History of Ted Kaczynski in Timeline
Theodore Kaczynski, the "Unabomber," was an American mathematician who became a domestic terrorist. After abandoning his academic career in 1969, he adopted a primitive lifestyle. He engaged in a bombing campaign aimed at individuals involved with modern technology, motivated by his rejection of industrial society and its impact on nature and human autonomy. His actions resulted in multiple deaths and injuries. His manifesto, "Industrial Society and Its Future," outlines his anti-technology philosophy, arguing that technology inevitably leads to the erosion of freedom and environmental destruction.
April 11, 1939: Marriage of Parents
On April 11, 1939, Wanda Theresa Dombek and Theodore Richard Kaczynski, the parents of Theodore John Kaczynski, were married.
May 22, 1942: Birth of Theodore John Kaczynski
On May 22, 1942, Theodore John Kaczynski, later known as the Unabomber, was born.
1952: Moved to Evergreen Park, Illinois
In 1952, three years after his brother David was born, Kaczynski's family moved to suburban Evergreen Park, Illinois, and Ted transferred to Evergreen Park Central Junior High School.
1958: Accepted to Harvard University
In 1958, Kaczynski was accepted to Harvard University on a scholarship at the age of 15, entering the university at age 16.
1962: Graduated from Harvard
In 1962, Kaczynski earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in mathematics from Harvard, finishing with a GPA of 3.12.
1962: Enrolled at the University of Michigan
In 1962, Kaczynski enrolled at the University of Michigan.
1962: Harvard Alumni Association
In 2012, Kaczynski responded to the Harvard Alumni Association's directory inquiry for the fiftieth reunion of the class of 1962, listing his occupation as "prisoner" and eight life sentences as "awards."
1964: Earned Master's Degree
In 1964, Kaczynski earned his master's degree in mathematics from the University of Michigan.
1966: Turning Point
In 1966, Kaczynski had intense sexual fantasies of being female and considered a gender transition, marking a major turning point in his life.
1967: Earned Doctorate Degree
In 1967, Kaczynski earned his doctorate degree in mathematics from the University of Michigan.
1967: Won Sumner B. Myers Prize
In 1967, Kaczynski's dissertation, Boundary Functions, won the Sumner B. Myers Prize for Michigan's best mathematics dissertation of the year.
1967: Kaczynski lived in the San Francisco Bay Area
In 1967, Ted Kaczynski lived in the San Francisco Bay Area. This fact raised suspicion after his capture that Kaczynski was the Zodiac Killer.
1967: Assistant Professor at Berkeley
In late 1967, Kaczynski became an acting assistant professor at the University of California, Berkeley.
September 1968: Formal Appointment as Assistant Professor
By September 1968, Kaczynski was formally appointed to an assistant professorship at the University of California, Berkeley.
1968: Zodiac Killer suspicion
In 1968, theories linked Kaczynski to the Zodiac Killer, who committed murders in Northern California from 1968 to 1969. Similarities included high intelligence, interest in bombs and codes, and threatening letters to newspapers. However, authorities did not pursue him as a suspect due to differences in methods.
June 30, 1969: Resignation from Berkeley
On June 30, 1969, Kaczynski resigned from his position at the University of California, Berkeley, without any explanation.
1969: Abandoned Academic Career
In 1969, Kaczynski abandoned his academic career to pursue a reclusive, primitive lifestyle and engage in a lone wolf terrorism campaign.
1969: Zodiac Killer suspicion
In 1969, theories linked Kaczynski to the Zodiac Killer, who committed murders in Northern California from 1968 to 1969. Similarities included high intelligence, interest in bombs and codes, and threatening letters to newspapers. However, authorities did not pursue him as a suspect due to differences in methods.
1970: Addison's Letter
In a 1970 letter, John W. Addison Jr. referred to Kaczynski's resignation as "quite out of the blue" and noted Kaczynski's shyness.
1971: 1971 Essay
Bisceglie gave a copy of the 1971 essay written by Kaczynski to Molly Flynn at the FBI in February 1996
1971: Moved to Remote Cabin
In 1971, Kaczynski moved to a remote cabin near Lincoln, Montana, where he lived as a recluse and developed survival skills.
