Early Life and Education of Donald Trump: A Complete Timeline

An overview of the childhood and early education of Donald Trump, highlighting the experiences that shaped the journey.

Donald John Trump is an American politician, media personality, and businessman. He served as the 45th U.S. President from 2017 to 2021 and is a member of the Republican Party. Currently, he holds the position of 47th president of the United States. His career spans real estate, television, and politics, marked by significant policy changes and a distinctive communication style. He remains a prominent and often controversial figure in American public life.

Sections (6)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals

June 14, 1946: Donald Trump's birth

On June 14, 1946, Donald John Trump was born at Jamaica Hospital in Queens, New York City, to Fred Trump and Mary Anne MacLeod Trump.

1964: Trump Enrolls at Fordham University

In 1964, Donald Trump enrolled at Fordham University.

May 1968: Trump graduates from Wharton School

In May 1968, Donald Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania with a Bachelor of Science in economics.

1968: Trump's graduation from the University of Pennsylvania

In 1968, Donald Trump graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a bachelor's degree in economics.

1968: Trump employed at Trump Management

Starting in 1968, Donald Trump was employed at his father's real estate company, Trump Management.

1970: Trump's Broadway investment

In 1970, Donald Trump invested $70,000 to receive billing as coproducer of a Broadway comedy.

1971: Trump becomes president of his family's real estate business

In 1971, Donald Trump became the president of his family's real estate business, which he renamed the Trump Organization.

1971: Trump becomes president of Trump Organization

In 1971, Donald Trump's father made him president of the company, and he began using the Trump Organization as an umbrella brand.

1973: Trump countersues the U.S. government

In 1973, Donald Trump countersued the U.S. government for $100 million (equivalent to $708 million in 2024) over charges of racially discriminatory practices.

1977: Marriage to Ivana Zelníčková

In 1977, Donald Trump married Czech model Ivana Zelníčková, and they had three children: Donald Jr., Ivanka, and Eric.

1978: Launch of Commodore Hotel Renovation

In 1978, Donald Trump attracted public attention with the launch of his family's first Manhattan venture: the renovation of the derelict Commodore Hotel.

1980: Opening of Grand Hyatt Hotel and Development of Trump Tower

In 1980, the Commodore Hotel reopened as the Grand Hyatt Hotel, and Donald Trump obtained rights to develop Trump Tower.

1981: Birth of Ivanka Trump

In 1981, Ivanka Trump was born.

September 1983: Purchase of the New Jersey Generals

In September 1983, Donald Trump purchased the New Jersey Generals, a team in the United States Football League.

1984: Opening of Harrah's at Trump Plaza

In 1984, Donald Trump opened Harrah's at Trump Plaza, a hotel and casino, with financing and management help from the Holiday Corporation.

1984: Birth of Eric Trump

In 1984, Eric Trump was born.

1985: Acquisition of Mar-a-Lago Estate

In 1985, Donald Trump acquired the Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida.

1985: Purchase of Atlantic City Hilton Hotel

In 1985, Donald Trump bought the unopened Atlantic City Hilton Hotel and renamed it Trump Castle.

1985: League Folded

In 1985, after the 1985 season, the United States Football League folded, largely due to Donald Trump's attempt to move to a fall schedule.

May 1986: Trump Takes Sole Control of Harrah's at Trump Plaza

In May 1986, Donald Trump paid Holiday $70 million to take sole control of Harrah's at Trump Plaza.

1986: Stock Transactions

From 1986 Donald Trump purchased significant blocks of shares in various public companies while suggesting that he intended to take over the company.

1987: Trump registered as a Republican

In 1987, Donald Trump registered as a Republican.

1988: Acquisition of the Plaza Hotel

In 1988, Donald Trump acquired the Plaza Hotel with a loan from a consortium of 16 banks.

1988: Purchase of Eastern Air Lines Shuttle

In 1988, Donald Trump purchased the Eastern Air Lines Shuttle and renamed the airline Trump Shuttle.

1988: Stock Transactions

Until 1988 Donald Trump purchased significant blocks of shares in various public companies while suggesting that he intended to take over the company.

1989: Tour de Trump cycling stage race

In 1989, Donald Trump lent his name to the Tour de Trump cycling stage race, an attempt to create an American equivalent of European races.

April 1990: Opening of the Trump Taj Mahal

In April 1990, the Trump Taj Mahal opened.

1990: Divorce from Ivana Zelníčková

In 1990, Donald Trump divorced Ivana Zelníčková following his affair with Marla Maples.

