Challenges in the Life of Greta Thunberg in a Detailed Timeline

Resilience and perseverance in the journey of Greta Thunberg. A timeline of obstacles and growth.

Greta Thunberg is a Swedish environmental activist who gained international recognition for her direct and confrontational approach to addressing climate change. Beginning with school strikes outside the Swedish parliament in 2018, her activism sparked a global movement, Fridays for Future, where students worldwide protest to demand climate action. Thunberg has addressed the United Nations and other world leaders, criticizing their lack of urgency and commitment to reducing emissions. She advocates for immediate and drastic measures based on scientific consensus, making her a prominent and influential voice in the climate change debate.

Sections (7)

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

2011: Learns About Climate Change

In 2011, at age eight, Greta Thunberg first learned about climate change, which led to depression and, at age 11, significant weight loss. She was later diagnosed with Asperger syndrome, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and selective mutism.

August 2018: Begins School Climate Strikes

In August 2018, Greta Thunberg began her school climate strikes and public speeches, rising to international recognition as a climate activist.

August 2018: Begins School Strike for Climate

In August 2018, at the age of 15, Greta Thunberg began skipping school to protest climate change outside the Swedish parliament. She held a "Skolstrejk för Klimatet" (School Strike for Climate) sign, handed out flyers, and vowed to continue striking every Friday until Sweden complied with the Paris Agreement.

2018: Activism Evolved

Throughout the autumn of 2018, Greta Thunberg's activism evolved from a solitary protest to taking part in demonstrations throughout Europe, making several high-profile public speeches, and mobilizing her followers on social media platforms.

January 2019: Speaks at World Economic Forum

In January 2019, Greta Thunberg spoke at the World Economic Forum, declaring "Our house is on fire."

March 2019: Regular Protests Outside Swedish Parliament

By March 2019, Greta Thunberg was still staging her regular protests outside the Swedish parliament every Friday.

May 2019: Addressing Criticism

In May 2019, Greta Thunberg addressed online criticism, stating that personal attacks indicate the lack of a valid argument. Joe Biden responded to Trump's tweet mocking Thunberg after she was named the Time's Person of the Year 2019 by tweeting at Trump: "What kind of president bullies a teenager? @realDonaldTrump, you could learn a few things from Greta on what it means to be a leader."

August 2019: Sails Across Atlantic

In August 2019, Greta Thunberg sailed across the Atlantic Ocean from Plymouth, England, to New York City on the Malizia II yacht, equipped with solar panels and underwater turbines, to demonstrate the importance of reducing emissions.

August 2019: Personal Attacks and Criticism

In August 2019, various media outlets reported on the personal attacks against Greta Thunberg, including those targeting her autism. Columnists and political figures were criticized for making "ugly personal attacks" on Thunberg.

September 2019: Trump's Mocking Tweet and Thunberg's Response

In September 2019, Donald Trump mocked Greta Thunberg on Twitter after her address to world leaders, leading Thunberg to change her Twitter bio to match his description.

September 2019: Criticism of Thunberg's Approach

In September 2019, Nick Gillespie criticized Greta Thunberg's emotional approach, suggesting it wasn't conducive to good environmental policy.

September 2019: Participated in climate protests in Canada and the US

In late September 2019, Greta Thunberg participated in climate protests in several cities in Canada and the United States. She led a climate rally in Montreal as part of the Global Climate Strike on September 27, 2019. She also participated in protests in New York City, Washington, D.C., Iowa City, Los Angeles, Charlotte, Denver, and the Standing Rock Indian Reservation.

October 2019: Putin's Description and Thunberg's Response

In October 2019, Vladimir Putin described Greta Thunberg as a "kind girl and very sincere" but suggested she was being manipulated, leading her to update her Twitter bio to reflect his description.

December 2019: Criticism from Deutsche Bahn

In December 2019, Deutsche Bahn (DB) criticized Greta Thunberg after she tweeted a photo of herself on an overcrowded train. DB initially apologized but later deleted the tweet and chided Greta for not acknowledging their efforts to provide her with a seat in first class. Greta clarified that she only obtained a seat after four hours into her journey, emphasizing the demand for train travel.

December 2019: Trump's Mocking Tweet and Thunberg's Response

In December 2019, Donald Trump mocked Greta Thunberg after Time named her Person of the Year for 2019, leading Thunberg to change her Twitter biography in response.

December 2019: Arrived in Lisbon and spoke at COP25

In December 2019, Greta Thunberg arrived in Lisbon, Portugal, and traveled to Madrid to speak at the COP25 and participate in climate strikes. During a press conference, she called for more "concrete action," noting that school strikes had "achieved nothing" as greenhouse gas emissions had risen by 4% since 2015.

