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First lady Michelle Obama, who turns 50 this year, has accomplished in a half-century what takes many people a lifetime: She earned degrees from Princeton and Harvard Law and went on to work for a Chicago law firm, where she met her future husband, President Barack Obama. She later entered academia and public service. Obama, who will celebrate her birthday January 17, grew up on the South Side of Chicago the daughter of a homemaker and a utility worker. Click through the gallery for facts on other notable women turning 50 in 2014.

Actor Courteney Cox became a friendly face in Hollywood thanks to her portrayal of Monica Geller on NBC's hit sitcom "Friends." Cox's TBS series "Cougar Town," which she stars in and produces, focuses on ladies over 40 in the dating game. Cox will turn 50 on June 15.

Basketball hall-of-famer Cheryl Miller is a 6-foot-3 former forward who garnered NCAA scoring records at the University of Southern California. Miller led the U.S. women's team to a gold medal at the 1984 Olympics and went on to coach at her alma mater. She offers commentary and sideline reporting for the NBA. Miller was born on January 3, 1964, and her brothers are former NBA star Reggie Miller (pictured) and former major league catcher Darrell Miller.

Media personality and politician Sarah Palin became the first female and youngest governor of Alaska in 2006. Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain selected Palin to serve as his vice-presidential running mate in 2008. Born February 11, 1964, in Sandpoint, Idaho, Palin was a standout on her high school's championship women's basketball team in Wasilla, Alaska. She went on to study journalism at the University of Idaho.

Actor Mariska Hargitay plays New York Police Detective Olivia Benson on NBC's "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit." Hargitay was born to actor Jayne Mansfield and onetime Mr. Universe Mickey Hargitay on January 23, 1964, and is the founder of Joyful Heart Foundation, an organization that supports women who have experienced sexual abuse or domestic violence.

Television journalist Hoda Kotb co-anchors the fourth hour of the "Today" show along with Kathy Lee Gifford. Kotb is a breast cancer survivor and author of the book "Hoda: How I Survived War Zones, Bad Hair, Cancer and Kathie Lee." She was born in Norman, Oklahoma, on August 9, 1964, to Egyptian-American parents and has reported on a range of topics, from Hurricane Katrina to the war in Iraq.

U.S. Rep. Renee Ellmers was elected in 2010 to represent North Carolina's 2nd district. She sits on the Energy and Commerce Committee, focusing on health care, oversight, and communications and technology. She is also chairwoman of the Republican Women's Policy Committee, a caucus comprised of all 19 female Republican members of the U.S. House of Representatives. Her birthday is February 9.

Emmy Award-winning television writer, comedian and actor Wanda Sykes is known for her witty and biting stage work. Born in Portsmouth, Virginia, on March 7, 1964, Sykes worked at the National Security Agency after college. She became the first African-American woman and openly gay entertainer to headline the White House Correspondents' Association dinner.

Model Elle Macpherson rose to fame in the 1980s with commercials and magazine spreads, including appearances in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue and many issues of Elle. Recently, she was the host of NBC's "Fashion Star," and has worked to raise awareness of many causes, including AIDS and the children of alcoholics. Macpherson was born March 29, 1964, in Australia.

Melinda Gates earned a degree in computer science and worked as a project manager at Microsoft before she married the company's founder, Bill Gates, in 1994. She is a mother of three and philanthropist who aims to improve health care, reduce poverty and expand access to information technology through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. She was born in Dallas on August 15, 1964.

Gigi Fernandez was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on February 22, 1964, and began playing the tennis at age 3. She went on to win 17 Grand Slam doubles titles and was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2010. She is now director of a Connecticut tennis program, as well as a mother of twins. (Here she is pictured with Chef Marc Anthony Bynum at the pre-U.S. Open BNP Paribas Taste of Tennis in New York in 2011.)

Also known as the Striking Viking, Ewa Mataya Laurance is a professional pool player who has won titles worldwide. She fell in love with pocket billiards in her hometown of Gavle, Sweden, after following her older brother into local billiard room. She moved to the United States to pursue her dream when she was 17, earning consecutive spots on the Women's Professional Tour. Though she continues to play billiards, she has also taken up golf, participating in charity events around the United States. She turns 50 on February 26.

