Meryl Streep is a two-time Academy Award-winning and six-time Golden Globe-winning American actress. Streep has tackled many tough roles in her decades long career, maintaining her presence as one of the most talented and fearless actresses in American film history.

Streep has received a staggering 16 Academy Award nominations in her career. She has also won two Primetime Emmy Awards, and been nominated for five Grammy Awards and a Tony Award.

Streep received her 16th nomination for her role as Julia Childs in the Nora Ephron directed film Julie & Julia. The film showcases the plight of Julie Powell (played by Amy Adams) as she attempts to spice up her life, literally and figuratively, by cooking every single recipe from Childs's 1961 cookbook Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Powell then blogs entries based on attempting every single recipe in the book. As the film tells Powell's story, it also intersperses scenes from Childs's life as she attempts to learn French cooking and compile the recipes which become the book.

Streep's highly celebrated performance was loved by critics, but failed to take home the award. The Oscar went to Sandra Bullock instead.

Streep is widely considered to be one of the finest actresses in the history of film, and has certainly dominated the movie business for nearly half a century. In terms of Academy Award honors, she not only has the record for most career acting nominations with 16, but also the mark for having been nominated specifically for Best Actress 13 times.

She won for Best Supporting Actress in 1979 for Kramer vs. Kramer and for Best Actress in 1982 for Sophie's Choice. Her other two Best Supporting Actress nominations were for the films The Deer HJunter and Adaptation.

The list of films for which she has been nominated for Best Actress, in addition to her win for Sophie's Choice and her current nomination for Julie & Julia, are:

• The French Lieutenant's Woman
• Silkwood
• Out of Africa
• Ironweed
• A Cry in the Dark
• Postcards from the Edge
• The Bridges of Madison County
• One True Thing
• Music of the Heart
• The Devil Wears Prada
• Doubt

• Note: Many of the links in this timeline are to IMDb, which has pop-ups.

• June 22, 1949: Born

• (1978) The Deer Hunter: IMDb | Mahalo | Rotten Tomatoes

• (1979) Kramer vs. Kramer: IMDb | Rotten Tomatoes

• (1981) The French Lieutenant's Woman: IMDb | Rotten Tomatoes

• (1982) Sophie's Choice: IMDb | Rotten Tomatoes

• (1983) Silkwood: IMDb | Rotten Tomatoes

• (1985) Out Of Africa: IMDb | Mahalo | Rotten Tomatoes

• (1987) Ironweed: IMDb | Rotten Tomatoes

• (1988) Evil Angels: IMDb

• (1990) Postcards from the Edge: IMDb | Rotten Tomatoes

• (1995) The Bridges of Madison County: IMDb | Rotten Tomatoes

• (1998) One True Thing: IMDb | Rotten Tomatoes

• (1999) Music of the Heart: IMDb | Rotten Tomatoes

• (2002) Adaptation: IMDb | Rotten Tomatoes

• (2006) The Devil Wears Prada: IMDb | Mahalo | Rotten Tomatoes

• (2007) Rendition: IMDb | Mahalo | Rotten Tomatoes

• (2007) Lions for Lambs: IMDb | Mahalo | Rotten Tomatoes

• (2008) Mamma Mia!: IMDb | Rotten Tomatoes

• (2008) Doubt: IMDb | Mahalo | Rotten Tomatoes

• (2009) Julie and Julia: IMDb | Rotten Tomatoes

• (2009) Fantastic Mr Fox: IMDb | Rotten Tomatoes

• (2009) It's Complicated: IMDb | Rotten Tomatoes