Paris Whitney Hilton was born February 17, 1981, to Richard Hilton and Kathy Richards. The oldest of four children, she is an heiress to a share of the Hilton Hotel fortune as well as to her father's real estate fortune.

Born in New York City, Hilton moved between several homes during her childhood, including Manhattan, Beverly Hills and the Hamptons. She attended high school in both California and New York, but dropped out and eventually earned her GED.

Hilton began modeling as a child, appearing in numerous ad campaigns, including Iceberg Vodka, GUESS, Tommy Hilfiger, Christian Dior and Marciano. By the age of 19, she had developed a reputation as a socialite, and was often referred to as "New York's leading It Girl."

In 2003, just a week before her reality show The Simple Life premiered, a three-year-old homemade sex video of Hilton with then-boyfriend Rick Salomon surfaced. Hilton sued Salomon over the release of the tape, but eventually settled out of court. Meanwhile, The Simple Life premiered on December 2, 2003, and became a mid-season hit for Fox, fueled by the publicity of the sex tape. The show featured Hilton and Nicole Richie (Lionel Richie's adopted daughter) working at a variety of blue collar jobs and performing chores associated with farm life. Two more seasons followed, but the network decided to cancel prior to the 4th season due to a falling out between Hilton and Richie. E! Entertainment Television picked up the fourth season, with a fifth season beginning in May 2007.

Born: February 17, 1981
Died: --

Famous For: Socialite; heiress; model; actress; writer; popularized the phrase, "That's Hot."

Key Accomplishments: Debut album, Paris, reached number 6 on Billboard 200; autobiography, Confessions of an Heiress, was a New York Times bestseller.

Significant Quote: "Because I'm Paris Hilton." (on why she would not pose for Playboy in 2006)

Fun Quote: "I'm not like that smart. I like forget stuff all the time."

Hilton has had minor roles in such films as Nine Lives (2002), Raising Helen (2004), The Hillz (2004) and House of Wax (2005). She also has a leading role in an upcoming move, The Hottie and the Nottie (2008) plus an untitled superhero movie. There are also plans to lend