Childhood and Education Journey of Angelina Jolie in Timeline

Discover the defining moments in the early life of Angelina Jolie. From birth to education, explore key events.

Angelina Jolie is a highly acclaimed American actress, filmmaker, and dedicated humanitarian. Her illustrious career has garnered her an Academy Award, a Tony Award, and three Golden Globe Awards. With her films grossing over $6.9 billion globally, she is recognized as one of Hollywood's highest-paid actresses. Jolie's work extends beyond entertainment, as she actively engages in humanitarian efforts and advocacy on various global issues.

Sections (5)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Legacy & Impact

June 4, 1975: Angelina Jolie's Birth

On June 4, 1975, Angelina Jolie, originally named Angelina Jolie Voight, was born. She is an American actress, filmmaker, and humanitarian.

1976: Parents' Separation

In 1976, Angelina Jolie's parents separated, and she and her brother lived with their mother.

1993: Girl, Interrupted Memoir

In 1993, Susanna Kaysen's memoir, Girl, Interrupted was published, the book the 1999 movie that Angelina Jolie starred in was based on.

Girl, Interrupted: A Memoir

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March 1996: Married Jonny Lee Miller

In March 1996, Angelina Jolie married actor Jonny Lee Miller. She attended the wedding in black rubber pants and a white T-shirt, upon which she had written the groom's name in her blood.

1997: Expressed Love for Jenny Shimizu

In 1997, Angelina Jolie said, "I would probably have married Jenny if I hadn't married my husband. I fell in love with her the first second I saw her."

February 1999: Initiated Divorce from Jonny Lee Miller

In February 1999, Angelina Jolie initiated divorce proceedings from Jonny Lee Miller.

May 5, 2000: Married Billy Bob Thornton

On May 5, 2000, Angelina Jolie married actor Billy Bob Thornton in Las Vegas.

February 2001: First Field Visit with UNHCR

In February 2001, Angelina Jolie embarked on her first field visit, an 18-day mission to Sierra Leone and Tanzania, where she witnessed the effects of humanitarian crises.

August 5, 2001: Maddox Chivan Born

On August 5, 2001, Maddox Chivan was born in a local village in Cambodia.

August 27, 2001: Named UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador

On August 27, 2001, Angelina Jolie was officially named a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador at UNHCR headquarters in Geneva, recognizing her contributions and commitment to refugee causes.

November 2001: Visited Cambodia with Billy Bob Thornton to Adopt Maddox

In November 2001, Angelina Jolie and her then-husband, Billy Bob Thornton, visited Cambodia, where they met and subsequently applied to adopt Maddox.

2001: Field visits chronicled in her book

Angelina Jolie had field visits chronicled in her book Notes From My Travels

March 10, 2002: Adopted Maddox Chivan

On March 10, 2002, Angelina Jolie adopted her first child, Maddox Chivan, from an orphanage in Battambang, Cambodia.

March 2002: Announced Adoption of Child from Cambodia

In March 2002, Angelina Jolie and Billy Bob Thornton announced the adoption of a child from Cambodia, but they separated three months later.

September 12, 2002: Legal Name Change

On September 12, 2002, Angelina Jolie was granted a legal name change, removing her surname, Voight, in favor of her middle name.

2002: Aims to Bring Awareness to the Plight of Refugees

In 2002, Angelina Jolie stated her aim to bring awareness of the plight of refugees to the world.

May 27, 2003: Divorce from Billy Bob Thornton Finalized

On May 27, 2003, Angelina Jolie's divorce from Billy Bob Thornton was finalized.

November 29, 2003: Pax Thien Born

Pax Thien was born on November 29, 2003, in Ho Chi Minh City, and had been abandoned soon after birth.

2003: Lobbies for humanitarian interests in the U.S. capital

From 2003 onwards, Angelina Jolie lobbied for humanitarian interests in the U.S. capital

2003: Becomes patron of the Harnas Wildlife Foundation

In 2003, Angelina Jolie became patron of the Harnas Wildlife Foundation after filming Beyond Borders in Namibia.

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2003: Confirmed Bisexuality

In 2003, Angelina Jolie confirmed she was bisexual.

2003: Purchase of Property in Cambodia and Start of the Maddox Jolie Project

In 2003, Angelina Jolie purchased a house in Cambodia for her adopted son and initiated the Maddox Jolie Project, transforming a large area into a wildlife reserve.

2003: Took Custody of Maddox

In 2003, Angelina Jolie took custody of Maddox in Namibia, where she was filming Beyond Borders.

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2004: Starts taking flying lessons and acquired a pilot license

In 2004 Angelina Jolie started taking flying lessons to aid her travels and acquired a pilot license

January 8, 2005: Zahara Marley Born

On January 8, 2005, Zahara Marley was born in Awasa, Ethiopia.

July 6, 2005: Adopted Zahara Marley

On July 6, 2005, Angelina Jolie adopted her second child, six-month-old Zahara Marley, from an orphanage in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

2005: Funds the launch of a similar initiative, the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants' National Center for Refugee and Immigrant Children.