1990: Tour de Trump cycling stage race

In 1990, Donald Trump lent his name to the Tour de Trump cycling stage race, an attempt to create an American equivalent of European races.

1990: Trump's self-reported net worth

In 1990, Donald Trump self-reported his net worth as minus $900 million.

1991: Default on Loans for Trump Shuttle

In 1991, Donald Trump defaulted on his loans for Trump Shuttle, and ownership passed to the banks.

1991: First Business Bankruptcy Filing

In 1991, Donald Trump filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection for the Plaza Hotel in Manhattan.

1991: Trump Taj Mahal Bankruptcy Filing

In 1991, Donald Trump filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection for the Trump Taj Mahal.

1992: Formation of All County Building Supply & Maintenance Corp

In 1992, Donald Trump and his siblings formed All County Building Supply & Maintenance Corp, alleged to be a shell company for marking up vendor services and supplies.

1992: Trump Shuttle Operation Ends

In 1992, Donald Trump operated the Trump Shuttle until 1992.

1992: Bankruptcy Filing for Trump Castle and Trump Plaza

In 1992, both Trump Castle and Trump Plaza casinos filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

1992: Plaza Hotel Bankruptcy

In 1992, the Plaza Hotel filed for bankruptcy protection, and a reorganization plan was approved with the banks taking control of the property.

1993: Marriage to Marla Maples

In 1993, Donald Trump married Marla Maples and had one daughter, Tiffany.

January 1994: Formation of Apartment Management Associates

In January 1994, Donald Trump and his siblings formed Apartment Management Associates to take over management fees formerly collected by Trump Management, as well as inflating rents to transfer assets from Fred Trump.

1994: Sale of Interest in Riverside South Project

In 1994, struggling with debt from other ventures, Donald Trump sold most of his interest in the Riverside South project to Asian investors.

1995: Conversion of Mar-a-Lago into a Private Club

In 1995, Donald Trump converted the Mar-a-Lago estate into a private club.

1995: Default on Bank Loans and Seizure of Properties

In 1995, Donald Trump defaulted on over $3 billion of bank loans, and the lenders seized the Plaza Hotel and most of his other properties.

1995: Founding of Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts (THCR)

In 1995, Donald Trump founded Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts (THCR), which assumed ownership of the Trump Plaza.

1996: Acquisition and Renovation of 40 Wall Street

In 1996, Donald Trump acquired and renovated the mostly vacant 71-story skyscraper at 40 Wall Street, later rebranded as the Trump Building.

1996: Purchase of Miss Universe Pageants

In 1996, Donald Trump purchased the Miss Universe pageants, including Miss USA and Miss Teen USA.

1996: THCR Purchases Taj Mahal and Trump Castle

In 1996, THCR purchased the Taj Mahal and the Trump Castle.

1999: Trump registered as a member of the Independence Party

In 1999, Donald Trump became a member of the Independence Party, the New York state affiliate of the Reform Party.

1999: Start of Building and Buying Golf Courses

In 1999, Donald Trump began building and buying golf courses.

1999: Divorce from Marla Maples

In 1999, Donald Trump divorced Marla Maples.

2001: Trump registered as a Democrat

In 2001, Donald Trump registered as a Democrat.

2002: Move of Pageants to NBC

In 2002, due to disagreements with CBS, Donald Trump took the Miss Universe pageants to NBC.

2004: Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts (THCR) Bankruptcy

In 2004, Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts (THCR) went bankrupt, leaving Donald Trump with 10 percent ownership.

2005: Marriage to Melania Knauss

In 2005, Donald Trump married Slovenian model Melania Knauss.

2006: Birth of Barron Trump

In 2006, Barron Trump was born.

2007: Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame

In 2007, Donald Trump received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his work as producer of Miss Universe.

2008: Opening of Trump International Hotel and Tower in Chicago

In 2008, Donald Trump's last major construction project, the 92-story mixed-use Trump International Hotel and Tower in Chicago, opened.

2009: Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts Bankruptcy

In 2009, Donald Trump filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection for the Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts company.

2009: Joining Twitter

In 2009, Donald Trump joined Twitter, marking the beginning of his active social media presence.

2009: Trump registered as a Republican

In 2009, Donald Trump registered as a Republican.

2009: Trump Resigns as Chairman

In 2009, Donald Trump remained chairman of Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts (THCR) until 2009.

2011: Trump became unaffiliated

In 2011, Donald Trump became unaffiliated.

