Marianne Deborah Williamson is a prominent American figure known for her work as an author, speaker, and politician. She rose to prominence as a spiritual leader and self-help author, with her book "A Return to Love" becoming a New York Times Best Seller. Williamson's frequent appearances on Oprah Winfrey's talk show, where she was often referred to as Winfrey's "spiritual advisor," further solidified her public image.
July 8, 1952: Birth of Marianne Williamson
Marianne Deborah Williamson was born on July 8, 1952. She is an American author, speaker, and politician, known for her contributions to self-help literature and her political campaigns.
1973: Dropping Out of College
In 1973, Williamson dropped out of Pomona College and lived a 'nomadic existence' during what she refers to as 'her wasted decade.'
1973: Support for Roe v. Wade
Marianne Williamson has expressed her support for the abortion rights that were guaranteed under the 1973 Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade.
1976: Interest in 'A Course in Miracles'
In 1976, despite her Jewish faith, Marianne Williamson developed a deep interest in Helen Schucman's book 'A Course in Miracles,' exploring spirituality, metaphysics, and meditation.
1979: Return to Houston
In 1979, Marianne Williamson returned to Houston, where she ran a metaphysical bookstore coffee shop, got married and divorced, and experienced a 'spiritual surrender.'
1979: Brief Marriage
In 1979, Marianne Williamson was briefly married to a Houston businessman. She described the marriage as lasting 'for a minute and a half.'
1983: Move to Los Angeles
In 1983, Williamson moved to Los Angeles, where she shared an apartment with 17-year-old Laura Dern and held prayer groups in their living room.
1987: Founding of Center for Living
In 1987, Marianne Williamson founded the Center for Living, marking her active involvement in charity work.
1987: Launch of the Center for Living
In 1987, inspired by a friend's struggle with breast cancer, Marianne Williamson launched the Center for Living after receiving a $50,000 donation from David Geffen. She co-founded the organization with Louise Hay.
1988: Appointment of Maurice Daniel
In 1988, Marianne Williamson appointed Maurice Daniel, who served in Dick Gephardt's 1988 campaign, as her national campaign manager.
1989: Second Center for Living in New York City
In 1989, Marianne Williamson, having received another $50,000 advance from David Geffen, opened a second Center for Living in New York City. The location faced a conflict between staff and the board regarding her management style.
1989: Launch of Project Angel Food
In 1989, with the success of the Centers for Living, Marianne Williamson launched Project Angel Food to support HIV/AIDS patients. By 1992, it had raised over $1.5 million and was delivering nearly 400 hot meals a day to homebound AIDS patients in Los Angeles.
1989: Founding of Project Angel Food
Williamson founded Project Angel Food in 1989, furthering her commitment to charitable causes.
1990: Birth of Daughter
In 1990, Marianne Williamson gave birth to her daughter.
March 1992: Resignation from Project Angel Food
In March 1992, Marianne Williamson resigned from Project Angel Food after employees demanded her resignation and threatened unionization.
1992: Project Angel Food Success
By 1992, Project Angel Food, launched by Marianne Williamson, had raised over $1.5 million and was delivering nearly 400 hot meals a day to homebound AIDS patients in Los Angeles.
1992: Publication of 'A Return to Love'
In 1992, Marianne Williamson published 'A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of A Course in Miracles', which became a New York Times Best Seller and significantly boosted her prominence.
1992: Publication of 'A Return to Love'
In 1992, Marianne Williamson published her book 'A Return to Love'. Some controversies during her 2020 presidential campaign were linked to excerpts or paraphrases from this book.
1992: Success of 'A Return to Love'
In 1992, Marianne Williamson's book 'A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of A Course in Miracles' stayed on the New York Times bestseller list for 39 weeks in the 'Advice, How To and Miscellaneous' category.
1992: Stepped Down from Centers for Living
In the summer of 1992, Marianne Williamson stepped down from her role at the Centers for Living. The New York Center remained open, following a donation from Cher. Williamson gave the organization an extra $50,000 check and left, but remained an advisor.
1998: Project Angel Food's Growth
By 1998, after Marianne Williamson's departure, Project Angel Food had over 1,500 volunteers and nearly 1,000 clients.
