Martha Stewart facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Martha Stewart
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Stewart in 2019
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| Born |
Martha Helen Kostyra
August 3, 1941 Jersey City, New Jersey, U.S.
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| Alma mater | Barnard College |
| Occupation | Businesswoman, writer, television personality |
| Spouse(s) |
Andrew Stewart
(m. 1961; div. 1990) |
| Children | Alexis Stewart |
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Martha Helen Stewart (born August 3, 1941) is an American businesswoman, writer, and television personality. She started the company Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia. This company focuses on home and hospitality.
Martha became very successful through different businesses. These include publishing books and magazines, TV shows, and selling products. She has written many popular books. She was also the publisher of Martha Stewart Living magazine. She hosted two popular TV shows: Martha Stewart Living (1993-2004) and The Martha Stewart Show (2005-2012).
In 2023, when she was 81, Martha Stewart made history. She became the oldest woman to be on the cover of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue magazine. In 2024, a Netflix documentary called Martha was made about her life.
Contents
Early Life and Growing Up
Martha Stewart was born in Jersey City, New Jersey, on August 3, 1941. She was the second of six children. Her parents, Edward and Martha Kostyra, were of Polish heritage. Both her parents were teachers. Her father later sold medicines. When Martha was three, her family moved to Nutley, New Jersey.
When Martha was 10, she sometimes babysat for famous baseball players. These included Mickey Mantle and Yogi Berra of the New York Yankees. She watched their children and helped with birthday parties. She also started modeling at a young age. At 15, she was in a TV commercial for Unilever. She appeared in many TV commercials and magazines. While in college, she used modeling jobs to help pay for her studies. She even worked for famous brands like Chanel.
Martha's mother taught her how to cook and sew. She also learned how to preserve food when visiting her grandparents. Her father loved gardening and shared his knowledge with her. Martha was also active in school activities. She worked on the school newspaper and joined the art club.
Martha graduated from Nutley High School. She then went to Barnard College of Columbia University. She first planned to study chemistry. Later, she changed her focus to art, history, and architectural history. She continued modeling for Chanel to help pay for college. During this time, she met Andrew Stewart. They married in July 1961. She finished college with degrees in history and architectural history.
Starting Her Career
In 1967, Martha Stewart began working as a stockbroker. This was her father-in-law's job. Martha and Andrew Stewart moved to Westport, Connecticut. They bought and fixed up an old farmhouse. This house later became a model for her TV show, Martha Stewart Living. People noticed Martha's talent for decorating and restoring homes.
In 1976, Martha started a catering business from her home. It quickly became very successful. She also managed a gourmet food store for a while.
Andrew Stewart became the president of a publishing company. In 1977, he helped release a popular book series. Martha's company catered the book launch party. There, Martha met Alan Mirken, a publishing executive. He was impressed by her cooking and hosting skills. He later asked her to create a cookbook. This led to her first book, Entertaining, published in 1982.
After Entertaining became a hit, Martha released many more books. These included Martha Stewart's Quick Cook (1983) and Martha Stewart's Christmas (1989). She also wrote many newspaper columns and magazine articles. She appeared on popular TV shows like The Oprah Winfrey Show.
Building a Media Empire
In 1990, Martha Stewart teamed up with Time Publishing Ventures. They worked together to create a new magazine called Martha Stewart Living. Martha was the editor-in-chief. The first issue came out in late 1990. By 2002, the magazine was selling over 2 million copies per issue.
In 1993, Martha started a weekly TV show, also called Martha Stewart Living. It was based on her magazine. The show became a daily program in 1997 and later an hour-long show. It ran until 2004. Martha also often appeared on NBC's Today Show. She also starred in several holiday TV specials on CBS.
In May 1995, New York Magazine called Martha Stewart "the definitive American woman of our time."
Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Company
In 1997, Martha Stewart created a new company. It was called Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia (MSLO). She brought all her different businesses under one roof. This included her TV shows, magazines, and product sales. Martha became the chairwoman, president, and CEO of MSLO. She wanted to have more control over her brand.
In October 1999, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia became a public company. This meant people could buy shares of her company on the New York Stock Exchange. This was a big step for her business. The company also launched a website and a mail-order catalog called Martha by Mail.
Life After Challenges and New Projects
After facing some challenges, Martha Stewart made a strong return in 2005. She became involved in Martha Stewart Living again. Her Martha Stewart Everyday product line at Kmart grew. It included new home furnishings and paint.