1975: Started Acts of Sabotage
Starting in 1975, Kaczynski performed acts of sabotage including arson and booby trapping against developments near his cabin. He also dedicated himself to reading about sociology and political philosophy, including the works of Jacques Ellul.
May 1978: Chicago Return
In May 1978, Kaczynski returned to Chicago for the bombing and worked with his father and brother at a foam rubber factory.
August 1978: Factory Firing
In August 1978, Kaczynski was fired from the foam rubber factory by his brother for writing insulting limericks about a female supervisor he had briefly courted.
1978: Start of Mail Bombing Campaign
In 1978, Kaczynski began a nationwide mail bombing campaign that lasted until 1995, targeting individuals associated with modern technology.
1978: Bombing Campaign Start
In 1978, Ted Kaczynski began his bombing campaign, which would last until 1995, mailing and hand-delivering increasingly sophisticated bombs.
1979: Subject of FBI Investigation
In 1979, Kaczynski became the subject of the FBI's UNABOM investigation, which became the longest and most expensive in FBI history by the time of his arrest in 1996.
1979: American Airlines Flight Bombing
In 1979, Kaczynski placed a bomb in the cargo hold of American Airlines Flight 444, a Boeing 727 flying from Chicago to Washington, D.C., which caused smoke and an emergency landing. He later sent a bomb to United Airlines president Percy Wood, causing severe injuries.
1979: FBI Task Force Formed
In 1979, an FBI-led task force, including 125 agents from the FBI, ATF, and U.S. Postal Inspection Service, was formed to investigate the 'Junkyard Bomber' case.
1980: Psychological Profile
In 1980, FBI agent John Douglas issued a psychological profile of the Unabomber, characterizing him as intelligent with academic ties.
1981: University of Utah Bombing
In 1981, a package bearing the return address of LeRoy Wood Bearnson, a Brigham Young University professor, was discovered at the University of Utah and defused. In May, a bomb was sent to Patrick C. Fischer at Vanderbilt University, injuring his secretary, Janet Smith.
July 1982: Berkeley Bombing
In July 1982, a bomb targeting people at the University of California, Berkeley, caused serious injuries to engineering professor Diogenes Angelakos.
1983: Alternative Theory
In 1983, the initial psychological profile was discarded, and FBI analysts developed an alternative theory that concentrated on the physical evidence, characterizing the suspect as a blue-collar airplane mechanic.
May 1985: UC Berkeley Bombing
In May 1985, John Hauser, a graduate student and Air Force captain, lost fingers and vision in one eye due to a bomb crafted by Kaczynski from wooden parts at the University of California, Berkeley.
November 1985: McConnell Bombing
In November 1985, Professor James V. McConnell and research assistant Nicklaus Suino were severely injured after Suino opened a mail bomb addressed to McConnell.
1985: Sacramento Bombing
In late 1985, a nail-and-splinter-loaded bomb in the parking lot of a computer store in Sacramento, California, killed the store's 38-year-old owner, Hugh Scrutton.
1986: Book Zodiac by Robert Graysmith
In 1986, Robert Graysmith, author of the book "Zodiac", said similarities between Kaczynski and the Zodiac Killer are "fascinating" but purely coincidental.
February 20, 1987: Salt Lake City Bombing
On February 20, 1987, a bomb disguised as lumber injured Gary Wright in Salt Lake City, Utah. Kaczynski was spotted planting the bomb, leading to a widely distributed sketch of a hooded suspect.
October 2, 1990: Father's Suicide
On October 2, 1990, Kaczynski's father shot and killed himself in his home after being diagnosed with terminal lung cancer earlier that year.
1993: University Bombings
In 1993, Kaczynski mailed a bomb to Charles Epstein at the University of California, San Francisco, and another to David Gelernter at Yale University, causing severe injuries to both.
1993: World Trade Center bombing
In 1993, Ramzi Yousef perpetrated the World Trade Center bombing.
1993: Investigators Seek "Nathan"
In 1993, investigators looked for someone named "Nathan" because the name was on a letter sent to the media.
