See Barbra Streisand’s Glamorous Life in Photos

At 19 years old, Brooklyn native Barbra Streisand made her Broadway debut in the musical I Can Get It for You Wholesale. Her star turn would earn a Tony nomination — the first of several — and open the door to a long career in show business.

Shortly thereafter, Barbra became a fixture on late-night shows, appearing on The Tonight Show, The Ed Sullivan Show and others, often performing her signature song: a pensive version of the normally upbeat tune "Happy Days Are Here Again." During an appearance on The Judy Garland Show, she made it a duet with Garland herself.

Young Barbra's profile soared so quickly early on she earned the opportunity to meet — and receive an autograph from — President John F. Kennedy at an event on May 24, 1963. It wouldn't be the last Commander in Chief she'd come across.

I Can Get It for You Wholesale didn't just introduce Barbra to the limelight. It also introduced her to costar Elliot Gould, a then unknown actor who would go on to star in movies like Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice, M*A*S*H, the Ocean's heist films and more. The pair wed on September 13, 1963 in Carson City, Nevada.

After a jam-packed year of recording, performing, and touring, Barbra returned to Broadway in 1964 to star as Fanny Brice in Funny Girl. The brand-new musical was a smash hit. In town for the film premiere of My Fair Lady, Audrey Hepburn paid a visit backstage.

Barbra's star power soon landed her a TV deal: her first television special called My Name Is Barbra. The three-act show would lead to an album, five Emmy awards and a Peabody Award.

That initial Emmy award put Barbra on the path to securing an EGOT, the coveted quartet of an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony. Already a rare feat, she would be the only person to win all of her competitive awards for her debut performances.

In support of her seventh album of the same name, Barbra performed the musical special Color Me Barbra on CBS in 1966. While the show include a menagerie of animals, the real novelty was that it was broadcast in color, a rarity at the time.

Elliot and Barbra welcomed their son Jason on December 29, 1966. He would go on to have his own acting career, but even as a toddler he got a taste of Hollywood — like with this trip to the set of Hello, Dolly! in 1968.

New Yorkers were treated to a one-of-kind performance when Barbra recorded her first live album in front of a record-breaking 135,000 people in Central Park. "I declare this park Miss Streisand’s," Parks Commissioner August Heckscher told the crowd before the start. "Streisand Park!" they replied.

After playing comedian Fanny Brice on stage, Barbra reprised the role for the film version of Funny Girl, her first movie — and a runaway hit. It became the highest-grossing movie of the year.

"Hello, gorgeous," Barbra said upon accepting her first Academy Award for Funny Girl — a nod to her first line in the film. The race for Best Actress actually ended in a tie that year, with Katherine Hepburn going home with her own gold statue for The Lion in Winter.

As audacious matchmaker Dolly Levi, Barbra returned to the silver screen once more. Reported as one of the most expensive movie musicals ever made, she still shone through the elaborate sets and costumes as "one of the few, mysteriously natural, unique performing talents of our time," New York Times critic Vincent Canby wrote.

Barbra ditched the corsets and feather hats for her next role in The Owl And The Pussycat, a romantic comedy with a decidedly more '70s wardrobe of mini dresses and white gogo boots. At this point in her career, she'd already released more than 10 albums.

Next up, Barbra joined actor Ryan O'Neal — of Love Story, Paper Moon and Barry Lyndon — for the screwball comedy What's Up, Doc?. The start of the '70s also marked the end of her marriage. In 1971, she divorced Elliot after eight years together.

Considered a classic romantic film, The Way We Were put Barbra's talents opposite Robert Redford and tapped her singing prowess for its musical theme of the same name. "The Way We Were" would later top Billboard charts as the number one pop hit of 1974.

Starting in the early '70s, Barbra began dating hairdresser Jon Peters. The high-profile relationship was both personal and professional; he later became her producer and manager. And while the pair would eventually split in the '80s, they remained friends. Barbra even became the godmother to his two daughters.

Before Lady Gaga (and after Judy Garland), Barbra Streisand wowed in her own version of A Star Is Born. She composed and performed its theme "Evergreen" in addition to playing up-and-coming singer Esther Hoffman alongside co-star and country singer Kris Kristofferson.

Months later, Barbra would make history at the Academy Awards, becoming the first woman composer to win Best Original Song — and also taking home Best Actress that night to boot.

Just like "Shallow," "Evergreen" also received a Grammy nomination — but Barbra would go on to win it. All in all, she's received 43 Grammy noms and won eight of them.