Rihanna grew up in Barbados and after moving to the US in 2005 while still in her late teens, she was able to get a recording contract with Jay-Z's Def Jam Recordings and had one of the biggest hits of that summer with a debut LP soon following.

2005

June
# Rihanna hit the Top 40 with "Pon De Replay."
July
# Rihanna hit the Top 10 with "Pon De Replay."
August
# Rihanna released her debut LP Music Of The Sun
September
# Rihanna hit #1 for a week with "Pon De Replay."
October
# Rihanna topped the Billboard Hot Dance Music Club Play chart and Dance Radio Airpay chart with "Pon De Replay."
# Rihanna hit the Top 40 with "If It's Lovin' That You Want."
December
# Rihanna hit the Top 10 with "If It's Lovin' That You Want."


2006

January
# Music Of The Sun was certified gold.
# The single "Pon De Replay" was certified 2x platinum.
February
# Rihanna hit the Top 40 with "SOS."
March
# Rihanna hit the Top 10 with "SOS."
# Rihanna will release her next LP A Girl Like Me in April.
April
# Rihanna hit #1 for 2 weeks with "SOS."
# Rihanna topped the Billboard Dance Airplay chart with "SOS."
# Rihanna released her next LP A Girl Like Me.
May
# Rihanna hit the Top 40 with "Unfaithful."
# Rihanna topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart, Pop 100 chart, Hot Dance Club Play chart, and Hot Digital Songs chart with "SOS."
# Rihanna topped the Canadian LP chart with A Girl Like Me.
June
# Rihanna hit the Top 10 with "Unfaithful."
July
# Rihanna topped the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart with the remixes of "Unfaithful."
# A Girl Like Me was certified platinum.
August
# Rihanna topped the Billboard Hot Dance Airplay chart with "Unfaithful."
# Rihanna won 2 Teen Choice Awards for Choice Music R&B Artist and Choice Music Breakout, Female.
# The video for "SOS" was nominated for 2 MTV Video Music Awards including Best New Artist and Viewer's Choice.
September
# Rihanna hit the Top 40 with "We Ride."
November
# Rihanna won a MTV Europe Music Award for Best R&B Artist.
# Rihanna hit the Top 40 with Sean Paul with "Break It Off."
December
# Rihanna topped the Billboard Year-End Charts as the Top Pop Artist - Female (singles & albums), Top Hot 100 Singles Artist - Female, Top Pop 100 Artist, and with the Top Hot Dance Airplay Track ("SOS").


2007

February
# Rihanna topped the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart with "We Ride."
# Rihanna hit the Top 10 with Sean Paul with "Break It Off."
April
# Rihanna hit the Top 40 with Jay-Z with "Umbrella."
May
# Rihanna topped the UK and Canada singles chart with Jay-Z with "Umbrella."
June
# Rihanna hit the Top 10 and #1 for 3 weeks with Jay-Z with "Umbrella."
# Rihanna topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart, Hot Digital Songs chart, Hot Digital Tracks chart, Hot Dance Airplay chart, and Pop 100 chart with Jay-Z with "Umbrella." # Rihanna released Good Girl Gone Bad.
# Rihanna could be heard on Fabolous' LP From Nothin' To Somethin' on the track "First Time."
# Rihanna topped the UK and Canadian LP charts with Good Girl Gone Bad.
# Rihanna hit the Top 40 with "Shut Up And Drive."
July
# Rihanna topped the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay chart and Hot Dance Club Play chart with Jay-Z with "Umbrella."
# On July 7th, Rihanna performed at the Live Earth concert in Japan. The 7-continent concert organized by Al Gore brought together over 100 artists to perform and raise the world's awareness about the climate crisis and how to make a difference to help the environment and the world.
August
# Rihanna hit the Top 10 with "Shut Up And Drive."
September
# Rihanna topped the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart with "Don't Stop The Music."
# Rihanna won 2 MTV Video Music Awards for Video of the Year and Monster Single of the Year ("Umbrella" with Jay-Z) and was nominated for Best Direction ( Chris Applebaum) ("Umbrella" with Jay-Z) and Female Artist of the Year.
# Rihanna hit the Top 40 with Ne-Yo with "Hate That I Love You."
October
# Rihanna hit the Top 10 with Ne-Yo with "Hate That I Love You."
# The single "Umbrella" was certified 2x platinum, "Unfaithful" was certified platinum, and "Pon De Replay" was certified gold.
November
# Good Girl Gone Bad was certified platinum.
# Rihanna won an American Music Award for Favorite Soul/R&B Female Artist. Rihanna also performed at the ceremony.
December
# Rihanna topped the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart with "Shut Up And Drive."
# Rihanna hit the Top 40 with "Don't Stop The Music."
# Rihanna was nominated for 6 Grammy Awards including Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration ("Umbrella" with Jay-Z), Best Dance Recording ("Don't Stop The Music") and Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group and Best R&B song ("Hate That I Love You" with Ne-Yo).


source: rock on the net