Childhood and Education Journey of Mark Zuckerberg in Timeline

Discover the defining moments in the early life of Mark Zuckerberg. From birth to education, explore key events.

Mark Zuckerberg is an American businessman best known as the co-founder, chairman, CEO, and controlling shareholder of Meta Platforms (formerly Facebook). He launched Facebook, a social media service, which grew to become a global phenomenon. Zuckerberg's career has been marked by both immense success and controversy, including lawsuits concerning the website's creation and ownership, as well as debates surrounding user privacy and data handling practices. Despite these challenges, he remains a prominent figure in the technology industry and a driving force behind Meta's ventures.

Sections (7)

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

May 14, 1984: Mark Zuckerberg Born

On May 14, 1984, Mark Elliot Zuckerberg was born. He is an American businessman who co-founded Facebook and Meta Platforms.

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1984: Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution Written

In 1984, Steven Levy wrote the book Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution.

Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution - 25th Anniversary Edition

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2002: Zuckerberg Registers to Vote

In 2002, Mark Zuckerberg registered to vote in Westchester County, New York, where he grew up. However, he did not cast his first ballot until November 2008.

2002: Starts Harvard

In 2002, Zuckerberg began classes at Harvard and had already achieved a "reputation as a programming prodigy".

2002: Graduates Prep School

In 2002, Zuckerberg graduated from Phillips Exeter Academy, a prep school that may have inspired Facebook.

2003: Zuckerberg Meets Priscilla Chan

In 2003, Mark Zuckerberg met fellow Harvard student Priscilla Chan at a frat party during his sophomore year, and they began dating.

January 2004: Starts Writing Code for Thefacebook

In January 2004, Zuckerberg began writing code for a new website that would become Thefacebook.

February 4, 2004: Thefacebook Launched

On February 4, 2004, Mark Zuckerberg launched "Thefacebook", originally located at thefacebook.com, in partnership with his roommates.

February 2004: Facebook Launched

In February 2004, Mark Zuckerberg, along with his roommates, launched Facebook while attending Harvard College.

June 25, 2008: Settlement of Lawsuit

On June 25, 2008, the lawsuit between Zuckerberg and the Harvard students Cameron Winklevoss, Tyler Winklevoss, and Divya Narendra was settled, with Facebook agreeing to transfer over 1.2 million common shares and pay $20 million in cash.

November 2008: Zuckerberg Casts First Ballot

In November 2008, Mark Zuckerberg cast his first ballot. Despite registering to vote in Westchester County, New York, in 2002, he had not voted until this election. Bloomberg reported that Zuckerberg was listed as "no preference" on voter rolls and had voted in at least two of the past three general elections, including 2008.

September 2010: Chan Moves Into Zuckerberg's House

In September 2010, Priscilla Chan, then a medical student at the University of California, San Francisco, moved into Mark Zuckerberg's rented house in Palo Alto, California.

September 2010: Zuckerberg Pledges $100 Million to Newark Public Schools

In September 2010, with the support of Governor Chris Christie, Cory Booker obtained a $100 million pledge from Mark Zuckerberg for Newark Public Schools.

2010: The Social Network Released

In 2010, a film depicting Zuckerberg's early career, legal troubles, and initial success with Facebook, called "The Social Network," was released and won multiple Academy Awards.

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2011: Facebook Participates in Pride Celebration

In 2011, Facebook first participated in the San Francisco Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Celebration, with 70 employees.

May 19, 2012: Zuckerberg Marries Priscilla Chan

On May 19, 2012, Mark Zuckerberg married Priscilla Chan on the grounds of his mansion in an event that also celebrated her graduation from medical school.

October 1, 2012: Meeting with Dmitry Medvedev

On October 1, 2012, Zuckerberg met with then Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev in Moscow to stimulate social media innovation in Russia and to boost Facebook's position in the Russian market.

December 2012: Zuckerberg Donates Shares to Silicon Valley Community Foundation

In December 2012, Mark Zuckerberg donated 18 million shares to the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, a community organization that includes education in its grant-making areas.

2012: Zuckerberg Votes in General Election

In 2012, Mark Zuckerberg voted in a general election. Bloomberg reported that Zuckerberg was listed as "no preference" on voter rolls and had voted in at least two of the past three general elections, including 2012.