From 2005 to 2007, Angelina Jolie funded the launch of a similar initiative, the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants' National Center for Refugee and Immigrant Children.

2005: Opened school and boarding facility in Kenya and had built at least ten other schools in Cambodia

In 2005, Angelina Jolie funded a school and boarding facility for girls at Kakuma refugee camp in northwestern Kenya. Jolie had built at least ten other schools in Cambodia by 2005.

2005: World Economic Forum and MTV special

In 2005, Angelina Jolie was an invited speaker in the World Economic Forum and filmed a 2005 MTV special, The Diary of Angelina Jolie & Dr. Jeffrey Sachs in Africa

2005: Cambodian Citizenship Granted

In 2005, Angelina Jolie's Cambodian citizenship was finalized when King Norodom Sihamoni officially granted her citizenship through a royal decree.

January 2006: Confirmed Pregnancy with Brad Pitt's Child

In January 2006, Angelina Jolie confirmed she was expecting her first child with Brad Pitt.

January 19, 2006: Petition to Change Children's Surname to Jolie-Pitt Granted

On January 19, 2006, Angelina Jolie's petition to legally change her children's surname from Jolie to Jolie-Pitt was granted after Pitt announced his intention to adopt her children.

February 2006: Opens Maddox Chivan Children's Center

In February 2006, Angelina Jolie opened the Maddox Chivan Children's Center, a medical and educational facility for children affected by HIV, in the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh.

May 27, 2006: Birth of Shiloh Nouvel

On May 27, 2006, Angelina Jolie gave birth to Shiloh Nouvel in Swakopmund, Namibia. The first pictures of Shiloh were sold to People and Hello! magazines for charity.

September 2006: Establishment of the Jolie-Pitt Foundation

In September 2006 Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt established the Jolie-Pitt Foundation to support other causes.

November 2006: Expansion of the Maddox Jolie Project

In November 2006, Angelina Jolie expanded the Maddox Jolie Project into the Maddox Jolie-Pitt Foundation (MJP), creating Asia's first Millennium Village to align with UN development goals.

November 2006: Visited orphanage with Pitt

In November 2006, Angelina Jolie visited the orphanage with Brad Pitt.

January 27, 2007: Death of Bertrand

On January 27, 2007, Angelina Jolie's mother, Bertrand, passed away from ovarian cancer.

March 15, 2007: Adopted Pax Thien

On March 15, 2007, Angelina Jolie adopted her third child, three-year-old Pax Thien, from an orphanage in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

June 2007: Joined the Council on Foreign Relations

In June 2007, Angelina Jolie joined the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) and hosted a symposium on international law and justice at CFR headquarters and funded several CFR special reports.

September 2007: Co-chairs Education Partnership for Children of Conflict

Since its founding at the Clinton Global Initiative's annual meeting in September 2007, Angelina Jolie has co-chaired the Education Partnership for Children of Conflict.

2007: Millennium Village at MJP

By mid-2007, some 6,000 villagers and 72 employees—some of them former poachers employed as rangers—lived and worked at MJP, in ten villages previously isolated from one another. The compound includes schools, roads, and a soy milk factory, all funded by Jolie.

2007: Funds the launch of the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants' National Center for Refugee and Immigrant Children.

From 2005 to 2007, Angelina Jolie funded the launch of the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants' National Center for Refugee and Immigrant Children.

2007: Death of Mother

In 2007, Angelina Jolie's mother passed away, which later influenced Jolie to appear in fewer films, as her motivation to be an actress stemmed from her mother's acting ambitions.

February 21, 2008: Brad Pitt adopted Pax

On February 21, 2008, Brad Pitt adopted Pax.

July 2008: Birth of Twins Knox Léon and Vivienne Marcheline

In July 2008, Angelina Jolie gave birth to twins Knox Léon Jolie-Pitt and Vivienne Marcheline Jolie-Pitt in Nice, France. The first pictures were sold to People and Hello! magazines, with proceeds donated to the Jolie-Pitt Foundation.

October 2008: Co-chair of Kids in Need of Defense (KIND)

Since October 2008, Angelina Jolie has co-chaired Kids in Need of Defense (KIND), a network providing legal aid to unaccompanied minors in immigration proceedings.

March 2010: Opening of Primary School in Afghanistan

In March 2010, Angelina Jolie opened a primary school for girls in the returnee settlement Tangi in eastern Afghanistan.

December 2010: Establishment of the Shiloh Jolie-Pitt Foundation

In December 2010, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt established the Shiloh Jolie-Pitt Foundation to support conservation work by the Naankuse Wildlife Sanctuary in Namibia, funding conservation projects and providing health and education services.

2010: Facilitated child protection efforts in Haiti

Jolie Legal Fellows, facilitated child protection efforts in Haiti in the wake of the 2010 earthquake.

