60 Rare Photos of Elizabeth Taylor Through the Years

From adorable child star to dazzling screen siren, Elizabeth Taylor built one of the most memorable careers in Hollywood history. However, between her many iconic films (National Velvet, Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolfe, and Cleopatra, to name a few) and tabloid-driven love life, there are few who saw the real Elizabeth. Now, eight years after her death, we take a look back on the icon's life in photos, including her many weddings. (Don't forget to learn more about the lives of other Hollywood icons, like Judy Garland and Marilyn Monroe, too!)

Elizabeth was born in Hampstead Garden, a suburb of London, England. Here, a five-year-old Elizabeth and her brother, Howard, pose with their family's golden retriever.

Elizabeth dresses casually for a day of caring after her many pets at her Californian home. Here, she gives her cocker spaniel Amy a bath.

Elizabeth, a huge animal lover, formed a special connection with King Charles, the horse cast as The Pie in National Velvet — so much so that after filming, the studio gifted Elizabeth the horse and she remained his owner until his death.

When the actress was only 13 years old she was already hugely famous thanks to her roles in films like Lassie Comes Home and National Velvet. Here she's seen being stopped for an autograph by a sailor.

Elizabeth had many pets, but here she's seen posing with three of her dogs, Twinkle, Monty, and Spot.

The movie star helps her mother in the kitchen as they prepare hamburgers and hot dogs for a barbecue.

The actress is photographed on the deck of the "SS Mary" departing from Southampton, England with her pet poodles, one of which was named Teeny.

Elizabeth enjoyed painting, especially at a young age. Here, the actress is seen painting outside in the summer of 1947 on the hood of a car.

Elizabeth is photographed relaxing in a bikini during a day at the beach in the summer of 1947. No doubt taking a break from a busy year, which included filming Life With Father.

Elizabeth and her boyfriend, American football player and Heisman Trophy winner Glenn Davis, attend a movie premiere together in 1945. The pair began dating while Glenn was on leave from the Army.

The British-born actress goofs around while feeding pigeons in Trafalgar Square in London.

Elizabeth gives fans a glimpse at how she achieves her movie star look as she poses at her vanity in 1948.

Even though Elizabeth was one of the biggest rising stars in the late '40s, she was still a teenager. Her education was done with a private tutor on set.

Elizabeth inspects a hot dog she's roasting while at a BBQ. For the event, the actress ditched her normal glam and instead opted for jeans and a cardigan.

Elizabeth gets a lesson from fellow actor Marshall Thompson on how to use a shot gun during a day at the beach.

A young Elizabeth appears fresh faced after washing her face. According to an interview with her former personal assistant, Tim Mendelson, Elizabeth was a fan of drugstore brands and incorporated affordable creams like Jergens into her routine: "She put cream on but she didn't use fancy brands," he said.

Elizabeth is seen reading a letter from her overseas boyfriend, Glenn Davis, next to a portrait of him. The young couple broke up later that year.

Elizabeth was very skilled at doing her own makeup — and actually preferred doing it herself. Here, the actress is seen putting the final touches on her lips.

At 17 years old, Elizabeth announced her engagement to 28-year-old Army Air Force veteran William D. Pawley Jr in 1949. Here, the newly-engaged couple pose together at his Miami home.

Elizabeth dresses comfortably as she curls up on her sofa for a quiet moment of reading.

The actress called off her engagement to William that same year. It's speculated that the cause of the split was due to the actress wanting to continue her career instead of settling into life as a homemaker. Here, Elizabeth is seen enjoying time with a friend by the ocean post-split.

The actress is seen sewing preserved flowers into a hair piece in 1950.

Elizabeth rebounded from her broken engagement with hotel heir Conrad Hilton Jr. The young couple were married in Beverly Hills on May 6, 1950. Their wedding was two days before the release of her new film, Father of the Bride, and served as major publicity for the movie. As a result, MGM paid for all the costs.

The actress' marriage to Conrad began to break down throughout its first year and the couple's divorce was finalized by 1951.

Elizabeth began seeing British actor Michael Wilding after her divorce from Conrad in 1951.

Elizabeth shows off her silly side by posing for a goofy photo while getting her hair washed.

Elizabeth wed beau Michael Wilding in February 1952. The two British-born actors had a low-key ceremony at Caxton Hall in London.

The actress dotes on a dachshund puppy given to her by her new husband, Michael, as a present for her return to Los Angeles.