Singer Wynonna Judd rose to country music fame alongside her mother, Naomi, as part of the duo The Judds, and continued as a solo success with songs like "She is His Only Need" and "I Saw the Light." The Kentucky native was born May 30, 1964, and was a contestant on "Dancing with the Stars" in 2013.

Actor Bridget Fonda made her film debut at age 5 in "Easy Rider," and appeared in films such as "Single White Female," "Singles," "A Simple Plan" and "Jackie Brown." Born January 27, 1964, she's the granddaughter of Henry Fonda, daughter of Peter Fonda and niece of Jane Fonda. She is married to composer Danny Elfman.

Eva Moskowitz is the founder and CEO of the Success Academy Charter Schools, which serve primarily high-risk, low-income inner city kids in New York City. She also is a former city councilwoman. Moskowitz was born on March 4, 1964, and grew up in the New York City school system, an experience that planted the seed to reform the city's education.

Singer-songwriter Tracy Chapman is a four-time Grammy winning artist, known for songs such as "Fast Car," "Give Me One Reason" and "Telling Stories." The Cleveland-born Tufts University graduate was born March 30, 1964.

Justice Annette Kingsland Ziegler, who serves on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, turns 50 on March 6, 2014. Prior to being elected a judge the State Supreme Court, Ziegler served on the Washington County Circuit Court and worked as a federal prosecutor.

Actor Juliette Binoche won an Academy Award for best supporting actress for "The English Patient" in 1996 and was nominated for best actress for "Chocolat" in 2000. Binoche has long alternated between roles in English and French languages, and won the best actress award at Cannes for the film "Certified Copy" in 2010. She was born March 9, 1964.

World-record-setting speed skater Bonnie Blair has won five Olympic gold medals and one bronze in four Olympic Games -- the only American speed skater to do so until Apolo Ohno won eight medals in 2010. Born in Cornwall, New York on March 18, 1964, she grew up in Champaign, Illinois. She is married to fellow Olympic speed skater Dave Cruikshank and they have two children.

Courtney Love, the former singer and guitarist for alternative rock band Hole, remains a symbol of the 90s grunge music scene and excess. Married to Nirvana's Kurt Cobain until his suicide in 1994, Love has been locked in legal disputes with other former Nirvana members. Love, who was born on July 9, 1964, continues to create music and court controversy. Her memoir is expected to be published this year.

Astronomer and astrophysicist Kim Weaver is currently an adjunct professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the Johns Hopkins University. She is best known for her continued concentration in X-ray astronomy at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. Weaver was born on April 19, 1964, in Morgantown, West Virginia.

TV and film writer-director Lisa Cholodenko's film "The Kids Are All Right" was nominated for an Academy Award for best original screenplay and won a Golden Globe Award for best musical or comedy in 2010. The film drew from her experiences having a child with her partner, Wendy Melvoin, via sperm donor. Cholodenko was born June 5, 1964. Pictured with her is Stuart Blumberg, who co-wrote the screenplay for "The Kids Are All Right."

Writer Hope Edelman is the author of nonfiction works "Motherless Daughters," "Motherless Mothers" and the memoir "The Possibility of Everything," about her family's journey after her daughter began exhibiting strange, disruptive behavior. She also co-wrote the memoir "Along the Way," with Martin Sheen and Emilio Estevez (pictured). Edelman, who was born June 17, 1964, studied journalism at Northwestern University and nonfiction writing at the University of Iowa.

Comedic actor Molly Shannon was a cast member on "Saturday Night Live" from 1995 to 2001, and starred in the film "Superstar." Shannon was born September 16, 1964, in Ohio, and studied drama at New York University.

Jennifer Doudna is a professor of chemistry and molecular cell biology at the University of California. She is also an investigator with the prestigious Howard Hughes Medical Institute, where her research focuses on understanding how RNA molecules in cells and viruses control gene expression by regulating the synthesis and localization of proteins. Her 50th birthday is February 19.

Actor Laura Linney has won four Emmy awards, two Golden Globes and a SAG award in addition to her multiple Academy Award and Tony award nominations. Equally at home on Broadway, television and film, Linney was born in Manhattan on February 5, 1964, and studied acting at Brown University and Juilliard -- where she holds an honorary doctorate of fine arts.

