Early Life and Education of Osama bin Laden: A Complete Timeline

Discover the defining moments in the early life of Osama bin Laden. From birth to education, explore key events.

Osama bin Laden, a Saudi-born founder and leader of al-Qaeda, was a key figure in the rise of global jihadism. He fought against the Soviet Union in Afghanistan and supported Bosnian mujahideen. Driven by opposition to U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East, he declared war on the U.S. in 1996. Bin Laden orchestrated and supervised numerous terrorist attacks, most notably the September 11 attacks on the United States in 2001, which resulted in the deaths of nearly 3,000 people and led to the U.S. War on Terror.

Sections (6)

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

March 1957: Osama bin Laden's birth

In March 1957, Osama bin Laden was born in Saudi Arabia.

1967: Death of Mohammed bin Laden

In 1967, Osama bin Laden's father, Mohammed bin Laden, died in an airplane crash in Saudi Arabia.

1968: Attended Al-Thager Model School

From 1968, Osama bin Laden attended the elite Al-Thager Model School.

1971: Attended English-language course in Oxford

In 1971, Osama bin Laden attended an English-language course in Oxford, England.

1974: Married Najwa Ghanem

In 1974, at the age of 17, Osama bin Laden married Najwa Ghanem in Latakia, Syria.

1976: Graduated from Al-Thager Model School

Until 1976, Osama bin Laden attended the elite Al-Thager Model School.

1979: Joined the Mujahideen

In 1979, Osama bin Laden joined the Afghan mujahideen fighting against the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

1979: Possible Civil Engineering Degree

In 1979, Osama bin Laden may have earned a degree in civil engineering.

1979: Bin Laden Joins Mujahideen in Pakistan

In 1979, after leaving college, Osama bin Laden went to Pakistan, joined Abdullah Yusuf Azzam and used money and machinery from his own construction company to help the Mujahideen resistance in the Soviet—Afghan War.

1981: Possible Public Administration Degree

In 1981, Osama bin Laden may have earned a degree in public administration.

1983: Married Khadijah Sharif

In 1983, Osama bin Laden married Khadijah Sharif.

1984: Co-founded Maktab al-Khidamat

In 1984, Osama bin Laden co-founded Maktab al-Khidamat, which recruited foreign mujahideen into the war.

1985: Married Khairiah Sabar

In 1985, Osama bin Laden married Khairiah Sabar.

1987: Married Siham Sabar

In 1987, Osama bin Laden married Siham Sabar.

August 1988: Split from Maktab al-Khidamat

By 1988, Osama bin Laden had split from Maktab al-Khidamat due to disagreements with Azzam. On 20 August 1988, a meeting of Bin Laden and others indicated that al-Qaeda was a formal group by that time.

1988: Death of Salem bin Laden

In 1988, Osama bin Laden's eldest half-brother, Salem bin Laden, was killed in the U.S. when he accidentally flew a plane into power lines.

1988: Founded al-Qaeda

In 1988, as the Soviet war in Afghanistan came to an end, Osama bin Laden founded al-Qaeda to carry out worldwide jihad.

February 1989: Soviet Withdrawal and Bin Laden's Return

Following the Soviet Union's withdrawal from Afghanistan in February 1989, Osama bin Laden returned to Saudi Arabia as a hero of jihad.

August 1990: Iraqi Invasion of Kuwait

Following the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait on 2 August 1990, Osama bin Laden met with King Fahd and Saudi Defense Minister Sultan bin Abdulaziz, offering to defend Saudi Arabia with his Arab legion instead of relying on U.S. military assistance. This offer was ultimately rebuffed.

1991: Expulsion from Saudi Arabia

In 1991, Osama bin Laden was expelled from Saudi Arabia by its government after repeatedly criticizing the Saudi alliance with the United States. He and his followers moved first to Afghanistan and then relocated to Sudan by 1992.

1991: Criticism and House Arrest

In 1991, Osama bin Laden's continued criticism of the Saudi monarchy led them to put him under house arrest, under which he remained until he was ultimately forced to leave the country.

April 1992: Pacifying role in Afghanistan civil war

In March–April 1992, Osama bin Laden tried to play a pacifying role in the escalating civil war in Afghanistan, by urging warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar to join the other mujahideen leaders negotiating a coalition government instead of trying to conquer Kabul for himself.