December 2019: Response to Bolsonaro's Criticism

In December 2019, after Greta Thunberg tweeted about the murder of indigenous people protecting the forest, Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro called her a "brat," prompting Thunberg to change her Twitter description to "pirralha," the Portuguese word for "brat."

December 2019: Donald Trump's attack on Thunberg after Time's Person of the Year

In December 2019, after Greta Thunberg was named Time's youngest Person of the Year, then US president Donald Trump attacked her on Twitter, advising her to address her anger management issues and watch a movie. In response, Thunberg updated her Twitter profile to reflect Trump's comments.

2019: Addresses UN Climate Action Summit

In 2019, Greta Thunberg sailed from England to New York to address the UN Climate Action Summit, where she scolded world leaders with the phrase "How dare you" regarding their inaction on the climate crisis.

2019: Criticism of Politicians and World Leaders

In 2019, Greta Thunberg stated she hadn't been impressed by any politician she'd met, including New Zealand's prime minister Jacinda Ardern, because emissions had not fallen. She emphasized that words and sentiments are meaningless without concrete actions to reduce emissions.

January 2020: Called on Siemens to stop delivery to Carmichael coal mine

On January 11, 2020, Greta Thunberg called on German company Siemens to halt the delivery of railway equipment to the controversial Carmichael coal mine in Australia. However, on January 13, Siemens declined her request, stating that it would honor its existing contract.

February 2020: X-Site Energy Sticker Incident

In February 2020, X-Site Energy Services of Alberta, Canada, distributed a sticker depicting a violent image involving a girl labeled "Greta", which Thunberg addressed on Twitter, stating, "They are starting to get more and more desperate. This shows that we're winning." X-Site Energy later apologized and assumed full responsibility, destroying the remaining stickers and making organizational changes to prevent future incidents.

March 2020: Moved climate strike activities online due to COVID-19

In March 2020, amidst the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Greta Thunberg and School Strike for Climate transitioned their activities online. On March 13, 2020, Thunberg emphasized the importance of adapting to new circumstances for the greater good of society during a crisis.

March 2020: Attended European Parliament Environment Committee meeting

On March 4, 2020, Greta Thunberg attended a meeting of the European Parliament's Environment Committee to discuss the European Climate Law. She stated that she considered the European Commission's new proposal for a climate law to be a surrender.

August 2020: Met with Angela Merkel in Berlin

On August 20, 2020, Greta Thunberg and fellow climate activists met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin on the second anniversary of her first strike. Following the meeting, they announced plans for another global climate strike on September 25, 2020.

December 2020: Criticized New Zealand's climate change declaration

On December 14, 2020, Greta Thunberg criticized the New Zealand Labour Government's recent climate change emergency declaration as "virtue signalling," noting that it committed to reducing less than one percent of the country's carbon emissions by 2025.

2020: Thunberg's Response to Trump's "Stop the count!" Tweet

During the 2020 United States presidential election, Greta Thunberg responded to Donald Trump's "Stop the count!" tweet by repurposing his previous mocking comments about her.

August 2021: Disinformation and Conspiracies

In August 2021, Yasmeen Serhan wrote that Greta Thunberg had become "the target of a barrage of disinformation and conspiracies" from the far-right, portraying her negatively.

September 2021: Featured on Vogue Scandinavia cover, criticized fashion industry

In September 2021, Greta Thunberg appeared on the cover of Vogue Scandinavia, shot by Iris and Mattias Alexandrov Klum. In an interview, she criticized the fashion industry's greenwashing efforts and its impact on the environment and workers.

September 2021: Criticized world leaders at Youth4Climate Summit

On September 28, 2021, Greta Thunberg criticized world leaders, including Joe Biden, Boris Johnson, and Narendra Modi, for their climate crisis promises at the Youth4Climate Summit in Milan. She also criticized climate conference organizers, accusing them of only pretending to listen to young people.

October 2021: COP26 Protests and Speech

In October 2021, Greta Thunberg arrived in Glasgow for the COP26 conference and participated in protests, including a Fridays for Future Scotland climate strike on November 5th. During a speech, she criticized COP26 as a failure, using the phrase "blah blah blah" to describe its ineffectiveness and accusing it of greenwashing.

November 2021: Filed a petition to the UN for a global climate emergency declaration

In November 2021, Greta Thunberg and other climate activists filed a petition to the United Nations, requesting a level 3 global climate emergency declaration to create a special team for coordinating international climate crisis response.

December 2021: Reiterated criticism of U.S. President Joe Biden

In December 2021, Greta Thunberg reiterated her criticism of U.S. President Joe Biden, questioning his leadership on climate issues due to the U.S.'s continued expansion of fossil fuel use under his administration.

