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 uncompromising approach to addressing climate change. She initiated the "school strike for climate" movement, inspiring millions of students worldwide to protest for stronger climate action. Thunberg has addressed the United Nations and other global forums, holding world leaders accountable for their inaction and urging them to prioritize scientific evidence. She is known for her powerful speeches and unwavering commitment to raising awareness about the urgency of the climate crisis, making her a prominent figure in the global climate movement.
2011: Thunberg learns about climate change
In 2011, at the age of eight, Greta Thunberg first learned about climate change, leading to depression and health issues due to the perceived lack of action.
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May 2015: Thunberg's diagnosis made public
In May 2015, Greta Thunberg's mother made her diagnosis of Asperger's syndrome public nationwide in Sweden to help families in similar situations.
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February 2018: US school shootings lead to climate strike
In February 2018, after school shootings in the United States, led several youths to refuse to return to school. This event led to Greta Thunberg being inspired to begin her school climate strikes.
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August 2018: Thunberg begins school climate strikes
In August 2018, Greta Thunberg started her school climate strikes and public speeches, becoming an internationally recognized climate activist. She got the idea of a climate strike after school shootings in the United States.
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August 2018: Thunberg begins school strike for climate
In August 2018, Greta Thunberg, aged 15, started skipping school to protest climate change outside the Swedish parliament. She demanded stronger action on climate change, marking the beginning of her global activism.
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August 2018: Thunberg protests outside Swedish parliament
On 20 August 2018, Greta Thunberg started protesting outside the Swedish parliament every day for three weeks during school hours, demanding the government reduce carbon emissions in accordance with the Paris Agreement.
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2018: Thunberg addresses UN Climate Change Conference
In 2018, Greta Thunberg addressed the United Nations Climate Change Conference, which led to weekly climate strike protests on Fridays around the world.
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2018: Thunberg speaks at UN Climate Change Conference
In 2018, Greta Thunberg's speech during the plenary session of the United Nations Climate Change Conference went viral. She criticized world leaders present at the conference.
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2018: Thunberg activism grows
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. By December, more than 20,000 students held strikes in at least 270 cities.
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January 2019: Thunberg speaks at World Economic Forum
In January 2019, Greta Thunberg declared "Our house is on fire" in a speech at the World Economic Forum. She also addressed the British, European and French parliaments.
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March 2019: Thunberg protests outside Swedish parliament
By March 2019, Greta Thunberg was still staging her regular protests outside the Swedish parliament every Friday.
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May 2019: Thunberg Addresses Online Criticism
In a Time story published in May 2019, Greta Thunberg addressed online criticism, stating that personal attacks on her appearance or personality indicate a lack of substantive arguments against her message.
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August 2019: Thunberg sails across the Atlantic
In August 2019, Greta Thunberg sailed across the Atlantic Ocean from Plymouth, England, to New York City, on a carbon-neutral yacht to attend the UN Climate Action Summit.
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August 2019: Personal Attacks Launched Against Thunberg
In August 2019, various individuals and organizations launched personal attacks against Greta Thunberg, including mocking her autism and resorting to ad hominem attacks, as reported by Scientific American and The Guardian. Piers Morgan and Germany's right-wing populist party AfD also mocked Thunberg.
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September 2019: Trump Mocks Thunberg on Twitter
In September 2019, Donald Trump shared a video of Greta Thunberg angrily addressing world leaders, commenting, "She seems like a very happy young girl looking forward to a bright and wonderful future. So nice to see!" Thunberg reacted by changing her Twitter bio to match his description.
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September 2019: Thunberg attends UN Climate Action Summit
On 23 September 2019, Greta Thunberg attended the UN Climate Action Summit in New York City. She also joined a press conference hosted by UNICEF.
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October 2019: Putin Describes Thunberg as "Kind Girl and Very Sincere"
In October 2019, Vladimir Putin described Greta Thunberg as a "kind girl and very sincere" but suggested she was being manipulated. Thunberg updated her Twitter bio to reflect Putin's description of her.
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November 2019: Sailing to Europe for COP25
In November 2019, after the UN Climate Change Conference (COP25) was moved to Madrid, Spain, Greta Thunberg, refusing to fly, secured a ride across the Atlantic Ocean on the catamaran La Vagabonde, sailing from Hampton, Virginia, to Lisbon, Portugal. She departed on November 13, 2019.
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December 2019: Trump Attacks Thunberg After Time's Person of the Year Naming
According to ABC news, in December 2019, Donald Trump attacked Greta Thunberg after she was named Time's youngest Person of the Year, advising her to work on her anger management. Thunberg responded by updating her Twitter (now X) profile description accordingly.
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December 2019: Trump Again Mocks Thunberg After Person of the Year Award
In December 2019, Donald Trump again mocked Greta Thunberg after she was named Time's Person of the Year for 2019, tweeting about her anger management. Thunberg responded by updating her Twitter biography to reflect his comments.
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December 2019: Arrival in Lisbon and COP25 Speech
In December 2019, Greta Thunberg arrived in Lisbon, Portugal, and traveled to Madrid to speak at COP25. During a press conference before a march, she called for more "concrete action", arguing that the global school strikes had "achieved nothing" because greenhouse gas emissions were still rising.
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December 2019: Criticism from Deutsche Bahn
In December 2019, Greta Thunberg faced criticism from the German rail firm Deutsche Bahn (DB) after tweeting 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 the situation, emphasizing that overcrowded trains indicate high demand for train travel.
