Early Life and Education of Richard Branson: A Complete Timeline

How education and upbringing influenced the life of Richard Branson. A timeline of key moments.

Richard Branson is a prominent English business magnate and the co-founder of the Virgin Group in 1970. Known for his adventurous spirit and flamboyant personality, Branson has built a diverse empire encompassing various sectors, including airlines, music, telecommunications, and space tourism. He is celebrated for his unconventional business strategies, risk-taking ventures, and commitment to social and environmental causes. Branson's entrepreneurial journey exemplifies innovation and disruption, making him a globally recognized figure in the business world.

Sections (6)

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

July 1950: Born in Blackheath, London

Richard Charles Nicholas Branson was born on 18 July 1950, in Blackheath, Royal Borough of Greenwich, London.

Others born on this day/year

1967: Started squatting in London

From 1967 to 1968, Richard Branson started squatting in London.

1968: Started squatting in London

From 1967 to 1968, Richard Branson started squatting in London.

1979: Branson's net worth estimated at £5 million

By 1979, Richard Branson's net worth was estimated at £5 million.

1979: Divorce from Kristen Tomassi and Death of daughter Clare

In 1979, Richard Branson divorced Kristen Tomassi. Their daughter, Clare Sarah, also died after living for four days.

1981: Birth of Daughter Holly

In 1981, Richard Branson's daughter, Holly, was born.

1985: First Attempt at Fastest Atlantic Ocean Crossing

In 1985, Richard Branson attempted the fastest Atlantic Ocean crossing by ship in the Virgin Atlantic Challenger, which capsized in British waters, leading to a Royal Navy helicopter rescue.

1985: Birth of Son Sam

In 1985, Richard Branson's son, Sam, was born.

1986: Record-Breaking Atlantic Crossing by Ship

In 1986, in his Virgin Atlantic Challenger II, Branson broke the record for the fastest Atlantic Ocean crossing by ship, beating the previous record by two hours with sailing expert Daniel McCarthy.

January 1991: Record-Breaking Pacific Balloon Crossing

In January 1991, Branson crossed the Pacific from Japan to Arctic Canada in a balloon, breaking the record with a speed of 145 miles per hour.

1995: First Attempt to Circumnavigate the Globe by Balloon

In 1995, Richard Branson started his attempts to circumnavigate the globe by balloon along with Per Lindstrand, Vladimir Dzhanibekov, Larry Newman and Steve Fossett.

1997: Interviewed at Labour Party celebrations

During the BBC coverage of the 1997 general election, Richard Branson was interviewed at the Labour Party celebrations at the Royal Festival Hall.

1998: Record-Breaking Flight from Morocco to Hawaii

In late 1998, Branson, along with others, made a record-breaking flight from Morocco to Hawaii by balloon, but were unable to complete a global flight.

March 1999: Failed to Circumnavigate the Globe by Balloon Before Breitling Orbiter 3

In March 1999, despite multiple attempts between 1995 and 1998, Branson and his team were unable to complete a global flight before Bertrand Piccard and Brian Jones in Breitling Orbiter 3.

2000: Suggested as candidate for Mayor of London

Before the first 2000 mayoral election, Richard Branson was suggested as a candidate for Mayor of London, with polls indicating he would be a viable candidate, but he did not express interest.

2000: Parody in 2000 AD

In 2000, Richard Branson was parodied as a supervillain in the 2000 AD series Zenith, due to competition between the comic's publisher and the Virgin group.

March 2004: Fastest English Channel Crossing in Amphibious Vehicle

In March 2004, Branson set a record by crossing the English Channel from Dover to Calais in a Gibbs Aquada in 1 hour, 40 minutes and 6 seconds, the fastest crossing of the English Channel in an amphibious vehicle.

2005: Views on political parties

In 2005, Richard Branson declared that there were only negligible differences between the two main parties on economic matters.

2006: Founded Virgin Comics LLC

In 2006, Richard Branson founded Virgin Comics LLC, stating that it will give "a whole generation of young, creative thinkers a voice".

2006: Offer to William Shatner for Virgin Galactic Ride

In 2006, Richard Branson, a Star Trek fan, reportedly offered actor William Shatner a ride on the inaugural space launch of Virgin Galactic, naming the spaceplane VSS Enterprise in honor of the Star Trek spaceships.

July 2007: Purchased Makepeace Island

In July 2007, Richard Branson purchased his Australian home, Makepeace Island, in Noosa.

September 2007: Saddened by Steve Fossett's Disappearance

In September 2007, Richard Branson was deeply saddened by the disappearance of his fellow-adventurer Steve Fossett.

2007: Ordained as a Minister

In 2007, Richard Branson was ordained as a minister by the Universal Life Church Monastery to conduct an on-flight wedding as part of a marketing effort for domestic flights in the US on Virgin America airline.

2007: Top Gear's Attempt to Break Branson's Record

In 2007, the hosts of Top Gear attempted to break Branson's record for the fastest English Channel crossing in an amphibious vehicle but were unsuccessful.

March 2008: Environmental Gathering at Necker Island

In March 2008, Richard Branson hosted an environmental gathering at his private island, Necker Island, with entrepreneurs, celebrities, and world leaders to discuss global warming-related problems.

September 2008: Unsuccessful Atlantic Ocean Record Attempt

In September 2008, Richard Branson and his children attempted an eastbound record crossing of the Atlantic Ocean under sail in the Virgin Money sloop. The attempt was unsuccessful due to a 'monster wave' that destroyed the spinnaker and damaged the mainsail. The sloop eventually continued to St. George's, Bermuda.