Radio and TV host Laura Ingraham is a conservative political commentator who graduated from Dartmouth College and the University of Virginia Law School and clerked for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. "The Laura Ingraham Show" debuted in 2001 and appears on stations around the country. She was born June 19, 1964.

Author Joanne Harris wrote the successful novel "Chocolat" while working as a teacher. It went on to be made into an Oscar-nominated film starring Juliette Binoche and Johnny Depp. Harris was born July 3, 1964, in England to a French mother and English father.

Yeardley Smith is a French-born writer and actor who is most recognizable as the voice of Lisa Simpson on the long-running show "The Simpsons." She won a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance in 1992. Smith, born on July 3, 1964, has since branched out into shoe design with her own label, Marchez Vous.

Teresa Edwards is the only American basketball player -- male or female -- to compete in five Olympics, earning four gold medals and one bronze. As a professional basketball player she played for teams in Europe and Asia before returning to the states to play and coach in the American Basketball League and the WNBA. In 2011 she was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Edwards will turn 50 on July 19.

Actor Sandra Bullock has appeared in Hollywood blockbusters like the "Speed" franchise and romantic comedies such as "While You Were Sleeping." She won a best-actress Oscar award for her role in 2009's "The Blind Side." Bullock was born on July 26, 1964 in Arlington, Virginia, to a voice coach father and opera singer mother. She grew up singing and dancing and later settled on acting as her career of choice.

Actor Vivica A. Fox is best known for her roles in "Independence Day," "Soul Food" and "Kill Bill." She was born on July 30, 1964, in South Bend, Indiana, the youngest of four children. She fills her time with television roles, hosting reality programs and producing plays.

Tony- and Golden Globe-award-winning actor Mary Louise Parker captivated audiences with her portrayal of Nancy Botwin, the suburban mom who sold marijuana, on "Weeds." Parker was born on August 2, 1964, in Fort Jackson, South Carolina, and recently starred in "R.I.P.D." and "Red 2."

Journalist Katherine Boo is a staff writer at the New Yorker who has won a Pulitzer Prize, MacArthur "genius" award and, in 2012, a National Book Award for "Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity." She was born August 12, 1964.

Actor and dancer Rosie Perez appeared in director Spike Lee's ground-breaking film "Do the Right Thing," was a dancer on "Soul Train" and choreographed music videos as well as the Fly Girls on "In Living Color." She's appeared on Broadway, was nominated for an Oscar and is an activist for Puerto Rican rights. She was born in Brooklyn, New York, on September 6, 1964.

Actor Holly Robinson-Peete has appeared on television's "21 Jump Street," "The Talk," "Mike and Molly" and "Celebrity Apprentice." She founded the HollyRod Foundation with her husband, former NFL player Rodney Peete, to raise awareness about Parkinson's disease and autism -- two causes with which her family has had personal experiences. She was born on September 18, 1964.

Country music singer and cookbook author Trisha Yearwood was born on September 19, 1964, in Monticello, Georgia. The Grammy award winner and Food Network host currently lives in Oklahoma with her husband, Garth Brooks, and family.

Actor and comedian Janeane Garofalo was the quintessential acerbic Gen Xer in 1990s movies like "Reality Bites" and "The Truth About Cats & Dogs." The "Saturday Night Live" alum was born in Newton, New Jersey, on September 28, 1964. When she's not touring the country as a stand-up comic or spoken word performer, she is a sometimes-controversial liberal political activist and a writer.

Umbrian-born Monica Bellucci is a former model and actor who appears in Italian, French and English-language cinema. For those in the States, she is most recognizable for her roles in "The Matrix" sequels and "The Passion of the Christ." Bellucci will celebrate her 50th birthday on September 30.

Gospel singer Priscilla "CeCe" Marie Winans Love has sold 12 million records worldwide. She was born in Detroit on October 8, 1964, the eighth of 10 children. The Grammy-winning mother, author, songwriter and actor has paired up with brother BeBe for a successful gospel duo career as well.

California Attorney General Kamala D. Harris is the first woman, the first African-American, and the first South Asian to hold the office in the state's history. Born in Oakland, California, on Oct. 20, 1964, Harris served two terms as district attorney of San Francisco. She defeated a two-term incumbent when she was elected district attorney in 2003 and was overwhelmingly elected to a second term in November 2007.