1994: Thomas J. Mosser Killed
In 1994, Burson-Marsteller executive Thomas J. Mosser was killed by a mail bomb sent to his home in New Jersey. Kaczynski claimed responsibility due to Mosser's work repairing Exxon's image after the Exxon Valdez oil spill.
1994: Italian Unabomber
In 1994, the moniker "Unabomber" was applied to the Italian Unabomber, a terrorist who conducted attacks similar to Kaczynski's in Italy from 1994 to 2006.
September 1995: Publication of Manifesto
In September 1995, Kaczynski's manifesto was published in The Washington Post after he promised to "desist from terrorism" if it was published.
September 1995: David Suspects Ted
In September 1995, a week after the Unabomber's manifesto was published, Kaczynski's brother, David, seriously considered the possibility that Ted was the Unabomber after his wife encouraged him to follow up on his suspicions.
September 19, 1995: Manifesto Published
On September 19, 1995, The Washington Post published Kaczynski's 35,000-word essay 'Industrial Society and Its Future' after he threatened to desist from terrorism if a major newspaper printed it. This was also known as the 'Unabomber manifesto'.
1995: Gilbert Brent Murray Killed
In 1995, Gilbert Brent Murray, president of the California Forestry Association, was killed by a mail bomb addressed to the previous president. Phillip Sharp at MIT also received a threatening letter.
1995: End of Mail Bombing Campaign
In 1995, Kaczynski's mail bombing campaign, which started in 1978, came to an end.
1995: Bombing Campaign End
In 1995, Ted Kaczynski's bombing campaign concluded, after having mailed and hand-delivered a series of increasingly sophisticated bombs since 1978.
1995: Oklahoma City bombing
In 1995, Timothy McVeigh perpetrated the Oklahoma City bombing.
February 1996: Linguistic Analysis
In February 1996, the FBI profiler James R. Fitzgerald recognized similarities in Kaczynski's 1971 essay and the manifesto through linguistic analysis, leading to a search warrant application.
April 3, 1996: Kaczynski Arrested at His Cabin
On April 3, 1996, FBI agents arrested Ted Kaczynski at his remote cabin. During the search, they found bomb components, journals detailing bomb-making and descriptions of his crimes, improvised firearms, a live bomb, and a manuscript believed to be the original version of "Industrial Society and Its Future".
April 1996: CBS News Leaks David Kaczynski's Identity
In early April 1996, CBS News leaked the identity of David Kaczynski, who had provided information to the FBI about his brother, despite assurances of anonymity. CBS anchorman Dan Rather informed FBI director Louis Freeh before breaking the story. The FBI initiated an internal investigation into the leak, but the source was never found.
June 1996: Kaczynski Indicted by Federal Grand Jury
In June 1996, a federal grand jury indicted Ted Kaczynski on ten counts of illegally transporting, mailing, and using bombs.
1996: Arrested
By the time of Kaczynski's arrest in 1996, the FBI's UNABOM investigation was the longest and most expensive in its history.
1996: Ted Kaczynski Papers, 1996-2014
From 1996 to 2014, The Labadie Collection, part of the University of Michigan's Special Collections Library, houses Kaczynski's correspondence with over 400 people since his arrest, including replies, legal documents, publications, and clippings in their own sub-collection titled, "Ted Kaczynski Papers, 1996-2014 (majority within 1996-2005)".
1996: Writing Analysis
In 1996, Donald Wayne Foster analyzed Kaczynski's writing and concluded that Kaczynski was the author of the manifesto due to irregular spelling and hyphenation.
1996: Arrested after brother recognized writing style
In 1996, Kaczynski was arrested after his brother, David, recognized his writing style in the published manifesto and reported his suspicions to the FBI.
1996: Classmate's Recollection
In 1996, a former classmate described Kaczynski as being seen as a 'walking brain' rather than as an individual with a personality during high school.
1996: Assessment of Kaczynski's Work
In 1996, the Los Angeles Times reported that Kaczynski's subfield of mathematics effectively ceased to exist after the 1960s.
1996: Unabomber: The True Story released in 1996
In 1996, the television film "Unabomber: The True Story" was released.
January 8, 1998: Kaczynski Seeks New Counsel
On January 8, 1998, Ted Kaczynski asked to dismiss his lawyers and hire Tony Serra, who agreed not to use an insanity defense but to base the defense on Kaczynski's anti-technology views.
January 21, 1998: Kaczynski Declared Competent to Stand Trial
On January 21, 1998, federal prison psychiatrist Johnson declared Kaczynski competent to stand trial, despite psychiatric diagnoses, and prosecutors sought the death penalty.
January 22, 1998: Kaczynski Pleads Guilty to All Charges
On January 22, 1998, Ted Kaczynski pleaded guilty to all charges, accepting life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. He later tried to withdraw his plea, but the request was denied.
1998: Guilty Plea and Sentencing
In 1998, Kaczynski pleaded guilty to all charges and was sentenced to several consecutive life terms in prison without the possibility of parole.
1998: Kaczynski Recounts Reading Ellul's Book
In 1998, Kaczynski recounted how he was delighted when he first read Ellul's book, The Technological Society, because he felt Ellul was saying what he had already been thinking.
1998: James Q. Wilson Op-Ed
In a 1998 New York Times op-ed, James Q. Wilson compared Kaczynski's writings to those of political philosophers like Rousseau, Paine, and Marx, noting similarities and stating that the Unabomber's paper resembled work a graduate student might have written.
1999: Kurzweil Quotes Kaczynski in Book
In 1999, futurist Ray Kurzweil quoted a passage from Kaczynski's manifesto "Industrial Society and Its Future" in his book "The Age of Spiritual Machines".
2000: Alston Chase's Analysis
In 2000, Alston Chase, a Harvard alumnus, wrote in The Atlantic that many believed Kaczynski was insane because they needed to believe it, and that the truly disturbing aspect of Kaczynski and his ideas is not that they are so foreign but that they are so familiar.
2000: Joy References Kaczynski in Wired Article
In 2000, Bill Joy, co-founder of Sun Microsystems, referenced Kaczynski in the Wired article "Why the Future Doesn't Need Us", acknowledging his arguments despite labeling him a Luddite.
2000: Cost of Unabomber Investigation Detailed in Report
In 2000, a report by the United States Commission on the Advancement of Federal Law Enforcement stated that the Unabomber task force had spent over $50 million on the investigation.
October 2005: Kaczynski Offers Books to Northwestern University
In October 2005, Kaczynski offered to donate two rare books to the Melville J. Herskovits Library of African Studies at Northwestern University, but the library rejected the offer.
2006: Italian Unabomber
In 1994, the moniker "Unabomber" was applied to the Italian Unabomber, a terrorist who conducted attacks similar to Kaczynski's in Italy from 1994 to 2006.
2006: Burrell Orders Auction of Kaczynski's Items
In 2006, Judge Burrell ordered the sale of items from Kaczynski's cabin at an Internet auction to provide restitution to his victims. Bomb-making materials were excluded. Kaczynski unsuccessfully challenged redactions in his personal papers before the sale.
2006: Recollection of Michigan University
In 2006, Kaczynski stated that he had unpleasant memories of the University of Michigan.
2010: Technological Slavery Publication
In 2010, University of Michigan–Dearborn philosophy professor David Skrbina wrote the introduction to Kaczynski's anthology Technological Slavery, which includes the original manifesto, letters from Kaczynski to Skrbina, and other essays.
2010: Kaczynski Publishes Technological Slavery
In his 2010 book "Technological Slavery", Kaczynski discussed his psychiatric diagnosis, claiming prison psychologists found no indication of paranoid schizophrenia.
2011: Norway attacks
In 2011, Anders Behring Breivik, the far-right perpetrator of the 2011 Norway attacks, published a manifesto which copied large portions from Industrial Society and Its Future, with certain terms substituted
2011: Kaczynski a Person of Interest in Tylenol Murders
In 2011, Kaczynski was a person of interest in the Chicago Tylenol murders and withheld a DNA sample as leverage against the FBI's auction of his property.
2011: Auction of Kaczynski's Items Raises Funds
In 2011, the auction of items from Kaczynski's cabin ran for two weeks, raising over $232,000, which is equivalent to approximately $324,300 in 2024. The proceeds were for the restitution of Kaczynski's victims.
2011: P.O. Box Unabomber play released
In 2011, the play "P.O. Box Unabomber" was released.
2012: Kaczynski Responds to Harvard Alumni Association
In 2012, Kaczynski responded to the Harvard Alumni Association's directory inquiry for the fiftieth reunion of the class of 1962, listing his occupation as "prisoner" and eight life sentences as "awards."
2012: Stemple Pass documentary released
In 2012, the documentary "Stemple Pass" was released.
2014: Ted Kaczynski Papers, 1996-2014
From 1996 to 2014, The Labadie Collection, part of the University of Michigan's Special Collections Library, houses Kaczynski's correspondence with over 400 people since his arrest, including replies, legal documents, publications, and clippings in their own sub-collection titled, "Ted Kaczynski Papers, 1996-2014 (majority within 1996-2005)".
2016: Anti-Tech Revolution Publication
In 2016, Kaczynski wrote a second book titled, Anti-Tech Revolution: Why and How, that does not include the manifesto, but delves deeply into an analysis of why technological society cannot be reformed and the dynamics of revolutionary movements.
2017: Manhunt television series season released
In 2017, season of the television series "Manhunt" was released.
2017: Manhunt: Unabomber airs
In 2017, the television series "Manhunt: Unabomber" aired, contributing to a renewed interest in Kaczynski's views.
2019: Technological Slavery Edition
In 2019, another edition of Kaczynski's Technological Slavery was published.
2019: Kaczynski's Cabin Moved to FBI Museum
In 2019, the U.S. government moved Kaczynski's cabin, which had been on display at the Newseum, to a nearby FBI museum.
2020: Unabomber: In His Own Words miniseries
In 2020, the miniseries "Unabomber: In His Own Words" was released.
March 2021: Kaczynski Diagnosed with Rectal Cancer
In March 2021, Ted Kaczynski was diagnosed with rectal cancer and complained of rectal bleeding.
December 14, 2021: Kaczynski Transferred to Federal Medical Center
On December 14, 2021, Kaczynski was transferred to the Federal Medical Center, Butner, in North Carolina.
2021: Manifesto Synthesis
According to a 2021 study, Kaczynski's manifesto "is a synthesis of ideas from three well-known academics: French philosopher Jacques Ellul, British zoologist Desmond Morris, and American psychologist Martin Seligman".
2022: Technological Slavery Edition
In 2022, another edition of Kaczynski's Technological Slavery was published.
March 2023: Kaczynski Declines Cancer Treatment
In March 2023, Kaczynski began to decline all chemotherapy treatment due to unpleasant side effects and a poor prognosis.
March 2023: Stopped Cancer Treatment
In March 2023, Kaczynski stopped cancer treatment.
May 2023: Kaczynski Referred for Psychiatric Evaluation
In May 2023, Kaczynski was noted by a prison oncologist to be "depressed" and was referred for a psychiatric evaluation.
June 10, 2023: Death of Theodore John Kaczynski
On June 10, 2023, Theodore John Kaczynski, also known as the Unabomber, died.
June 2023: Death in Prison
In June 2023, Kaczynski died by suicide in prison.
2024: Value of Grant in 2024 Dollars
In 1962, the annual grant of $2,310 that Kaczynski received from Michigan is equivalent to $24,000 in 2024.
2024: Reward value in 2024
In 1980, the UNABOM Task Force set up a toll-free telephone hotline to take calls related to the investigation, with a $1 million reward for anyone who could provide information leading to the Unabomber's capture which is equivalent to approximately $2.18 million in 2024.
2024: Equivalent cost of Unabomber investigation in 2024
In 2024, the equivalent cost of the Unabomber task force investigation of 2000 was approximately $91.3 million.
2024: Equivalent restitution for Kaczynski's victims in 2024
In 2024, the equivalent restitution for Kaczynski's victims of 2006 was approximately $23.4 million.
2049: Identity of correspondents will remain sealed until 2049
The identity of most correspondents of Ted Kaczynski will remain sealed until 2049.
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