2012: Trump registered as a Republican

In 2012, Donald Trump registered as a Republican.

June 2015: NBC and Univision Drop Pageants

In June 2015, NBC and Univision dropped the Miss Universe pageants in reaction to Donald Trump's comments about Mexican immigrants.

2015: Trump's self-reported net worth

In 2015, Donald Trump self-reported his net worth as $10 billion. Forbes estimated his net worth at $4.5 billion.

2015: End of "The Apprentice"

In 2015, Donald Trump stopped hosting the reality television show "The Apprentice".

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2015: Release of Health Letter

In 2015, Donald Trump's campaign released a letter from his personal physician, Harold Bornstein, stating that he would "be the healthiest individual ever elected to the presidency".

2016: Owning 17 Golf Courses

By 2016, Donald Trump owned 17 golf courses.

2016: Frequent Posting on Twitter

During his 2016 campaign, Donald Trump posted frequently on Twitter.

2016: Identification as Presbyterian

In 2016, Donald Trump identified as a Presbyterian and a Protestant.

2016: Trump wins the presidential election

In 2016, Donald Trump won the presidential election against Hillary Clinton.

2017: Trump's Presidential Inauguration

In 2017, Donald Trump assumed office as the 45th President of the United States.

2017: Tweets as Official Statements

In 2017, Donald Trump's press secretary stated that his tweets constituted official presidential statements.

2018: Reduction in Licensing Deals

By 2018, only two consumer goods companies continued to license Donald Trump's name.

2018: Amount received from father's company

In 2018 equivalent, Donald Trump received $413 million (adjusted for inflation) from his father's company.

2019: Declaration of Mar-a-Lago as Primary Residence

In 2019, Donald Trump declared the Mar-a-Lago club his primary residence.

2019: Trump Impeachment

In 2019, Donald Trump was impeached for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress; the Senate acquitted him.

2019: Trump Tower as Primary Residence

Until 2019, Trump Tower was Donald Trump's primary residence.

2020: Identification as Nondenominational Christian

In 2020, Donald Trump said he was a nondenominational Christian.

2020: COVID-19 Pandemic Response

In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, President Trump downplayed its severity, contradicted health officials, and signed the CARES Act.

2021: End of Trump's Presidential Term

In 2021, Donald Trump's term as the 45th President of the United States came to an end.

2021: January 6 Capitol Attack

In 2021, after losing the 2020 presidential election, Donald Trump attempted to overturn the result, culminating in the January 6 Capitol attack. Also in 2021, he was impeached for incitement of insurrection.

February 2022: Launch of Truth Social

In February 2022, Donald Trump launched his own social media platform, Truth Social.

November 2022: Reinstatement on Twitter

In November 2022, Elon Musk reinstated Donald Trump's Twitter account after acquiring the platform.

January 2023: Return to Facebook and Instagram

In January 2023, Meta Platforms' two-year ban lapsed, allowing Donald Trump to return to Facebook and Instagram.

2023: Legal Liabilities

In 2023, Donald Trump was found liable in civil cases for sexual abuse and defamation and for business fraud.

2024: Value of US Goverment Countersuit

In 1973, Donald Trump countersued the U.S. government for $100 million, equivalent to $708 million in 2024.

2024: Value of Eastern Air Lines Shuttle purchase

In 1988, Donald Trump purchased the Eastern Air Lines Shuttle, financing the purchase with $380 million, equivalent to $1010 million in 2024.

2024: Conviction and Election

In 2024, Donald Trump was found guilty of falsifying business records, becoming the first U.S. president convicted of a felony. He won the 2024 presidential election against Kamala Harris.

2024: Value of Fred Trumps payment to his children in 2024 dollars

In 2024, Fred Trump paid his children each about $20,000 a year, equivalent to $265,000 a year in 2024.

2024: IRS Investigation into Trump International Hotel and Tower

In 2024, The New York Times and ProPublica reported that the Internal Revenue Service was investigating whether Donald Trump had twice written off losses incurred through construction cost overruns and lagging sales of residential units in the Trump International Hotel and Tower building he had declared to be worthless on his 2008 tax return.

2025: Forbes estimated Trump's net worth

In 2025, Forbes estimated Donald Trump's net worth at $5.1 billion and ranked him as the 700th wealthiest person in the world.

2025: Health Examination Results

In 2025, a White House health examination reported Donald Trump had "well controlled" high cholesterol and exhibited excellent cognitive and physical health.