Joan Rivers, 81, died on Thursday due to complications from throat surgery.
The actress turned comedian began her career in the 1950s, but soon became known for her biting wit in her standup comedy, becoming an inspiration for many more funny women. More recently she had become known as an acerbic diva, hosting the popular E! television show The Fashion Police and weighing in on celebrity couture.
Watch Rivers’ greatest comedic quips spanning from the 1950s all the way to the present.
Joan Rivers: A Life of Laughter in Pictures
Joan Rivers, pictured here in 1965, was born Joan Alexandra Molinsky in Brooklyn N.Y. on June 8, 1933.Michael Ochs Archives/Getty ImagesRivers got her big break on "The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson" in 1965.Dan Grossi—APComedienne Joan Rivers making faces in a mirror on the street in New York City on March 1, 1966.Truman Moore—The TIME & LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesComedienne Joan Rivers wearing black mesh dress and heels, while talking on the phone in a bathtub in New York City on March 1, 1966. Truman Moore—The TIME & LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesJoan Rivers lights a cigar for her husband Edgar Rosenberg after giving birth to baby Melissa Frida, 6lb 13.5 oz, in New York City on Jan. 20, 1968.
New York Daily News/Getty ImagesJoan Rivers, Dick Cavett, and Liza Minnelli on This Morning, Feb. 12, 1968. ABC Photo Archives/Getty ImagesEd McMahon and host Joan Rivers on Kraft Music Hall on Aug. 21, 1968.NBC/Getty ImagesComedian Rodney Dangerfield (L) and actress Joan Rivers wrapping up Dick Cavett (C) in a scene from the Portnoy's Complaint, Jan. 1, 1969. Arthur Schatz—The TIME & LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesJoan Rivers with daughter Melissa at home in New York City in Nov., 1970.I C Rapoport/Getty ImagesProducer Edgar Rosenberg and wife comedian Joan Rivers during the Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson 10th Anniversary party on September 30, 1972 in New York City. NBC/Getty ImagesActress Joan Rivers guest stars on "The Carol Bunett Show" on Dec. 13, 1975 in Los Angeles.CBS Photo Archive/Getty ImagesOne of the many accolades that Rivers received during her life was being named "Woman of the Year" by Hasty Pudding Theatricals, the Harvard University drama group in 1984. She celebrated by riding a parade float through Harvard Square.Ted Gartland—APRivers' celebrity gave her the opportunity to meet prominent figures in show business and politics, including Nancy Reagan in 1984.Bettmann/CorbisRivers, pictured in 1985 with star wrestler Hulk Hogan, became a regular guest host of the Tonight Show in the early 1980s and published "The Life and Hard Times of Heidi Abramowitz," a best-seller, in 1984.APOprah Winfrey was one of the many that Rivers interviewed during her guest-hosting stints on "The Tonight Show" in 1986.NBC/Getty ImagesBy 1986, Rivers had been cut out of Carson's circle, having signed on to host "The Late Show Starring Joan Rivers" on Fox. Elton John, Cher and Pee Wee Herman joined Rivers for her first episode.Bob Galbraith—APRivers remained on "The Late Show " for less than a year before leaving Fox in 1987 and starting her work on "The Joan Rivers Talk Show" in 1989.Nick Ut—APJoan Rivers is honored with a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on July 26, 1989, at Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood Ron Galella—WireImage/Getty ImagesRivers, pictured with RuPaul in 1993, won a Daytime Emmy Award for hosting the eponymous "Joan Rivers Show" in 1990.Jim Cooper—APRivers, pictured with Kelly Osbourne and daughter Melissa in 2012, became best-known to younger generations for hosting E!'s red carpet pre-awards show for the Oscars.A. Ariani—Splash News/CorbisPictured here at the Sundance Film Festival in 2010, Rivers remained active up to her death, hosting internet talk show with her daughter Melissa, "In Bed with Joan."Andrea Collins—WireImage/Getty Images