1998: Co-founding of Global Renaissance Alliance
In 1998, Marianne Williamson co-founded the non-profit Global Renaissance Alliance (GSA) with Neale Donald Walsch. The organization aimed to establish a network of 'citizen salons' to pray for national growth, peace, and liberal causes. The GSA's members met in small 'Peace Circles' every other week to pray together.
1998: Founding of the Peace Alliance
In 1998, Marianne Williamson founded the Peace Alliance, continuing her dedication to charity and social causes.
2003: Resignation from Church Renaissance Unity
In 2003, Marianne Williamson resigned from the Church Renaissance Unity Interfaith Spiritual Fellowship and subsequently lectured at various churches.
2004: Renaming and New Mandate of The Peace Alliance
In 2004, the Global Renaissance Alliance was renamed The Peace Alliance, and it adopted a new mandate focused on grassroots education and advocacy. The organization aimed to increase U.S. government support for peace-building approaches to domestic and international conflicts and advocated for lobbying congressional representatives directly.
2006: Named One of 50 Most Influential Baby Boomers
In 2006, a Newsweek poll named Marianne Williamson one of the 50 most influential baby boomers.
2010: Launch of Sister Giant
In 2010, Marianne Williamson launched 'Sister Giant', a series of conferences aimed at starting a new conversation about transformational politics and encouraging more women to run for office.
2012: Partnership with Yale University's Women's Campaign School
In 2012, Yale University's Women's Campaign School partnered with Marianne Williamson's 'Sister Giant' series. The collaboration focused on addressing social issues such as child poverty, campaign finance reform, and high incarceration rates.
2013: Reported Assets
In 2013, Marianne Williamson reported having assets estimated between $1 million and $5 million, not including personal residences.
2014: 2014 Congressional Run
In 2014, Williamson ran unsuccessfully as an independent for California's 33rd congressional district in the United States House of Representatives, finishing fourth with 13.2% of the vote.
2014: 2014 Congressional Run
In 2014, Marianne Williamson ran as an Independent for California's 33rd congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives.
2017: Board Membership at Results Educational Fund
Until 2017, Marianne Williamson served as a board member of Results Educational Fund (RESULTS) and its sister organization, Results Inc. These organizations focused on finding long-term solutions to poverty and encouraged grassroots advocates to lobby elected officials while working directly with Congress and other U.S. policymakers to advance anti-poverty policies.
November 4, 2018: Keynote Address at Sisterhood of Salaam-Shalom Conference
On November 4, 2018, eight days after the Tree of Life synagogue shooting, Marianne Williamson gave a keynote address to several hundred Muslim and Jewish women at the Sisterhood of Salaam-Shalom conference in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. She argued against fear being used as a political force and advocated for love.
November 15, 2018: Formation of Presidential Exploratory Committee
On November 15, 2018, Marianne Williamson announced the formation of a presidential exploratory committee.
2018: Expansion of Project Angel Food
As of 2018, Project Angel Food, launched by Marianne Williamson, had expanded its services and was delivering 12,000 meals weekly throughout Los Angeles.
January 28, 2019: Launch of Presidential Campaign
Marianne Williamson officially launched her presidential campaign on January 28, 2019, before an audience of 2,000 people in Los Angeles.
June 2019: Criticism of Trump's Immigration Policies
In June 2019, Marianne Williamson criticized then-President Donald Trump on his immigration policies, particularly after reports of children being separated from their families and put in detainment centers. She called these acts 'state-sponsored crimes' and compared them to the experiences of Jewish people in Nazi Germany.
July 30, 2019: Debate Performance
On July 30, 2019, Marianne Williamson's debate performance was noted for her compelling answers, particularly on reparations, with some pundits acknowledging her influence.
2019: Trustee of Project Angel Food
As of 2019, Marianne Williamson remains a trustee of Project Angel Food.
2019: Publication Achievements
By 2019, Marianne Williamson had written 14 books, seven of which appeared on the New York Times bestseller list, including four that reached number one. She has sold over three million books.
2019: Campaign Achievements
By May 1, 2019, Marianne Williamson's campaign had a staff of 20 and raised $1.5 million, with donations from 46,663 unique individuals.
January 10, 2020: End of 2020 Presidential Campaign
On January 10, 2020, Marianne Williamson announced the end of her presidential campaign and pledged to support the Democratic nominee.