February 2013: Zuckerberg Hosts Fundraiser for Chris Christie

In February 2013, Mark Zuckerberg hosted his first fundraising event for then New Jersey Governor Chris Christie. Zuckerberg's interest was in education reform, particularly Christie's work on teachers unions and charter schools.

April 11, 2013: Zuckerberg Launches Lobbying Group FWD.us

On April 11, 2013, Mark Zuckerberg launched FWD.us, a 501(c)(4) lobbying group. The founders and contributors were primarily Silicon Valley entrepreneurs and investors, with Joe Green as president. The group aimed to address immigration reform, education improvement, and technological breakthroughs. However, it was criticized for financing ads supporting oil and gas development initiatives, leading to protests and boycotts of Facebook ads by liberal and progressive groups.

June 2013: Zuckerberg Joins Facebook Employees at Pride Celebration

In June 2013, Mark Zuckerberg joined Facebook employees in a company float at the annual San Francisco Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Celebration. Approximately 700 employees participated following the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that deemed the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) unconstitutional.

June 20, 2013: Zuckerberg Engages with Facebook Users on FWD.us Video

On June 20, 2013, Mark Zuckerberg actively engaged with Facebook users on his profile page after the online publication of a FWD.us video. He responded to claims about FWD.us's goals, emphasizing the importance of treating undocumented individuals fairly.

September 2013: Zuckerberg Comments on PRISM Scandal

In September 2013, at the TechCrunch Disrupt conference, Mark Zuckerberg commented on the mid-2013 PRISM scandal, stating that the U.S. government "blew it" in terms of protecting citizens' freedoms, the economy, and companies.

October 23, 2014: Q&A Session at Tsinghua University

On October 23, 2014, Zuckerberg participated in a Q&A session at Tsinghua University in Beijing, China, where he conversed in Mandarin Chinese.

December 8, 2014: Meeting with Lu Wei at Facebook HQ

On December 8, 2014, Zuckerberg hosted visiting Chinese politician Lu Wei, at Facebook's headquarters.

December 11, 2014: Live Q&A Session at Facebook HQ

On December 11, 2014, Zuckerberg fielded questions during a live Q&A session at the company's headquarters in Menlo Park, explaining that he does not believe Facebook is a waste of time.

July 2015: Zuckerberg Announces Pregnancy

In July 2015, Mark Zuckerberg revealed that he and Priscilla Chan were expecting a baby girl. He also shared that Chan had previously experienced three miscarriages.

November 2015: Paris Attacks

The aftermath of the November 2015 Paris attacks influenced Zuckerberg to state that he wants "to add my voice in support of Muslims in our community and around the world".

December 9, 2015: Zuckerberg Expresses Support for Muslims on Facebook

On December 9, 2015, Mark Zuckerberg posted a statement on his Facebook wall in response to the aftermath of the November 2015 Paris attacks and the 2015 San Bernardino attack, expressing his support for Muslims and emphasizing that they are "always welcome" on Facebook. He also stated that as a Jew, his parents taught him to stand against attacks on all communities.

December 2015: Birth of First Daughter

In December 2015, Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan's first daughter was born. They later announced her Chinese name, Chen Mingyu, in a Chinese New Year video.

2015: Shooting at Mother Emanuel

In 2015, a shooting took place at Mother Emanuel; Zuckerberg would later speak at the site in 2017.

February 24, 2016: Zuckerberg Rebukes Employees for Altering 'Black Lives Matter' Phrases

On February 24, 2016, Mark Zuckerberg sent a company-wide memo to Facebook employees formally rebuking those who crossed out "Black Lives Matter" phrases on company walls and replaced them with "All Lives Matter." Zuckerberg condemned this practice, considering it not only disrespectful but "malicious." He emphasized that "Black Lives Matter doesn't mean other lives don't" and launched investigations into the incidents.

2016: Zuckerberg on Religion

In 2016, Mark Zuckerberg, who was raised in a Reform Jewish household and later identified as an atheist, stated that he now believes religion is very important after a period of questioning.