American swimmer Mary Meagher Plant earned the nickname "Madame Butterfly" for her record-breaking times in the 100- and 200-meter fly in various competitions. She set her first record, in the 200 meters, at the 1979 Pan American Games, at age 14. She set the 100-meter record in 1981. Both records stood for nearly two decades. She was born in Louisville, Kentucky, on October 27, 1964, the 10th of 11 children.

Journalist and author Jean Chatzky is the financial editor for the "Today" show, and regularly offers up financial advice at the website SavvyMoney.com and at her blog at jeanchatzy.com. She was born November 7, 1964, grew up around the Midwest and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, where she first decided journalism should be her path.

Actor Calista Flockhart cemented her stardom on the television series "Ally McBeal" with her chatty character, frantic love life and micro-mini-skirt suits. She was born in Freeport, Illinois, on November 11, 1964, but her family moved often. She now has her own family, with movie star husband Harrison Ford and son Liam.

Grammy-winning pianist and vocalist Diana Krall will be singing "happy birthday" to herself on November 16, 2014. Krall, known for her contralto voice, is married to another legendary musician, Elvis Costello.

Susan Rice followed has had a varied career as a U.S. diplomat, Brookings Institute fellow, political adviser and ambassador to the United Nations. She now serves as national security adviser. Born in Washington, D.C., on November 17, 1964, she was inspired to enter government at a young age, found a mentor in family friend Madeleine Albright and has served in two presidents' administrations.

Journalist Rita Cosby is a special correspondent for "Inside Edition," who has also worked for Fox News and NBC. She was born November 18, 1964, and in 2010 published the memoir, "Quiet Hero: Secrets From My Father's Past," about her father's experience as a prisoner of war in Germany who was rescued by U.S. troops.

U.S. Rep. Yvette Clarke, D-New York, was born to Jamaican parents on November 21, 1964, in the Flatbush district of Brooklyn, which she now represents. Prior to being elected to the House, Clarke served on the New York City Council after succeeding her mother, Una Clarke, making them the first mother-daughter succession in the council's history.

Marisa Tomei got her start in television on the soap opera "As the World Turns" and "Cosby Show" spinoff "A Different World." She won an Oscar for best supporting actress for her role in "My Cousin Vinny," and has worked steadily in quirky movies ever since. Tomei was born in Brooklyn on December 4, 1964, to Italian-American parents.

Actor Teri Hatcher played Lois Lane in "Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman," and Susan Mayer in "Desperate Housewives," for which she won a best actress Golden Globe. Hatcher was born December 8, 1964, in California.

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Tune in at 10 p.m. ET Friday, January 17, for CNN's documentary, "An Extraordinary Journey: Michelle Obama turns 50."

(CNN) -- Michelle Obama's not just embracing her half-century milestone, she's relishing it.

Describing herself as "50 and fabulous," the creator is getting ready to move herself on Saturday -- as in show off some dance moves -- with a big birthday celebration at the White House.

"I have never felt more confident in myself, more clear on who I am as a woman," the first lady told Parade magazine last summer when asked about approaching the big 5-0.

That confidence was on full display when she recently took on the topic of aging and whether she'd ever consider plastic surgery.

"Women should have the freedom to do whatever they need to do to feel good about themselves," Obama said in an interview with People magazine set to release on Friday, her birthday. "Right now, I don't imagine that I would go that route, but I've also learned to never say never."

READ: Lessons in style from Michelle Obama

And when asked if she has peaked at 50, she joked that first lady is "pretty high up," but said she's always felt her life is "ever-evolving."

50 Moments with Michelle Obama

Michelle Obama opens up as she turns 50

Michelle Obama talks about turning 50

First lady celebrates turning 50

"I've got to keep figuring out ways to have an impact, whether as a mother or as a professional or as a mentor to other kids," said Obama, who has made talking with teens and increasing the college graduation rate among her major issues during her husband's second term as president.

Michelle Obama has plenty of fabulous company when it comes to celebrating a milestone birthday in 2014, with a host of amazing women including Sandra Bullock, Elle Macpherson, philanthropist Melinda Gates, California Attorney General Kamala Harris and Susan Rice, President Obama's national security adviser, all turning 50 this year. (Check out the gallery above showcasing 50 women celebrating 50 in 2014!)