2020: Controversies During 2020 Presidential Campaign
In 2020, during her presidential campaign, Marianne Williamson was accused of making controversial statements about AIDS and gay men. She was alleged to have told gay men not to take medication for AIDS, implying they were "not positive enough" to counter the disease, and suggesting they "deserved" the disease and should "pray the AIDS away." Williamson has repeatedly denied these accusations.
2020: 2020 Presidential Campaign
Marianne Williamson ran for the Democratic nomination for president in 2020, eventually dropping out and endorsing Bernie Sanders.
2020: 2020 Campaign Controversies
In 2020, a dozen former staffers from Marianne Williamson's campaign, who remained anonymous due to NDAs, described working for her as 'toxic,' 'traumatic,' and 'terrifying.' Williamson was accused of throwing phones and shouting at staff to the point of tears. She admitted to an incident involving striking a car in South Carolina.
2020: Criticism of Vogue
In 2020, Marianne Williamson made headlines when she criticized Vogue for its 'insidious influence' after not including her in a photo shoot of female presidential candidates. Vogue responded that it only aimed to highlight the five female lawmakers with significant political experience.
2020: 2020 Democratic Presidential Debates
During the 2020 Democratic presidential debates, Marianne Williamson received both praise and criticism for her performance. Some praised her for providing 'surprisingly eloquent' and 'meaningful' answers, while others criticized her responses as 'extremely vague' and 'deeply weird.' Her unorthodox style led to a large response across social media.
2020: Relocation to Iowa
In 2020, Marianne Williamson moved to Des Moines, Iowa, in preparation for the 2020 caucuses and appointed 99 'Virtual Iowa Caucus Captains' to rally support.
2022: Self-Identification as Jewish
In a 2022 interview, Marianne Williamson described herself as a 'Jewish woman.' Her father and maternal grandparents were Russian Jewish immigrants, and her older brother, Peter, became an immigration attorney like their father.
February 23, 2023: Confirmation of 2024 Presidential Run
On February 23, 2023, Marianne Williamson confirmed her intention to run for president in the future.
March 4, 2023: Start of 2024 Campaign
Marianne Williamson officially started her 2024 presidential campaign on March 4, 2023.
May 20, 2023: Departure of Deputy Campaign Manager
On May 20, 2023, Marianne Williamson's 2024 deputy campaign manager, Jason Call, departed from her team. This occurred a week after her campaign manager, Peter Daou, had announced similar intentions. The departures were marked by different reasons given by the individuals compared to the campaign.
June 2023: Staff Departures in June 2023
In June 2023, more staff, including Marianne Williamson's new campaign manager, left her team.
July 2023: Financial Contributions and Debts
In July 2023, Politico reported that Marianne Williamson had contributed $220,000 to her own campaign. The campaign's most recent financial disclosure showed $270,000 in unpaid debts.
2023: Preparations for 2024 Presidential Run
Marianne Williamson began preparations for her 2024 presidential run in early 2023, visiting key states like South Carolina and New Hampshire.
2023: Financial Advance Adjustment
In 2023, the $50,000 advance Marianne Williamson received in 1989 from David Geffen was approximately valued at $106,954.
2023: Residence in Washington, D.C.
As of 2023, Marianne Williamson lives in Washington, D.C.
February 7, 2024: Suspension of 2024 Presidential Campaign
On February 7, 2024, Marianne Williamson announced she had suspended her presidential campaign after receiving 2.9% of the vote in the Nevada Democratic primary.
February 28, 2024: Re-entry into 2024 Presidential Race
Marianne Williamson re-entered the 2024 presidential race on February 28, 2024, after placing third in the Michigan Democratic primary with 3% of the vote.
2024: 2024 Presidential Campaign
As a candidate for 2024 U.S. President, Marianne Williamson has stated her strong support for abortion access, services, and choice. She has spoken in favor of the abortion rights that were guaranteed under the now-overturned 1973 Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade.
2024: 2024 Presidential Campaign
Marianne Williamson is running in the 2024 Democratic Party presidential primaries, challenging incumbent President Joe Biden.
2024: 2024 Presidential Campaign
Marianne Williamson was a candidate for the 2024 U.S. Presidential election, during which she strongly supported abortion access, services, and choice. She advocated for the abortion rights guaranteed under the now-overturned 1973 Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade.