Letter Perfect Interactive Timeline

Letter Perfect The National Spelling Bee was formed in 1925 as a consolidation of numerous local spelling bees, organized by the Louisville Courier-Journal and having nine competitors. Later, the E.W. Scripps Company acquired the rights to the program. The competition is open to the winners of sponsored regional spelling bees, under age 16, held mostly throughout the United States.

2009 Winning Word: LAODICEAN Kavya Shivashankar, 13, of Olathe, Kansas, wins the finals of the Scripps National Spelling Bee, in Washington, on Thursday, May 28, 2009. In the background her parents, Sandy Shivashankar, left, and Mirle Shivashankar celebrate.

2008 Winning Word: GUERDON Thirteen-year-old Sameer Mishra, from West Lafayette, Ind., reacts to spelling his word - which, appropriately, means "something that one has earned or gained" - to win the 2008 Scripps National Spelling Bee on Friday, May 30, 2008, in Washington.

2007 SERREFINE Evan Dorney, 13, a home-schooled eighth grader from Danville, Calif., wins the 80th annual National Spelling Bee on May 31, 2007. O'Dorney said he knew how to spell the winning word, a noun describing small forceps, as soon as the pronouncer said it.

2006 URSPRACHE Katharine Close, of Spring Lake, N.J. reacts to winning the 2006 National Spelling Bee, Thursday, June 1, 2006, in Washington, D.C. The championship rounds of the 79th annual compeition were broadcast live for the first time on network television.

2005 APPOGGIATURA Anurag Kashyap, 13, of Poway, Calif., is interviewed after winning the 78th annual National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C., Thursday, June 2, 2005.  Photos: 2005 Spelling Bee

2004 AUTOCHTHONOUS David Scott Pilarski Tidmarsh, 14, of South Bend, Ind., won the National Spelling Bee during the 15th round on Thursday, June 3, 2004. David tied for 16th place in the 2003 national finals.

2003 POCOCURANTE Sai R. Gunturi of Dallas, Texas, won the 76th annual National Spelling Bee on May 29, 2003, in Washington, D.C. Gunturi out-spelled 250 others and laughed when he heard the winning word because he had studied it.

2002 PROSPICIENCE Pratyush Buddiga, 13, of Colorado Springs, Colo. holds the winner's trophy after winning the 75th annual National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C., Thursday, May 30, 2002.

2001 SUCCEDANEUM Sean Conley, 13, of Anoka, Minn., flanked by his parents Bry, left, and Mike, after winning the National Spelling winner. Conley survived 16 rounds, outlasting 247 other competitors.

2000 DEMARCHE George Abraham Thampy of Maryland Heights, Mo., won the 2000 Scripps Howard National Spelling Bee. The 12-year-old, who is schooled at home, tied for fourth in 1998 and finished in a third-place tie in 1999.

1990s 1990: Amy Marie Dimak, Wash.: FIBRANNE 1991: Joanne Lagatta, Wisc.: ANTIPYRETIC 1992: Amanda Goad, Va: LYCEUM 1993: Geoff Hooper,Tenn.: KAMIKAZE 1994: Ned G. Andrews, Tenn.: ANTEDILUVIAN 1995: Justin Tyler Carroll, Tenn.: XANTHOSIS 1996: Wendy Guey, Fla.: VIVISEPULTURE 1997: Rebecca Sealfon, N.Y.: EUONYM 1998: Jody-Anne Maxwell, Jamaica: CHIAROSCURIST 1999: Nupur Lala, Fla: LOGORRHEA

1980s 1980: Jacques Bailly, Colo.: ELUCUBRATE 1981: Paige Pipkin, Texas: SARCOPHAGUS 1982: Molly Dieveney, Colo.: PSORIASIS 1983: Blake Giddens, Texas: PURIM 1984: Daniel Greenblatt, Va.: LUGE 1985: Balu Natarajan, Ill.: MILIEU 1986: Jon Pennington, Pa.: ODONTALGIA 1987: Stephanie Petit, Pa.: STAPHYLOCOCCI 1988: Rageshree Ramachandran, Calif.:ELEGIACAL 1989: Scott Isaacs, Colo.: SPOLIATOR

1970s 1970: Libby Childress, N.C.: CROISSANT 1971: Jonathan Knisely, Pa.: SHALLOON 1972: Robin Kral, Texas: MACERATE 1973: Barrie Trinkle, Texas: VOUCHSAFE 1974: Julie Ann Junkin, Ala.: HYDROPHYTE 1975: Hugh Tosteson, Puerto Rico: INCISOR 1976: Tim Kneale, N.Y.: NARCOLEPSY 1977: John Paola, Pa.:CAMBIST 1978: Peg McCarthy, Kansas: DEIFICATION 1979: Katie Kerwin, Colo.: MACULATURE

1960s 60: Henry Feldman, TN: EUDAEMONIC 61: John Capehart, OK: SMARAGDINE 62: Nettie Crawford, TX & Michael Day, MO: ESQUAMULOSE 63: Glen Van Slyke III, TN: EQUIPAGE 64: William Kerek, OH: SYCOPHANT 65: Michael Kerpan Jr., OK: ECZEMA 66: Robert A. Wake, TX: RATOON 67: Jennifer Reinke, NE: CHIHUAHUA 68: Robert L. Walters, KS: ABALONE 69: Susan Yoachum, TX: INTERLOCUTORY

1950s 50: Diana Reynard, OH; Colquitt Dean, GA: METICULOSITY 51: Irving Belz, TN: INSOUCIANT 52: Doris Ann Hall, NC: VIGNETTE 53: Elizabeth Hess, AZ: SOUBRETTE 54: William Cashore, PA: TRANSEPT 55: Sandra Sloss, MO: CRUSTACEOLOGY 56: Melody Sachko, PA: CONDOMINIMUM 57: Sandra Owen, OH & Dana Bennett, CO.: SCHAPPE 58: Jolitta Schlehuber, KS: SYLLEPSIS 59: Joel Montgomery, CO: CATAMARAN

1940s 1940: Laurel Kuykendall, Tenn.: THERAPY 1941: Louis Edward Sissman, Mich. INITIALS 1942: Richard Earnhart, Texas: SACRILEGIOUS 1946: John McKinney, Iowa: SEMAPHORE 1947: Mattie Lou Pollard, Ga.: CHLOROPHYLL 1948: Jean Chappelear, Ohio: PSYCHIATRY 1949: Kim Calvin, Ohio: DULCIMER

1930s 1930: Helen Jensen, Iowa: FRACAS 1931: Ward Randall, Ill.: FOULARD 1932: Dorothy Greenwald, Iowa: KNACK 1933: Alma Roach, Ohio: TORSION 1934: Sarah Wilson, Maine: DETERIORATING 1935: Clara Mohler, Ohio: INTELLIGIBLE 1936: Jean Trowbridge, Iowa: INTERNING 1937: Waneeta Beckley, Ky.: PROMISCUOUS 1938: Marian Richardson, Ky.:SANITARIUM 1939: Elizabeth Ann Rice, Mass.: CANONICAL

1920s 1925: Frank Neuhauser, Ky.: GLADIOLUS 1926: Pauline Bell, Ky.: ABROGATE 1927: Dean Lucas, Ohio: LUXURIANCE 1928: Betty Robinson, Ind.: ALBUMEN 1929: Virginia Hogan, Neb.: ASCETICISM

Credits: CBS, AP, Scripps Howard