Real life, controversy, and spirit inspire Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone (1958–), born on this day in Bay City, Michigan.

August 16 holds personal milestones for the star. In 1985, she married actor Sean Penn. A year later, her anthem Papa Don’t Preach hit #1 on the charts—just like her landmark album True Blue, hailed by many as her finest.

She famously arrived in New York City in 1977 with $37 and a suitcase of ambition. By 1982, she had her first hit with Everybody. Three years later, she graced the cover of Time magazine and performed for massive crowds across America.

Madonna is an artist of evolution. Bold, outspoken, and unapologetic, she’s never shied from scandal—and never stopped reshaping the rules of achievement.

"A lot of people are afraid to say what they want. That’s why they don’t get what they want," she explained.

She is a steamroller.

Love her or not, Madonna is a savvy businesswoman, master of media, and talented performer. By 2007, Forbes ranked her as the fourth-richest woman in entertainment with a net worth of $325 million.

"As much as people complain and criticize me," she said, "I’ve touched a nerve in them somehow."