PHOTOS: Britney Spears Through The Years

PHOTOS: Britney Spears Through The Years

Ever since she shimmied her way into the hearts of America courtesy of a schoolgirl uniform, Britney Spears has grown up in the spotlight. As she has matured from a teenager to a mother of two, Spears has weathered both the heights of fame and the depths of infamy. RadarOnline.com recounts some of her most compelling moments.

Born on December 2, 1981, Britney Spears got her first taste of fame when she appeared on Star Search and then went on to join the Mickey Mouse Club in December 1992. See more early photos of Britney at RadarOnline.com and check out the hottest models battling it out for the best beach body crown.

Spears’ debut album ‘…Baby One More Time’ was released on January 1999 and debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200. After a month, it went platinum two times. The singer’s idea of dressing like a Catholic schoolgirl for the video spawned one of the most memorable pop music moments. View these shots of Britney at the beginning of her career and see more photos of her toned and tanned figure here.

In September 2000, Britney and Justin Timberlake go public with their romance at the MTV Video Music Awards. At the time, Spears maintained that she would remain a virgin until marriage. However, following their breakup in 2002, Timberlake reveals that the two had sex. Relive their relationship with this photo gallery and check out Teri Hatcher’s triathlon body.

In February 2002, Crossroads- Spears’ first film with her in the starring role- hits the big screen. See more of Britney during her acting days and take a look at other bikini-clad celebrity babes who have their own clothing lines.

In January 2004, Britney gets hitched to childhood pal Jason Alexander in Las Vegas. The quickie marriage ends in a quickie divorce 55 hours later. Check out these snaps of Britney’s first husband and check out this bikini gallery of Heidi Montag surfing in Costa Rica.

Spears rebounds a few months later with Kevin Federline, one of her backup dancers who was in a long-term relationship with Shar Jackson- then pregnant with Federline’s second child. Spears and Federline wed in September 2004. See these images of Kevin and Britney through the years and scope out these hot photos of fellow mom Kate Gosselin relaxing in Mexico.

A year after they got married, Britney and Kevin welcomed Sean Preston, their first son together. A year later, Spears gives birth to their second son Jayden James and files for divorce that November. During her second pregnancy, Spears posed nude on the cover of Harper’s Bazaar. View more photos of Britney as a mom and check out photos of supermodels in bikinis during New York Fashion Week.

Britney had a rough 2007: she checks in and out of rehab, shaves her head, battles Federline for custody of their two kids, and delivers some bizarre performances during her mid-year release of ‘Gimme More.’ In January 2008, she is hospitalized for a mental evaluation after locking herself in a room and refusing to hand her kids over to Kevin. Her father Jamie gains legal control of her affairs the next month. Check out these photos of Britney’s dark days and see the best and worst bikini bodies of the summer.

In September 2008, Spears wins her first VMA and goes on to sell 500,000 copies of her album Circus. Her long-awaited comeback finally arrives. See these photos of Britney during the Circus tour and take a look this gallery of the sexiest tennis stars.

For over a year, Spears has been dating her former agent Jason Trawick. In September 2010, she nixed rumors that they got engaged while vacationing in Hawaii. View more photos of the good-looking couple here and see more photos of the couple splashing around in Hawaii.