May 2009: Hunger Strike Protest for Darfur

On May 8, 2009, Richard Branson took over Mia Farrow's hunger strike for three days in protest of the Sudanese government's expulsion of aid groups from the Darfur region.

August 2009: Discussion with Shatner about Virgin Galactic Spaceflight

In August 2009, William Shatner claimed that Richard Branson approached him about the cost for a journey on the Virgin Galactic spaceplane, leading to a discussion about payment for the ride.

2010: Branson's Bet with Tony Fernandes

In 2010, Branson engaged in a bet with Tony Fernandes, the owner of Air Asia and Lotus F1 Racing, where the losing team's boss would serve as a stewardess on the winner's airline for a charity flight.

2010: Branson Becomes Patron of Gordon Bennett Gas Balloon Race

In 2010, Richard Branson assumed the role of patron for the UK's Gordon Bennett gas balloon race, featuring 16 hydrogen balloons traversing across Europe.

2010: Party on Necker Island

In 2010, members of Joss Stone's band attended a party on Necker Island where the alleged sexual assault by Richard Branson on Antonia Jenae occurred.

2011: Necker Island Fire

In 2011, Richard Branson's Necker Island home caught fire when it was struck by lightning caused by Hurricane Irene.

2011: Expressed Atheistic Views in Piers Morgan Interview

In a 2011 interview with Piers Morgan, Richard Branson stated that he is an atheist, believing in evolution and humanitarian efforts but not in God.

2011: Father Edward James Branson passed away

Richard Branson's father, Edward James Branson, a barrister, passed away in 2011.

2012: Recitation at Pride of Britain Awards

In 2012, at the Pride of Britain Awards on ITV on October 30th, Richard Branson, along with others, recited Rudyard Kipling's poem 'If—' in tribute to the 2012 British Olympic and Paralympics athletes.

May 2013: Branson Serves as Stewardess on Air Asia Flight

On May 12, 2013, Richard Branson fulfilled his bet obligation by working as a stewardess on an Air Asia flight between Perth and Kuala Lumpur, following his loss in the 2010 F1 bet with Tony Fernandes.

2013: President of the Old Stoic Society

From 2013, Richard Branson served as President of the Old Stoic Society of Stowe School.

2013: Planned to take children to outer space on SpaceShipTwo's first public flight

In 2013, Richard Branson planned to take his children on a trip to outer space on the SpaceShipTwo rocket plane on its first public flight, then planned for 2014.

2014: Planned space trip for 2014

In 2013, Richard Branson planned to take his children on a trip to outer space on the SpaceShipTwo rocket plane on its first public flight, then planned for 2014.

2014: Kitesurfing World Record

In 2014, Richard Branson broke the Guinness World Record for most people riding a surfboard by kiting with three women attached to him.

March 2015: Decriminalization of Drug Use

In March 2015, Richard Branson said that almost all drug use should be decriminalised in the UK, following the example of Portugal.

June 2016: Opposition to Brexit and Endorsement of Hillary Clinton

In June 2016, Richard Branson stated that his company had lost a third of its value as a result of the referendum result and that a planned venture, employing more than 3,000 people, which he had announced before the referendum, had been shelved. He also endorsed Hillary Clinton in the 2016 United States presidential election.

August 2016: Cycling Injury

In August 2016, Richard Branson was injured while riding his bicycle in the British Virgin Islands, resulting in torn ligaments and a cracked cheek.

September 2016: Criticism of the Philippine Drug War

In September 2016, Richard Branson, along with Louise Arbour and Fernando Henrique Cardoso, wrote a letter to the Philippine president, Rodrigo Duterte, calling on his government to halt the killings and develop evidence-based policies to address the Philippines' drug situation.

2017: President of the Old Stoic Society

In 2017, Richard Branson served as President of the Old Stoic Society of Stowe School.

2017: Necker Island Home Damaged by Hurricane Irma

In 2017, Richard Branson's Necker Island home was left uninhabitable after Hurricane Irma.

September 2018: Branson Participates in Virgin Strive Challenge

In September 2018, Branson took part in his fourth Virgin Strive Challenge, traveling over 2,000 km from Cagliari to Mont Blanc using human and sail power to raise money for Big Change charity.

February 2019: Branson Organizes Venezuela Aid Live Benefit Concert

In February 2019, Branson helped organize an international benefit concert, Venezuela Aid Live, to raise awareness and funds for humanitarian aid for Venezuela, which took place on February 22 in Cúcuta, Colombia.

January 2021: Death of Mother Eve

In January 2021, Richard Branson's mother, Eve, died of COVID-19 complications at the age of 96.

July 2021: Travelled to the edge of space on Virgin Galactic Unity 22

On 11 July 2021, Richard Branson traveled as a passenger onboard Virgin Galactic Unity 22 during a suborbital test flight to the edge of space, reaching a peak altitude of 53.5 miles (86.1 km).

2021: Mother Evette Huntley Branson passed away

Richard Branson's mother, Evette Huntley Branson, a former ballet dancer and air hostess, passed away in 2021.

October 2022: Declined Debate Invitation on Death Penalty

In October 2022, after expressing his opposition to the death penalty for crimes such as drug trafficking, Richard Branson was invited by Singapore's government to participate in a live television debate regarding this country's approach to drugs and the death penalty. He declined, stating that such debates often focus on the personalities rather than the issue itself.

April 2023: United24 Ambassador

In April 2023, Richard Branson became an ambassador for the United24 fundraising platform. Virgin Unite announced a program to evacuate children with cancer to leading clinics in cooperation with the Ukrainian Tabletochki Charity Foundation.