Roseann “Rosie” O’Donnell (born March 21, 1962) is an eleven-time Emmy Award-winning American comedian, television talk show host, author, and film, television, and stage actress.

She’s 46!

She has also been magazine editor and continues to be a celebrity blogger, LGBT civil rights activist, television producer and collaborative partner in the LGBT family vacation company R Family Vacations.

Raised Irish Catholic, O’Donnell lost her mother to cancer as a pre-teen and has consistently stressed values of protecting children and supporting families throughout her career. O’Donnell started her comedy career while still a teenager and her big break was on the talent show Star Search. A TV sitcom and a series of movies introduced the comic to a wider audience and in 1996 she started hosting The Rosie O’Donnell Show which won multiple Emmy awards.

During her years on The Rosie O’Donnell Show she wrote her first book, a memoir called Find Me and developed a reputation for being “the queen of nice” as well as a reputation for charitable philanthropy. She used the book’s $3 million advance to establish her own For All Kids foundation and promoted numerous other charity schemes and projects encouraging other celebrities on her show to also take part. O’Donnell came out officially as a “dyke” two months before finishing her talk show run, she cited her primary reason was to bring attention to gay adoption issues. O’Donnell is a foster — and adoptive — mother. She has since continued to support many LGBT causes and issues.

In 2006 O’Donnell became the new moderator on The View boosting ratings and attracting controversies with her more liberal views and strong personality arguably dominating many of the conversations. She became a polarizing figure to many conservatives and her strong opinions resulted in several notable controversies including an on-air dispute regarding The Bush administration’s policies with the war in Iraq resulting in her pre-maturely ending her contract. In 2007 O’Donnell also released her second memoir, Celebrity Detox, which focuses on her struggles with fame and her time at The View. She continues to do charity work and remains focused on LGBT and family-related issues.

O’Donnell, the third of five children, was born in Bayside, Queens, New York, the daughter of Roseann Teresa (née Murtha), a homemaker, and Edward Joseph O’Donnell, an electrical engineer who worked in the defense industry. O’Donnell’s father had immigrated from County Donegal, Ireland during his childhood, and her mother was Irish American; O’Donnell was raised Catholic. Four days before her 11th birthday on March 17, 1973, O’Donnell’s mother died of breast cancer. O’Donnell was raised in Commack, New York.

In high school, she began exploring her comic interest beginning with a high school skit in which she imitated Gilda Radner’s character Roseanne Rosannadanna. After graduating, O’Donnell briefly attended Dickinson College, later transferring to, and then dropping out of, Boston University.

Personal Life:

On February 26, 2004, O’Donnell married Kelli Carpenter, a former Nickelodeon marketing executive, in San Francisco two weeks after SF’s Mayor Gavin Newsom authorized the granting of marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Her decision to go to San Francisco to marry Carpenter was done as a show of defiance against President George W. Bush over his support for the Federal Marriage Amendment.

“We were both inspired to come here after the sitting president made the vile and hateful comments he made… One thought ran through my mind on the plane out here - with liberty and justice for all.”

Other March 21st Birthdays:

Timothy Dalton/Actor -62
Eddie Money/Singer -59
Gary Oldman/Actor -50
Kevin Federline/Unknown -30
Matthew Broderick/Actor -46