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. A member of the Republican Party, Trump is also known for his real estate development and branding ventures. He is a controversial figure known for his populist rhetoric, policies, and frequent use of social media.
June 14, 1946: Donald Trump's Birth
On June 14, 1946, Donald John Trump was born at Jamaica Hospital in Queens, New York City.
1964: Enrolled at Fordham University
In 1964, Donald Trump enrolled at Fordham University.
May 1968: Graduation 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: Graduation from the University of Pennsylvania
In 1968, Donald Trump graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a bachelor's degree in economics.
1968: Employed at Trump Management
In 1968, Donald Trump started working at his father's real estate company, Trump Management.
1970: Coproducer of Broadway Comedy
In 1970, Donald Trump invested $70,000 to receive billing as coproducer of a Broadway comedy.
1971: President of Trump Management
In 1971, Donald Trump became the president of Trump Management.
1971: President of Family's Real Estate Business
In 1971, Donald Trump became the president of his family's real estate business, later renaming it the Trump Organization.
1973: Countersuit Against U.S. Government
In 1973, Donald Trump countersued the U.S. government for $100 million over charges of racial discrimination at his properties.
1980: Grand Hyatt Hotel Reopening and Trump Tower Development
In 1980, the Commodore Hotel reopened as the Grand Hyatt Hotel, and Donald Trump obtained rights to develop Trump Tower.
September 1983: Purchase of 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, Trump opened Harrah's at Trump Plaza, a hotel and casino, with the help of the Holiday Corporation.
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 season ended, the United States Football League folded after Trump's attempt to merge with the NFL.
May 1986: Sole Control of Trump Plaza
In May 1986, Donald Trump paid Holiday Corporation $70 million to take sole control of Harrah's at Trump Plaza.
1986: Purchased significant blocks of shares
From 1986, Donald Trump purchased significant blocks of shares in various public companies.
1988: Purchase of Trump Taj Mahal
In 1988, Donald Trump acquired a third Atlantic City venue, the Trump Taj Mahal.
1988: Acquisition of the Plaza Hotel
In 1988, Donald Trump acquired the Plaza Hotel with a loan from a consortium of 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: Purchased significant blocks of shares
Until 1988, Donald Trump purchased significant blocks of shares in various public companies.
1989: Tour de Trump Cycling Stage Race
In 1989, Donald Trump lent his name to the Tour de Trump cycling stage race.
April 1990: Opening of Trump Taj Mahal
In April 1990, the Trump Taj Mahal opened, financed with $675 million in junk bonds and completed for $1.1 billion.
1990: Tour de Trump Cycling Stage Race
In 1990, Donald Trump lent his name to the Tour de Trump cycling stage race.
1991: Bankruptcy Protection Filing
In 1991, Donald Trump filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection for his businesses.
1991: Bankruptcy Filing for Trump Taj Mahal
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 costs.
1992: End of Trump Shuttle Operation
In 1992, Donald Trump ceased operating the Trump Shuttle after defaulting on his loans.
1992: Bankruptcy Filings for Trump Plaza and Trump Castle
In 1992, both Trump Plaza and Trump Castle casinos filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
1992: Plaza Hotel Bankruptcy Filing
In 1992, the Plaza Hotel filed for bankruptcy protection.
1994: Sale of Interest in Riverside South
In 1994, struggling with debt, 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, leading to the seizure of the Plaza Hotel and other properties.
1995: Founding of Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts
In 1995, Donald Trump founded Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts (THCR), which assumed ownership of the Trump Plaza.
1996: Acquisition of 40 Wall Street
In 1996, Donald Trump acquired and renovated the 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 Purchase of Taj Mahal and Trump Castle
In 1996, THCR purchased the Taj Mahal and the Trump Castle.
1999: Started Building and Buying Golf Courses
In 1999, Donald Trump began building and buying golf courses.
2002: Pageants moved to NBC
In 2002, Donald Trump took the Miss Universe and Miss USA pageants to NBC.