Her return to television was also a big part of her comeback. She launched The Martha Stewart Show in September 2005. She also appeared in a version of The Apprentice called The Apprentice: Martha Stewart.
In October 2005, Martha released a new book, The Martha Rules. It was about starting and managing a business. She also published Martha Stewart Baking Handbook and Martha Stewart's Homekeeping Handbook. She often shares cooking, crafts, and gardening tips on NBC's Today show. Her talk show was nominated for several awards in 2006.
MSLO also launched a line of houses with her name. These homes were inspired by Martha's own houses. She also created a line of craft items. In 2007, she launched a large line of housewares for Macy's. This included bedding, bath, cookware, and dinnerware. Martha also started a 24-hour satellite radio channel with Sirius. She hosts a weekly call-in show there.
Martha also appeared on the TV show Ugly Betty in 2006. She gave tips on how to prepare a turkey.
In 2007, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia partnered with E & J Gallo Winery. They created a wine brand called Martha Stewart Vintage. She also signed a deal with Costco for frozen and fresh foods. In 2008, her craft items premiered in Walmart stores.
In 2010, her TV show Martha moved to the Hallmark Channel. It aired for two seasons. In 2011, she started a new show called Martha Bakes.
Martha also acted in a TV show. She played a private school headmistress in an episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit in 2012. A new cooking show, Martha Stewart's Cooking School, started on PBS in 2012. It teaches cooking basics.
In 2014, Martha partnered with eBay. They created an online store called American Made Martha Stewart. This store helps American businesses sell their products.
In 2016, VH1 launched a new show with Martha and her friend Snoop Dogg. It was called Martha & Snoop's Potluck Dinner Party. They played games, shared recipes, and had musical guests. They also appeared in a Super Bowl commercial together in 2017.
Martha also became involved with Marley Spoon. This service delivers ingredients and recipes to homes. She helped test the meals and joined the company.
In 2018, Martha became a judge on Chopped, a cooking competition show. She also appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.
A gardening show called Martha Knows Best started on HGTV in 2020. On the show, Martha gives gardening advice and shows projects at her large estate. A second season aired later that year. A continuation called Martha Gets Down and Dirty premiered in 2021.
In 2020, Martha Stewart launched a line of CBD gummy supplements. In 2022, she announced her first podcast, The Martha Stewart Podcast. Snoop Dogg was the guest on the first episode. She also introduced three new shows on The Roku Channel in 2022: Martha Gardens, Martha Cooks, and Martha Holidays.
In May 2023, Martha Stewart was on the cover of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. At 81 years old, she was the oldest model to be featured.
Personal Life and Interests
In 1961, Martha married Andrew Stewart. Their only child, daughter Alexis, was born in 1965.
Martha is a big animal lover. She has champion show Chow Chow dogs, French Bulldogs, and Himalayan cats. She also has a Fell Pony named Ben Chunch and Friesian horses. After her daughter told her about fur farming, Martha stopped wearing real furs.
Martha's mother, Martha Kostyra, passed away in 2007 at age 93. Her family called her "Big Martha." She appeared on Martha Stewart Living many times.
Martha lives in Katonah, New York. She also has a large home on Mount Desert Island in Seal Harbor, Maine. This home, called Skylands, used to belong to car designer Edsel Ford. Its gardens were designed by a famous landscape architect, Jens Jensen.
In 2020, it was revealed on the TV show Finding Your Roots that Martha Stewart and Jimmy Kimmel are cousins!
Awards and Recognition
In 1995, Martha Stewart received the Golden Plate Award. This award is from the American Academy of Achievement.
In 1997, she was given an Edison Achievement Award. This was for her dedication to new ideas throughout her career.
In 2018, Martha Stewart was added to the New Jersey Hall of Fame.
In 2020, she was inducted into the Licensing International Hall of Fame.
Martha Stewart in Popular Culture
Martha Stewart has been shown and made fun of in many movies and TV shows. Two TV movies have been made about her life: Martha, Inc.: The Story of Martha Stewart (2003) and Martha: Behind Bars (2005). Actress Cybill Shepherd played Martha in both films. A character in the TV series Orange is the New Black, named Judy King, was loosely based on her.
She also made a brief appearance in the TV show High Maintenance. She was also in the 2016 comedy movie Bad Moms.
The 2024 documentary film Martha is about her life.
See also
- Martha, Inc.: The Story of Martha Stewart, 2003 NBC TV movie
- Martha: Behind Bars, 2005 TV movie
Images for kids
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The entrance to Federal Prison Camp, Alderson, where Stewart was confined.
