008

“Umbrella” captures a Grammy Award for Best Rap/Sung Collection.

April 2008

“Take a Bow,” a single written with Ne-Yo, leaps from number fifty-three to number one on the Billboard Hot 100.

June 2008

Rihanna's fourth album, titled Good Girl Gone Bad: Reloaded, comes out and includes new singles “Disturbia” by Chris Brown and “Rehab” with Justin Timberlake.