1992: US Aid to Mujahideen Ends

From 1979 to 1992, the U.S. (as part of CIA activities in Afghanistan, specifically Operation Cyclone), Saudi Arabia, and China provided between $6–12 billion worth of financial aid and weapons to tens of thousands of mujahideen through Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).

1997: Al-Bahri Became Bin Laden's Bodyguard

From 1997, Nasser al-Bahri was Bin Laden's personal bodyguard.

2000: Married Amal al-Sadah

In 2000, Osama bin Laden married Amal al-Sadah.

September 2001: Najwa Ghanem left Afghanistan

On 9 September 2001, Najwa Ghanem left Afghanistan, two days before the 9/11 attacks.

2001: Construction of Abbottabad Compound Begins

Imagery from Google Earth indicates that the Abbottabad compound where Osama Bin Laden was found was built between 2001 and 2005.

2001: Al-Bahri Stopped Being Bin Laden's Bodyguard

Until 2001, Nasser al-Bahri was Bin Laden's personal bodyguard.

2005: Construction of Abbottabad Compound Completed

Imagery from Google Earth indicates that the Abbottabad compound where Osama Bin Laden was found was built between 2001 and 2005.

2006: Alleged Start of Bin Laden's Imprisonment by ISI

In 2006, according to Seymour M. Hersh, Osama bin Laden became a prisoner of the ISI at the Abbottabad compound.

February 2009: Taliban Detainee Claims Bin Laden Sighting in Afghanistan

Early in February 2009, a Taliban detainee in Pakistan claimed he had information that Osama bin Laden was in Afghanistan. He stated that in February 2009, he met a contact who had seen Bin Laden in Afghanistan about 15 to 20 days earlier.

March 2009: Hunt for Bin Laden Centered in Chitral District

In March 2009, the New York Daily News reported that the hunt for Osama bin Laden had centered in the Chitral District of Pakistan, including the Kalam Valley. It was stated that captured al-Qaeda leaders had confirmed that Bin Laden was hiding in Chitral.

December 2009: U.S. Officials Comment on Bin Laden's Whereabouts

In December 2009, U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates stated that the United States had had no reliable information on the whereabouts of Osama bin Laden in years. On December 9th, General Stanley McChrystal indicated that al-Qaeda would not be defeated unless Bin Laden was captured or killed.

February 2010: Afghan President's Visit to Saudi Arabia

On February 2nd, 2010, Afghan President Hamid Karzai visited Saudi Arabia to discuss a possible Saudi role in reintegrating Taliban militants. A Saudi official stated that the kingdom would not participate in peacemaking unless the Taliban cut ties with extremists and expelled Osama bin Laden.

June 2010: Report of Bin Laden Hiding in Iran

On June 7, 2010, the Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Seyassah reported that Osama bin Laden was hiding in Sabzevar, Iran. This claim was later repeated on June 9th, but turned out to be false.

October 2010: NATO Official Suggests Bin Laden Living in Pakistan

On October 18, 2010, an unnamed NATO official suggested that Osama bin Laden was alive, well, and living comfortably in Pakistan, protected by elements of the country's intelligence services. A senior Pakistani official denied these allegations.

2010: Bin Laden's Children in Iran

As of 2010, Iranian authorities reportedly continue to control the movements of many of Bin Laden's children who fled to Iran following the September 11 attacks.

April 2011: Bin Laden Traced to Abbottabad, Pakistan

In April 2011, U.S. intelligence traced Osama bin Laden to a three-story mansion in Abbottabad, Pakistan, 160 km from the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.

May 2011: Death by U.S. Special Operations Forces

On 2 May 2011, Osama bin Laden was killed by U.S. special operations forces at his compound in Abbottabad.

March 2012: Report on Bin Laden's Movements While Underground

On March 29, 2012, the Pakistani newspaper Dawn acquired a report detailing Osama bin Laden's movements while living underground in Pakistan, based on the interrogation of his three surviving wives.

2014: Report Claims ISI Director Knew of Bin Laden's Presence

In 2014, Carlotta Gall reported in The New York Times Magazine that ISI Director General Ahmad Shuja Pasha knew of Osama bin Laden's presence in Abbottabad.

2015: Hersh Asserts Bin Laden Was Prisoner of ISI Since 2006

In 2015, Seymour M. Hersh asserted in a London Review of Books article that Osama bin Laden had been a prisoner of the ISI at the Abbottabad compound since 2006 and that Pasha knew of the U.S. mission in advance.