2016: CZI Donates $600 Million to Chan Zuckerberg Biohub

In 2016, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI) donated $600 million to establish the Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, a collaborative research center in San Francisco. The Biohub aims to foster collaboration between scientists at UCSF, UC Berkeley, and Stanford University. Unlike other foundations, Biohub retains the right to commercialize its funded research, while inventors have the option to make discoveries open-source. The CZ Biohub also mandates that investigators publish their manuscripts and data on preprint servers to increase access to scientific research. Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, Zuckerberg announced $25 million in grants to support local journalism impacted by the pandemic and $75 million in advertisement purchases in local newspapers by Facebook, Inc., where Facebook would market itself.

January 2017: Zuckerberg Criticizes Trump's Executive Order

In January 2017, Mark Zuckerberg criticized Donald Trump's executive order that severely limited immigrants and refugees from some countries.

May 25, 2017: Receives Honorary Degree from Harvard

On May 25, 2017, Zuckerberg received an honorary degree from Harvard after giving a commencement speech at Harvard's 366th commencement day.

August 2017: Birth of Second Daughter

In August 2017, Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan's second daughter was born.

2017: Zuckerberg and Wife Tour the US

In 2017, Mark Zuckerberg and his wife began a nationwide tour to visit every state in the union and learn more about the people who use Facebook. They met with farmers and business owners and spoke at Mother Emanuel, where a shooting had taken place in 2015.

2017: Zuckerberg Calls for Action on Global Warming

In 2017, Mark Zuckerberg called for action to stop global warming in a commencement speech at Harvard University. Seven years later, he purchased the mega-yacht Launchpad (formerly Project 1010) for $300 million. That same year, he put the yacht into operation; it emits 40 tons of carbon dioxide per hour.

2020: Zuckerberg Funds Ballot Initiative to Alter Proposition 13

In 2020, Mark Zuckerberg funded a state-level ballot initiative for the general election that would raise taxes by altering California's Proposition 13, requiring the tax assessment of commercial and industrial properties at market rate.

2022: Zuckerberg Begins MMA and BJJ Training

In 2022, Mark Zuckerberg began training in both mixed martial arts (MMA) and Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ), publicly expressing his enthusiasm for these sports.

March 2023: Birth of Third Daughter

In March 2023, Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan welcomed their third daughter and announced the news on social media.

May 6, 2023: Zuckerberg Wins Medals in BJJ Tournament

On May 6, 2023, Mark Zuckerberg competed in a BJJ tournament and secured both a silver and a gold medal in gi and no gi, competing at the white belt level.

July 2023: Zuckerberg Promoted to Blue Belt in BJJ

In July 2023, Mark Zuckerberg was promoted to blue belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu by Dave Camarillo, marking an advancement in his training.

August 2024: Zuckerberg Expresses Regret Over COVID-19 Censorship

In August 2024, Mark Zuckerberg stated in a letter to the House Judiciary Committee that he regretted not doing more to resist pressure from the Biden administration to censor content related to COVID-19. He also noted he no longer intends to donate towards election infrastructure.

September 2024: Trump Describes Zuckerberg in 'Save America'

In September 2024, Donald Trump's book 'Save America' featured a description of Zuckerberg's White House visits, along with a warning about potential legal consequences for illegal actions in the 2024 Presidential Election.

Save America

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2024: Sculpture of Priscilla Chan Unveiled

In 2024, Mark Zuckerberg commissioned visual artist Daniel Arsham to build a 7-foot-tall sculpture of his wife, Priscilla Chan, which was then unveiled.

2024: Zuckerberg Shifts Style

In 2024, Mark Zuckerberg shifted his style from wearing the same gray shirt and jeans to wearing gold chains and trendier streetwear. Some suggested this was a "MAGA rebrand", but Zuckerberg denied hiring a stylist.

January 2025: Zuckerberg Praises US Administration

In January 2025, Mark Zuckerberg voiced his support for the U.S. administration, stating, "We now have a U.S. administration that is proud of our leading companies, prioritizes American technology winning and that will defend our values and interests abroad." He was also prominently positioned at Trump's inauguration.

March 2025: Zuckerberg Attempts to Influence FTC Settlement

In March 2025, Mark Zuckerberg attempted to leverage his relationship with the Trump administration to secure a favorable settlement in an antitrust case where the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) was requesting $30 billion.