2021: Criticism of COP26 and Chinese Leadership

In 2021, prior to the COP26 conference in Glasgow, Greta Thunberg expressed skepticism about the conference's potential for real change, criticizing leaders for making empty promises. She also referred to Chinese President Xi Jinping as "a leader of a dictatorship" and emphasized the importance of democracy and public pressure for addressing the climate crisis.

February 2022: Protested against the invasion of Ukraine

On February 25, 2022, Greta Thunberg combined her usual Friday climate protests to include opposition to the invasion of Ukraine by Russian military forces. She stood outside the Russian embassy in Stockholm holding a sign that read "Stand With Ukraine".

February 2022: Condemned Beowulf mining on Sámi land

On February 6, 2022, Greta Thunberg condemned the British firm Beowulf for mining iron on Sámi land, emphasizing the need to prioritize climate, environment, and indigenous rights over corporate profits.

July 2022: Criticized European Parliament's decision on fossil gas and nuclear energy

On July 6, 2022, Greta Thunberg criticized the European Parliament for voting to label fossil gas and nuclear energy as "green" energy, calling the decision "hypocrisy" and stating that it would delay a sustainable transition.

November 2022: Filed lawsuit against Swedish government for climate inaction

In November 2022, Greta Thunberg, along with over 600 young people, filed a lawsuit in a Stockholm district court against the Swedish government for climate inaction within Sweden.

January 2023: Detention at Lützerath Coal Mine Protest

On January 17, 2023, Greta Thunberg was detained by German police along with other activists during a protest against the expansion of a coal mine in Lützerath. She was released the same day after an identity check.

June 2023: Participation in Reclaim the Future Protest and Charge

On June 19, 2023, Greta Thunberg participated in a Reclaim the Future protest in Malmö, Sweden, and was charged with disobeying a police order.

July 2023: Trial for Disobeying Police Order

On July 24, 2023, a trial was held at Malmö District Court where Greta Thunberg was prosecuted for disobedience to authority after disrupting traffic and refusing to follow police orders. She was sentenced to pay fines.

October 2023: Second Swedish Trial and Conviction for Disobedience

On October 11, 2023, Greta Thunberg's second Swedish trial for disobedience occurred for the July 24, 2023, incident. She was found guilty and ordered to pay fines.

October 2023: Arrest at Energy Intelligence Forum Protest in London

On October 18, 2023, Greta Thunberg was arrested in London for protesting against the Energy Intelligence Forum. She was charged with failure to comply with a lawful order to disperse.

November 2023: Plea of Not Guilty in London Court

On November 15, 2023, Greta Thunberg appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court and entered a plea of "not guilty" regarding her arrest at the Energy Intelligence Forum protest.

2023: Continues Activism After High School Graduation

After graduating from high school in 2023, Greta Thunberg continued her activism, employing more assertive tactics, including acts of civil disobedience that resulted in arrests and convictions.

February 2024: Dismissal of Case Against Thunberg in London

On February 2, 2024, the case against Greta Thunberg, et al., was dismissed by the judge after the prosecution rested its case, agreeing that the crown had failed to present enough evidence.

April 2024: Charge for Civil Disobedience in Sweden

On April 23, 2024, Greta Thunberg was charged with civil disobedience for allegedly ignoring police orders to leave two climate demonstrations blocking Sweden's parliament building on March 12 and 14. She entered a plea of not guilty.

April 2024: Participation in Extinction Rebellion Protest in The Hague

On April 6, 2024, Greta Thunberg participated in an Extinction Rebellion-led protest in The Hague, Netherlands. She was forcibly removed from blocking a road and then joined another group blocking a different road, and was removed again. Reports vary on whether she was arrested or merely detained.

May 2024: Conviction for Civil Disobedience in Sweden

On May 8, 2024, a Swedish court convicted Greta Thunberg for civil disobedience and fined her 6,000 Swedish Kronor (US$550). She was also ordered to pay an additional 1,000 Swedish Kronor (US$92) in damages.

September 2024: Detention at Pro-Palestinian Protest in Copenhagen

In September 2024, Greta Thunberg was apprehended by Danish police during a pro-Palestinian protest in Copenhagen against the Israel–Hamas war. She was detained after blocking the entrance to a building at the University of Copenhagen.

December 2024: Controversial Remarks at Pro-Palestine Rally in Mannheim

In December 2024, while speaking at a pro-Palestine rally in Mannheim, Germany, Greta Thunberg declared "Fuck Germany and fuck Israel." This led to accusations of anti-Semitism from a local politician.

2024: Detention at Pro-Palestinian Protest During Eurovision

In May 2024, Greta Thunberg was detained by Swedish police for participating in a pro-Palestinian protest outside Malmö Arena, which was hosting the Eurovision Song Contest 2024. She later released a statement opposing Israel's participation in the contest.