Some, like Macpherson, are welcoming middle age. "I rather like the idea of flowing on with life. I have had amazing life experiences and hopefully another 50 years of experiences ahead of me," she told Contact Music in May 2012.

PHOTOS: Michelle Obama graces magazine covers

Others, like Courteney Cox, aren't so psyched.

"That's gonna be brutal," Cox told New You Magazine back in 2012, referring to her 50th birthday in June. "I'm not that interested in that! That sounds different. It feels different."

So how does 50 feel? Is 50 today a whole lot different than the age 50 of 20 or 30 years ago? We asked women across the country who have already reached the half-century milestone to weigh in, and most agreed with Obama: 50 really is fabulous.

'50 is the new 40'

Sharon Greenthal, managing partner and editor-in-chief for MidLife Boulevard, an online magazine focusing on the lives of women older than 40, wrote a widely read post back in 2012 titled "How to turn 50."

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"The way to turn 50 is to embrace it," she wrote as she turned 50 that year.

In an interview, Greenthal, a former stay-at-home mom with two grown children in Los Angeles who became an editor after turning 50, said 50 today is dramatically different than 50 of a few decades ago.

PHOTOS: 50 people who turned 50 last year

"I think 30 years ago or so, you were moving into the phase of your life where things were really slowing down," she said. "I feel like my life is just really speeding up now ... because I don't have the responsibilities of caring for other people anymore. I can really take care of myself and my husband and we can enjoy being 50-plus. I don't think there's anything old about 50 at all."

Louise Sattler, a mom of two grown children in southern California who hit the big 5-0 in 2009, agrees.

"50 is like the new 40," Sattler said. "I think because we now know octogenarians and we know people well on the cusp of 100 that 50 seems kind of like your second act. It does not seem like a two-thirds point."

For her 50th, Sattler wrote a list of 50 fabulous things she would do in her 50th year, which included eating spicy Indian food for the first time, wearing the "crazy beaded necklace and earrings" she bought on Venice Beach and buying new dishes "just because."

Also on that list, she said, was making an impact.

READ: The do's and don'ts of dating after 50

CNN's Kelly Wallace interviewed Michelle Obama several times.

After battling thyroid cancer when she was 51, the psychologist decided to do something new. Already the owner of Signing Families, an organization that specializes in sign language education, she decided to focus her efforts on training first responders to communicate with special needs populations. She now travels the country working with first responders.

"50 was a wake-up call to do something for me that was kind of how I want my legacy to be," she said. "That was one of the things that I said: You've got to start doing things that are important versus just to make a dollar."

'As cantankerous as I want to be!'

But for many, turning 50 is about as welcome as cleaning the bathroom, doing taxes or having a tooth pulled.

"50 sucks ... Everything either hurts or doesn't work," said Nancy Rudy, in response to a post on CNN's Facebook page.

Sue Scheff, a parenting author and advocate in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, just turned 52. Fifty is "only a number" but the experience can be different "depending on where you are in life," she said on Facebook.

"If you are single, finding a date is difficult. Men want women in their 30s," Scheff said. "If you are job hunting, employers want people out of college.

"50 is an age you 'learn' to embrace or it can get you really down since you think, 'Heck, I am halfway through my life. What do I want to do when I grow up?'"

READ: iReport -- Turning 50 isn't what it used to be

Said Jeanne Rog on CNN's Facebook page, "The only good thing about hitting my 50s is that I can be as cantankerous as I want to be!"

Whether they're embracing 50 or wishing it would go away, people seem to agree on one thing -- 50 means letting go of caring about what others think.

"I don't question how others are perceiving me," said Greenthal, author of the "How to Turn 50" blog post. "I know that I am the best person I can be and that's really the gift of being older is being comfortable with who you are."

And that comfort in your own skin gets even stronger after 50, says Tish Howard, a retired school principal.

"Fifty means testing your wings of independence and some selfish, long-earned indulgence. But at 60, you learn to soar unshackled of anyone else's opinion of what is you but yours," said Howard of Fredericksburg, Virginia.

The big 5-0 is just a few years away for me, but I'm fully in the "embrace it" camp. I'm already telling friends to keep their calendars open for my dance-all-night disco party and not caring what anyone thinks of the idea!

How do you feel about turning 50? Share your thoughts in the comments, or with Kelly Wallace on Twitter or CNN Living on Facebook.