Taylor is photographed during a photo shoot with wardrobe while on set for The Girl Who Had Everything, her 17th film, which premiered in 1953.

Elizabeth and Michael Wilding welcomed their first child together, a son named Michael Jr., in 1953.

Elizabeth didn't take much time to recover from the birth of her first child. The actress was back to work in 1954 promoting her new film, The Last Time I Saw Paris.

Elizabeth is seen leaning against her dressing room trailer and smoking a cigarette during a break from filming on the set of Giant.

Here, a candid photo shows Elizabeth enjoying a day at the beach with friends.

Elizabeth and Michael decided to end their marriage after five years and two children together. The divorce was finalized in 1957, although the union ended before then.

Elizabeth moved on from Michael Wilding with film producer Mike Todd, who she married in Acapulco, Mexico in 1957.

The newlyweds pose for a photo while on honeymoon their in Mexico.

Elizabeth gave birth to her first daughter, and third child, with husband Mike in 1957. The couple named her Elizabeth Frances Todd.

A year after their nuptials and birth of their daughter, Mike died in a plane crash. His sudden death left the widowed Elizabeth grief-stricken and traumatized.

After Mike's death, Elizabeth leaned on friend Eddie Fisher. It was then that the two began a scandalous affair. Eddie was married to actress Debbie Reynolds at the time, and their romance resulted in Elizabeth being labeled as a homewrecker.

Despite their relationship beginning in scandal, Elizabeth and Eddie married in 1959 in Las Vegas.

The actress poses on a beach for her newest film, Suddenly, Last Summer, which she costarred in with Montgomery Clift and Katharine Hepburn.

The actress is seen relaxing as she lays out for a sun tan during a break on set.

Elizabeth smiles while her Academy Award for Best Actress in Butterfield 8 rests on the table.

Elizabeth meets her family at the airport after Eddie flew the children over to Rome where the actress was filming Cleopatra.

Elizabeth and her son Michael are seen playing bumper cars at the circus in 1961.

Elizabeth, who did most of her dazzling makeup for the film Cleopatra, is seen fixing her eyeliner while her two sons look on.

During a visit on the set of Cleopatra in 1961, Elizabeth and Eddie are seen cuddling while he chats up Liz's costar, Richard Burton. However, Elizabeth and Eddie would divorce in 1962 and it would later be revealed that Richard and Elizabeth had an affair throughout filming.

Elizabeth and Richard's relationship was exposed as photos emerged of them on vacation in Italy. Richard was married at the time and the Vatican officially condemned the couple and attempted to ban them from returning into the country. The two continued their relationship, regardless.

Elizabeth and Eddie arranged to adopt a little girl from Germany before their marriage crumbled. In 1962, Elizabeth went through with the adoption with the help of then-beau Richard Burton and named the child Maria Burton.

Elizabeth wore a marigold, long sleeve dress and an elaborate white flowered hairpiece for her wedding to Richard Burton in Montreal, Canada.

Elizabeth and Richard starred in numerous films together throughout their marriage. While filming Boom! in 1967, the couple moved their family aboard their yacht (named Kalizma) in Sardinia, Italy.

Elizabeth and her eldest son, Michael, are seen walking arm in arm. Throughout her many turbulent marriages, the actress always remained a loving and present mother to her four children.

This candid shot of Elizabeth shows her working in a recording studio in California in 1970, however it's unclear what she was working on.

Elizabeth is dialed into the '70s fashion cues as she leaves the airport in London, wearing a floral peasant dress and large gold hoops.

Elizabeth dresses in floral boots and white hot pants for a day out with her eldest daughter, Elizabeth Liza Todd.

Elizabeth is photographed in Gstaad, Switzerland with her husband Richard and her first grandchild, Laela Wilding.

Elizabeth and Richard had a turbulent marriage. The pair split in 1975, only to reconcile and remarry that same year, and divorce again the following year.

Elizabeth married John Warner shortly after her second divorce from Richard was finalized in 1976.

Elizabeth popped into Pedigree Pet Shop in New York City in 1985 for a visit, though she left empty handed.

In 1991, Elizabeth married construction worker Larry Fortensky, which was her eighth and final marriage. The actress and her seventh husband, met at the Betty Ford Center in 1988 and dated for three years before tying the knot on Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch. They divorced in 1996 and Elizabeth never remarried.