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December 2019: Thunberg Tweets About Indigenous People and Deforestation
In December 2019, Greta Thunberg tweeted about the murder of indigenous people protecting the forest from illegal deforestation. Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro responded by calling her a "brat", leading Thunberg to change her Twitter description to "pirralha".
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2019: Multi-city climate protests
In 2019, coordinated multi-city climate protests occurred, involving over a million students each, as part of the Fridays for Future movement.
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January 2020: Call to Siemens to Stop Railway Equipment Delivery
On January 11, 2020, Greta Thunberg called on Siemens to halt the delivery of railway equipment to the Carmichael coal mine in Australia.
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February 2020: X-Site Energy Services Distributes Offensive Sticker
In February 2020, X-Site Energy Services of Alberta, Canada, distributed a sticker depicting a violent image against a girl labeled "Greta". Thunberg responded on Twitter, stating that it showed they were winning. The company later apologized and took responsibility.
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March 2020: Adapting Activism During the Pandemic
In March 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Greta Thunberg and School Strike for Climate moved their activities online, emphasizing adaptation to new circumstances for the greater good.
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March 2020: Criticism of the European Climate Law
On March 4, 2020, Greta Thunberg attended a meeting of the European Parliament's Environment Committee, where she criticized the European Commission's proposed climate law, considering it a "surrender".
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August 2021: Thunberg Targeted by Disinformation and Conspiracies
In August 2021, Yasmeen Serhan wrote in The Atlantic that Greta Thunberg had become "the target of a barrage of disinformation and conspiracies" from the far-right and populist right, including depictions of her as a spoiled child, a leftist pawn, and even a Nazi.
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October 2021: Thunberg Attends COP26 and Speaks at Protests
In October 2021, Greta Thunberg arrived at Glasgow Central station for the COP26. She spoke at protests and marched in a climate strike on November 5, criticizing COP26 as a failure and accusing it of "blah blah blah" and greenwashing.
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January 2023: Protest and Detention in Lützerath
On January 14, 2023, Greta Thunberg spoke at a protest in Lützerath against the expansion of a coal mine. On January 17, 2023, she was detained with other activists by German police during a demonstration at the Garzweiler 2 coal mine and released the same day after an identity check.
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June 2023: Participation in Reclaim the Future Protest in Malmö
On June 19, 2023, Greta Thunberg participated in a Reclaim the Future protest in Malmö, Sweden, leading to charges for disobeying a police order.
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July 2023: Trial and Conviction for Disobeying Police Order
On July 24, 2023, Greta Thunberg's trial was held at Malmö District Court, resulting in a conviction for disobedience to authority and a fine of 2,500 SEK. She attended another similar protest on the same day and was forcibly removed by police and later criminally charged.
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August 2023: Cancellation of Appearance at Edinburgh International Book Festival
On August 4, 2023, Greta Thunberg cancelled her scheduled appearance at the Edinburgh International Book Festival on August 11, 2023, due to the festival's sponsorship by Baillie Gifford, a firm with connections to the fossil fuel industry.
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October 2023: Second Swedish Trial and Conviction for Disobedience
On October 11, 2023, Greta Thunberg's second Swedish trial for disobedience occurred, relating to the 24 July 2023 incident. She was found guilty and ordered to pay fines totaling 4,500 Swedish crowns.
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October 2023: Arrest in London During Energy Intelligence Forum Protest
On October 18, 2023, Greta Thunberg was arrested in London for protesting against the Energy Intelligence Forum and charged with failure to comply with a lawful order to disperse.
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October 2023: Controversy over Palestine Solidarity Post
On October 20, 2023, Greta Thunberg posted a photo supporting Palestinians, leading to criticism for not condemning Hamas. She later clarified her stance, but the Israeli Ministry of Education removed references to her as a role model.
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November 2023: Not Guilty Plea in London Court
On November 15, 2023, Greta Thunberg appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court and entered a plea of "not guilty" related to her arrest during a protest in London.
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2023: Thunberg's activism continues after high school graduation
In 2023, after graduating from high school, Greta Thunberg's activism continued to gain international attention. Her protest tactics became increasingly assertive, including acts of civil disobedience.
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April 2024: Charged with Civil Disobedience in Sweden
On April 23, 2024, Greta Thunberg was charged with civil disobedience for allegedly ignoring police orders during climate demonstrations in March that blocked Sweden's parliament. She entered a plea of not guilty.
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April 2024: Detention During Extinction Rebellion Protest in The Hague
On April 6, 2024, Greta Thunberg was forcibly removed by law enforcement from a road blockade during an Extinction Rebellion-led protest in The Hague, Netherlands. She was removed multiple times from different locations and may or may not have been arrested.
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May 2024: Conviction and Fine for Civil Disobedience in Sweden
On May 8, 2024, Greta Thunberg was convicted by a Swedish court for civil disobedience and fined 6,000 Swedish Kronor (US$550), with an additional 1,000 Swedish Kronor (US$92) in damages.
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September 2024: Detention During Pro-Palestinian Protest in Copenhagen and Stockholm
In September 2024, Greta Thunberg was detained during a pro-Palestinian protest in Copenhagen and was "carried out" by police from the library of Stockholm University after participating in an encampment.
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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 during the Eurovision Song Contest, subsequently releasing a statement opposing Israel's participation.
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