Early Life and Education of Greta Thunberg: A Complete Timeline
Discover the defining moments in the early life of Greta Thunberg. From birth to education, explore key events.
Greta Thunberg is a Swedish climate activist who gained international recognition for her outspoken advocacy for immediate action against climate change. Beginning with school strikes in 2018, she has challenged world leaders, demanding they prioritize climate science and implement policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Her activism has inspired a global movement of young people, and she has addressed numerous international forums, including the United Nations. Thunberg is known for her uncompromising stance and unwavering commitment to raising awareness about the urgency of the climate crisis.
January 2003: Greta Thunberg Born
In January 2003, Greta Tintin Eleonora Ernman Thunberg was born in Stockholm, Sweden. She is the daughter of opera singer Malena Ernman and actor Svante Thunberg.
2011: Thunberg Learns About Climate Change
In 2011, at the age of eight, Greta Thunberg first learned about climate change. She struggled to understand why so little was being done to address it, which led to depression and, later, health issues.
May 2015: Thunberg's Asperger's Diagnosis Made Public
In May 2015, Greta Thunberg's mother made her daughter's diagnosis of Asperger's syndrome public nationwide in Sweden. Thunberg herself views her Asperger's as her "superpower".
February 2018: School Shootings in the United States Inspire Thunberg
In February 2018, school shootings in the United States led several youths to refuse to return to school, which inspired Greta Thunberg's climate strike.
August 2018: Thunberg begins school climate strikes
In August 2018, Greta Thunberg began her school climate strikes. She stated that she got the idea from school shootings in the United States in February 2018.
August 2018: Greta Thunberg Begins School Strike for Climate
In August 2018, at the age of 15, Greta Thunberg started skipping school to protest in front of the Swedish parliament. She demanded stronger action on climate change, holding a sign saying 'Skolstrejk för klimatet' (School Strike for Climate) and handing out informational flyers.
August 2018: Thunberg's Initial School Strike
On 20 August 2018, Greta Thunberg began her school strike outside the Swedish parliament, the Riksdag. She protested every day for three weeks during school hours, demanding the Swedish government reduce carbon emissions in line with the Paris Agreement.
2018: Publication of 'Scenes from the Heart'
In 2018, the book "Scenes from the Heart" was published, recounting the Thunberg family's story of adapting to a low-carbon lifestyle.
February 2019: Academics show support for Thunberg
In February 2019, a group of 224 academics voiced their backing for Greta Thunberg's activism and the school strikes, acknowledging their inspiration in amplifying the importance of climate action.
March 2019: Thunberg Continues School Strikes
In March 2019, Greta Thunberg continued her regular school strikes outside the Swedish parliament every Friday. She also finished lower secondary school with excellent grades.
May 2019: UN Secretary-General Endorses School Strikes
In May 2019, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres endorsed the school strikes led by Greta Thunberg and admitted that his generation had failed to address climate change effectively, calling on the youth to "rescue the planet."
July 2019: Thunberg Takes Sabbatical Year
In July 2019, Time magazine reported that Greta Thunberg was taking a "sabbatical year" from school to travel in the Americas and attend COP25.
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 the Malizia II yacht. The voyage took 15 days, from 14 to 28 August 2019.
September 2019: Attended UN Climate Action Summit
In September 2019, Greta Thunberg attended the UN Climate Action Summit in New York City. On that day, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) hosted a press conference where Thunberg joined 15 other children, including Ayakha Melithafa, Alexandria Villaseñor, Catarina Lorenzo, Ridhima Pandey and Carl Smith.
September 2019: Support from US presidential candidates
In September 2019, following her speech at the action summit in New York, Democratic candidates such as Kamala Harris, Beto O'Rourke, and Bernie Sanders voiced their support for Greta Thunberg.
September 2019: Participated in climate protests in Canada and the US
In late September 2019, Greta Thunberg entered Canada and participated in climate protests in Montreal, Edmonton, and Vancouver, including leading a climate rally as part of the 27 September 2019 Global Climate Strike in Montreal. In the United States, Thunberg participated in climate protests in New York City, Washington, D.C., Iowa City, Los Angeles, Charlotte, Denver and the Standing Rock Indian Reservation.
November 2019: Sailed across the Atlantic to attend COP25
In November 2019, after the COP25 was moved to Madrid, Spain, Greta Thunberg, refusing to fly due to carbon emissions, secured a ride across the Atlantic Ocean on the catamaran La Vagabonde, setting sail from Hampton, Virginia, on 13 November 2019, for Lisbon, Portugal. Her message was to unite behind the science and act on it.
December 2019: Thunberg's Father Discusses Family's Lifestyle Changes
In December 2019, Greta Thunberg's father spoke about how her mother's decision to give up international opera ventures was primarily to support Greta and saw Greta grew with the decision..