January 2011: Established the Jolie Legal Fellowship

In January 2011, Angelina Jolie established the Jolie Legal Fellowship, a network of lawyers and attorneys who are sponsored to advocate the development of human rights in their countries.

April 2012: Announced Engagement to Brad Pitt

In April 2012, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt announced their engagement.

April 17, 2012: Promotion to Special Envoy to UNHCR

On April 17, 2012, Angelina Jolie was promoted to the rank of Special Envoy to High Commissioner António Guterres within the UNHCR, marking a significant expansion of her role.

May 2012: Launched Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative (PSVI)

In May 2012, Angelina Jolie launched the Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative (PSVI) with Foreign Secretary William Hague, inspired by her film 'In the Land of Blood and Honey'.

November 2012: Opening of primary school in Afghanistan

In November 2012, Angelina Jolie opened a primary school for girls in the returnee settlement Qalai Gudar in eastern Afghanistan.

February 16, 2013: Preventive Double Mastectomy

On February 16, 2013, at the age of 37, Angelina Jolie underwent a preventive double mastectomy after discovering she had an 87% risk of developing breast cancer due to a defective BRCA1 gene. The decision was influenced by her family history of breast and ovarian cancer.

April 2013: Style of Jolie Benefiting Education Partnership

Since April 2013, all proceeds from Angelina Jolie's high-end jewelry collection, Style of Jolie, have benefited the Education Partnership for Children of Conflict. Additionally, Jolie launched the Malala Fund, a grant system established by Pakistani education activist Malala Yousafzai, at the 2013 Women in the World Summit.

2013: KIND principal provider of pro bono lawyers for immigrant children

By 2013, KIND had become the principal provider of pro bono lawyers for immigrant children.

2013: Campaign against sexual violence

In 2013, Angelina Jolie fronted a campaign against sexual violence in military conflict zones by the UK government.

May 2014: Ownership of Aircraft

As of May 2014, Angelina Jolie owns a Cirrus SR22 aircraft and a Cessna 208 Caravan aircraft, which she uses to help with her travels.

June 2014: Co-chaired Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict

In June 2014, Angelina Jolie co-chaired the four-day Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict, resulting in a protocol endorsed by 151 nations.

August 14, 2014: Legally Married Brad Pitt

On August 14, 2014, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt were legally married.

August 23, 2014: Wedding Ceremony at Château Miraval

On August 23, 2014, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt had their wedding in a private ceremony at the Château Miraval, France.

March 2015: Preventive Salpingo-oophorectomy

In March 2015, Angelina Jolie underwent a preventive salpingo-oophorectomy (removal of an ovary and its fallopian tube) after test results indicated possible signs of early ovarian cancer. She faced a fifty percent risk of developing ovarian cancer due to the same BRCA1 genetic anomaly that led to her mastectomy.

2015: Founded Jolie Pitt Dalton Helic

In 2015, Angelina Jolie, along with Chloe Dalton and Arminka Helic, founded Jolie Pitt Dalton Helic, a partnership dedicated to women's rights and international justice.

May 2016: Appointed Visiting Professor at the London School of Economics

In May 2016, Angelina Jolie was appointed a visiting professor at the London School of Economics to contribute to a postgraduate degree program at the university's Centre on Women, Peace and Security.

September 15, 2016: Separated from Brad Pitt

On September 15, 2016, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt separated.

April 12, 2019: Declared Legally Single

On April 12, 2019, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt were declared legally single.

September 2020: Donation to Lemonade Stand for Yemen

In September 2020, Angelina Jolie donated to two young boys who were running a lemonade stand in London to raise money for the people of Yemen, as the country was on the brink of a humanitarian crisis.

February 2022: Visited Washington, D.C. for the Senate Introduction of the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act

In February 2022, Angelina Jolie and her daughter Zahara visited Washington, D.C. for the Senate introduction of the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act, a bill designed to prevent and respond to domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking. Jolie worked closely with the bill's sponsors and advocates.

March 2022: Visited Ukrainian Children at Vatican Children's Hospital

In March 2022, Angelina Jolie visited Ukrainian children at the Vatican Children's Hospital Bambino Gesù, commenting on the suffering of children due to the war.

December 2022: Resignation from UNHCR Ambassadorship

In December 2022, Angelina Jolie resigned from her ambassadorship with the UNHCR, while pledging to continue advocating for refugees.

2023: Criticism of Israel's Military Actions in Gaza

In 2023, Angelina Jolie voiced strong criticism of Israel for its military actions in Gaza, condemning the bombing of a trapped population in a statement posted on Instagram and demanded a humanitarian ceasefire.

November 2025: Returned to Ukraine

In November 2025, Angelina Jolie returned to Ukraine, visiting schools and medical centers in Kherson and Mykolaiv.

January 2026: Visited Rafah Border Crossing in Egypt

On January 2, 2026, Angelina Jolie visited the Rafah Border Crossing in Egypt to evaluate the delivery of humanitarian aid into Gaza and meet Palestinians who were transferred for medical treatment.