2004: Hosting The Apprentice
In 2004, Donald Trump began hosting the reality television show "The Apprentice".
2004: THCR Bankruptcy
In 2004, Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts went bankrupt.
2005: Cofounding of Trump University
In 2005, Donald Trump cofounded Trump University, a company that sold real estate seminars.
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.
2009: Bankruptcy Protection Filing
In 2009, Donald Trump filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection for his businesses.
2009: THCR Bankruptcy
In 2009, Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts went bankrupt. Donald Trump remained chairman until 2009.
2010: Name Change to Trump Entrepreneur Initiative
In 2010, Trump University was renamed the Trump Entrepreneur Initiative after being notified that the name was in violation of state law.
2013: Civil Suit Against Trump University
In 2013, the State of New York filed a $40 million civil suit against Trump University, alleging false statements and consumer fraud.
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: End of Hosting The Apprentice
In 2015, Donald Trump stopped hosting the reality television show "The Apprentice".
2016: Owning 17 Golf Courses
By 2016, Donald Trump owned 17 golf courses.
2016: Settlement of Trump University Lawsuits
In 2016, Donald Trump agreed to pay $25 million to settle lawsuits related to Trump University.
2016: Won the 2016 presidential election
In 2016, Donald Trump won the presidential election against Hillary Clinton.
2017: 45th President of the United States
In 2017, Donald Trump began his term as the 45th President of the United States.
2017: Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017
In 2017, Donald Trump signed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.
2017: Trump Files for Reelection
In 2017, only hours after becoming president, Trump filed to run for reelection.
2018: Decline in Licensing Deals
By 2018, only two consumer goods companies continued to license Donald Trump's name.
2019: Mar-a-Lago Declared Primary Residence
In 2019, Donald Trump declared the Mar-a-Lago club his primary residence.
2019: First Impeachment
In 2019, Donald Trump was impeached for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
2019: Trump Tower No Longer Primary Residence
In 2019, Trump Tower ceased being Donald Trump's primary residence.
August 2020: Trump Becomes Republican Nominee
In August 2020, Trump officially became the Republican nominee for the presidential election.
2020: Losing the 2020 presidential election
In 2020, Donald Trump lost the presidential election to Joe Biden and attempted to overturn the outcome.
2021: Inflation Surge
From 2021-2023, the economy saw an inflation surge.
2021: Second Impeachment
In 2021, Donald Trump was impeached for incitement of insurrection.
2021: End of Presidential Term
In 2021, Donald Trump's term as the 45th President of the United States concluded.
2021: January 6 Capitol Attack
In 2021, Trump's attempts to overturn the election culminated in the January 6 Capitol attack.
November 2022: Trump Announces 2024 Candidacy
In November 2022, Trump announced his candidacy for the 2024 presidential election.
2023: Inflation Surge
From 2021-2023, the economy saw an inflation surge.
2023: Held Liable in Civil Cases
In 2023, Donald Trump was held liable in civil cases for sexual abuse, defamation, and business fraud.
July 13, 2024: Assassination Attempt on Trump
On July 13, 2024, Trump was shot in the ear in an assassination attempt at a campaign rally.
2024: Convicted of Falsifying Business Records
In 2024, Donald Trump was found guilty of falsifying business records, becoming the first U.S. president convicted of a felony.
2024: Value of Fred Trump's Payments to Children
In 2024, Fred Trump's payments of $20,000 a year to each of his children was equivalent to $265,000 a year.
2024: Value of 1988 purchase of Eastern Air Lines Shuttle
In 2024, the value of the $380 million used to purchased Eastern Air Lines Shuttle in 1988 was equivalent to $1010 million.
2024: Value of 1973 countersuit
In 2024, the value of the 1973 countersuit against the US government for $100 million was equivalent to $708 million.
January 20, 2025: Trump Begins Second Term
On January 20, 2025, Trump began his second term, becoming the oldest individual to assume the presidency and the first president with a felony conviction.