December 2019: Arrived in Lisbon and Spoke at COP25
On 3 December 2019, Greta Thunberg arrived in Lisbon and traveled to Madrid to speak at COP25, participating with local Fridays for Future climate strikers. During a press conference, she called for more concrete action, noting that the global wave of school strikes had achieved nothing as greenhouse gas emissions were still rising.
2019: Thunberg promotes anti-flying movement
In 2019, Greta Thunberg championed the anti-flying movement, promoting rail travel over flying due to environmental concerns and backing the campaign to reduce air travel during her European tour.
2019: Thunberg Addresses UN Climate Action Summit
In 2019, Greta Thunberg sailed to New York to address the UN Climate Action Summit. During her speech, she famously scolded world leaders with the phrase "How dare you," criticizing their inaction on the climate crisis.
January 2020: Returned to the World Economic Forum in Davos
On 21 January 2020, Greta Thunberg returned to the World Economic Forum held in Davos, Switzerland, delivered two speeches, and participated in panel discussions hosted by The New York Times and the World Economic Forum, focusing on the theme "Our house is still on fire."
February 2020: Met Malala Yousafzai and joined a school strike
In February 2020, Greta Thunberg traveled to Oxford University to meet Malala Yousafzai, a Nobel Peace Prize-winning Pakistani activist for female education. She later joined a school strike in Bristol.
March 2020: Moved Activities Online Due to COVID-19
On 13 March 2020, Greta Thunberg stated that in a crisis, society changes behavior and adapts to new circumstances for the greater good. Thunberg and School Strike for Climate subsequently moved their activities online due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
August 2020: Met with Angela Merkel and Announced Plans for Global Climate Strike
On 20 August 2020, the second anniversary of Thunberg's first strike, Thunberg and fellow climate activists met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin. They subsequently announced plans for another global climate strike on 25 September 2020.
August 2020: Returned to school after gap year
On 24 August 2020, Greta Thunberg ended her "gap year" from school and returned to the classroom. The COVID-19 pandemic severely restricted travel and meetings in 2020 and 2021.
September 2020: Planned a global climate strike
In September 2020, Greta Thunberg planned for a global climate strike to take place on September 25th. Whether the strike in September is virtual in nature or in the streets would be determined by the pandemic situation.
2020: Indian Farmers' Protest
In 2020 Greta Thunberg supported the Indian Farmers' protest.
2020: Merkel acknowledges young activists' impact
In 2020, German Chancellor Angela Merkel recognized that young activists like Greta Thunberg had motivated her government to accelerate climate action.
2020: Thunberg Speaks Out Against Entrance Exams in India
In 2020, Greta Thunberg voiced her opposition to the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Undergraduate) and Joint Entrance Examination 2020 exams in India, citing the unfairness of conducting exams during a global pandemic and the impact of floods on students.
February 2021: Thunberg Supports Indian Farmers' Protest
On 3 February 2021, Greta Thunberg tweeted her support for the 2020-2021 Indian farmers' protest, linking to a toolkit document. She later deleted the tweet and the Indian climate activist who edited the toolkit, Disha Ravi, was arrested on 16 February 2021.
March 2021: Timmermans commits to Green Deal objectives
In March 2021, European Commissioner for Climate Action Frans Timmermans affirmed the European Commission's commitment to aligning the Common Agricultural Policy with the goals of the European Green Deal after discussions with Greta Thunberg.
July 2021: Received COVID vaccine
In July 2021, Greta Thunberg received her COVID vaccine, expressing gratitude and highlighting the unequal vaccine distribution worldwide.
September 2021: Thunberg Comments on Mother's Career Change
In September 2021, Greta Thunberg stated that her mother's decision to give up flying and international opera engagements was her own choice based on the information Greta provided.
2021: Thunberg Discusses Autism and Climate Activism
In 2021, Greta Thunberg noted that many participants in the Fridays for Future movement are autistic. She attributes this to an inability to ignore the truth about the climate crisis and a need to speak out.
February 2022: Protested Against the Invasion of Ukraine
On Friday, 25 February 2022, Greta Thunberg combined her usual Friday climate protests to include opposing the invasion of Ukraine by Russian military forces. She stood outside the Russian embassy in Stockholm holding a sign that read "Stand With Ukraine".
November 2022: Filed Lawsuit Against Swedish Government for Climate Inaction
In November 2022, Greta Thunberg, along with over 600 young people, filed a lawsuit against the Swedish government for climate inaction within Sweden.
January 2023: Detention at Lützerath Coal Mine Protest
In January 2023, Greta Thunberg spoke at a protest in Lützerath on 14 January 2023, urging German authorities to halt the expansion of a coal mine. On 17 January 2023, she was detained along with other activists while demonstrating at the Garzweiler 2 coal mine and released the same day after an identity check.
June 2023: Arrested at Reclaim the Future protest in Sweden
On 19 June 2023, Greta Thunberg participated in a Reclaim the Future protest in Malmö, Sweden, and was charged with disobeying a police order for disrupting traffic.
June 2023: High School Graduation and Final School Strike
On 9 June 2023, Greta Thunberg graduated from high school, marking the day with her last school strike for climate protest before receiving her diploma. She vowed to continue her fight.
July 2023: Trial and Conviction for Disobeying Police Order
On 24 July 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 (approximately US$240). She attended a similar protest the same day.
August 2023: Cancellation of Edinburgh Book Festival Appearance
On 4 August 2023, Greta Thunberg canceled her appearance at the Edinburgh International Book Festival on 11 August 2023 to promote 'The Climate Book,' due to the festival's sponsorship by Baillie Gifford, an investment firm with connections to the fossil fuel industry.
October 2023: Second Swedish Trial and Conviction
On 11 October 2023, Greta Thunberg faced a second Swedish trial for disobeying a police order to disperse. She was found guilty for the 24 July 2023 incident and ordered to pay fines totaling 4,500 Swedish crowns ($414).
October 2023: Arrested at Energy Intelligence Forum Protest in London
On 18 October 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.
November 2023: Plea of 'Not Guilty' in London Court
On 15 November 2023, Greta Thunberg appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court and entered a plea of 'not guilty' regarding her arrest in London.
December 2023: Publication of Opinion Piece on Gaza's Suffering
On 5 December 2023, Greta Thunberg and three researchers published an opinion piece in The Guardian titled "We won't stop speaking out about Gaza's suffering", clarifying FFF Sweden's support for Palestinian civilians and defending the organization's political stance.
2023: Thunberg's Activism Evolves Post-Graduation
After graduating from high school in 2023, Greta Thunberg continued her activism, incorporating acts of civil disobedience. Her activism expanded to support Ukraine, Palestine, Armenia, and Western Sahara in their respective conflicts.
February 2024: Case Dismissed in London Court
On 2 February 2024, the case against Greta Thunberg, et al., was dismissed by the presiding judge after the prosecution rested its case, agreeing that the crown had failed to present enough evidence.
April 2024: Charged with Civil Disobedience in Sweden
On 23 April 2024, Greta Thunberg was charged with civil disobedience for allegedly ignoring police orders during climate demonstrations in March 2024 blocking Sweden's parliament building.
April 2024: Detention at Extinction Rebellion Protest in The Hague
On 6 April 2024, Greta Thunberg was forcibly removed from blocking a road during an Extinction Rebellion-led protest in The Hague, Netherlands. She was removed again from a second blockade.
May 2024: Detention at Pro-Palestinian Protest during Eurovision
On 11 May 2024, Greta Thunberg was detained by Swedish police for participating in a pro-Palestinian protest outside Malmö Arena during the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 and subsequently released a statement opposing Israel's participation.
May 2024: Conviction and Fine for Civil Disobedience
On 8 May 2024, Greta Thunberg was convicted by a Swedish court and fined 6,000 Swedish Kronor (US$550) for civil disobedience, plus an additional 1,000 Swedish Kronor (US$92) in damages.
September 2024: Detention during Pro-Palestinian Protest in Copenhagen
In September 2024, Danish police apprehended Greta Thunberg during a pro-Palestinian protest in Copenhagen. She was detained for blocking the entrance to a building at the University of Copenhagen. She was also "carried out" from Stockholm University's library after a protest.
November 2024: Reflection on Pro-Palestine Activism
In November 2024, Greta Thunberg reflected on her pro-Palestine activism.
May 2025: Cancelled Participation in Gaza Freedom Flotilla
In May 2025, Greta Thunberg was planning to board the Gaza Freedom Flotilla at a Maltese port. These plans were cancelled after a drone attack hit one of the vessels.
Mentioned in this timeline
Ukraine is a large country in Eastern Europe second only...
Sir David Attenborough is a highly influential British broadcaster biologist...
Donald John Trump is an American politician media personality and...
Malala Yousafzai is a Pakistani activist advocating for female education...
Boris Johnson is a British politician and writer who served...
Bernie Sanders is a prominent American politician currently serving as...
Trending
28 minutes ago Sinaloa Cartel Leader Arrested in Oregon Fentanyl Bust Linked to Kotek friend.
1 hour ago Young Thug's new song snippet vows faithfulness to Mariah the Scientist: Album tease.
1 hour ago Edmonton Launches $1.5B Construction Season: Downtown Park, Residential Roads, and City Expansion.
1 hour ago NHL Playoffs: Wilson assists Carlson, Pacioretty impresses, Hurricanes stay calm in Game 1
1 hour ago Stephen King's 'The Long Walk' gets a chilling trailer after years in development.
1 hour ago Draisaitl's Overtime Goal Secures Oilers' Game 2 Victory, Leading Series 2-0.
Popular
Jane Goodall is a renowned English primatologist zoologist and anthropologist...
Pope Francis is the current head of the Catholic Church...
Michael Jordan also known as MJ is an American businessman...
Cristiano Ronaldo often nicknamed CR is a highly decorated Portuguese...
The Real ID Act of is a US federal law...
Russell Westbrook III is an American professional basketball player currently...