Malala Yousafzai — Timeline

July 12, 1997

Born

Malala was born on 12 July 1997 in Pakistan’s Swat Valley. She was named after a Pashtun poetess, and her name means ‘grief stricken’. She was one of 3 children in her family.

September 1, 2008

First Speech

Malala gives her first speech at the local press club in Peshawar. The speech is titled “How dare the Taliban take away my basic right to education?” and is the first glimpse at Malala’s passion towards the cause. She is 11.

January 3, 2009

Blogs for the BBC under the name Gul Makai

Abdul Hai Kakkar, a BBC reporter in Pakistan, asks Malala’s father if he knows someone who would write about life under the Taliban. At this time, the Taliban is imposing their rule across the country, banning women from a variety of activities including shopping and education. When the original blogger backs out, Malala takes her place. She is 12.

January 15, 2009

Taliban issues edict against education

The Taliban becomes increasingly violent, blowing up over a 100 girls schools. They issued an edict that no girl would go to school after 15 January 2009. Malala writes that she continues to prepare for her exams.

February 18, 2009

Contributes to the show Capital Talk

Malala uses the show to speak out against the Taliban’s decision to prevent women from accessing education.

February 21, 2009

Taliban lifts edict on women attending school

The local Taliban leader Maulana Fazlulla announces on his FM radio station that he is lifting the ban on women’s education; girls are allowed to attend school if they wear burquas.

March 12, 2009

Last blog entries

Malala’s last few blog entries are about being back at school with her friends and papers she had submitted.

May 1, 2009

Leaves her home

The second battle of Swat brings the Pakistani Army to Malala’s home. The family is separated and she is sent to live with relatives. It’s around this time that The New York Times reporter Adam B Ellick approached Malala and her father about a documentary.

Taliban came to the Swat Valley

1 Jul 2009

The deadly Taliban came to the swat valley and tore it to bits some time during 2009.

July 24, 2009

Meets Richard Holbrooke

In early July 2009, the prime minister announces that the families could return to their homes in the Swat Valley. Malala is reunited with her family and begins the journey home. On their way they meet a group of activists that had been invited to see US special representative to Afghanistan and Pakistan, Richard Holbrooke. Malala makes a request for educational help.

December 1, 2009

Revelations that she is the blogger

The BBC never reveals who the blogger from Pakistan was, but her identity is slowly released thanks to increasing publicity.

October 1, 2011

Nominated for International Children’s Peace Prize at age 13

Malala is nominated for the International Children’s Peace Prize of KidsRights Foundation. The nomination by Archbishop Desmond Tutu reads, “Malala dared to stand up for herself and other girls and used national and international media to let the world know girls should also have the right to go to school”.

December 1, 2011

Wins Pakistan’s National Youth Peace Prize

Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani awards her the National Peace Award for Youth. At the ceremony, Malala says that she hopes to begin a national party of her own to promote education.

October 9, 2012

Attack on Malala’s life makes headlines around the world

The Taliban decides to kill Malala as her story gains reach. A Taliban gunman shoots Malala as she rides home after taking an exam. Two other girls are also wounded in the shooting.

October 12, 2012

Fatwa issued against the Taliban gunman

The reactions to the attack on Malala are overpowering across nation and religion. The Pakistani government puts out a $105,000 reward towards the arrest of the attackers. Offers to help her come from around the world.

October 15, 2012

I am Malala petition

UN Special Envoy for Global Education Gordon Brown starts a petition to support Malala’s dream. With the slogan “I am Malala”, the petition aimed to ensure that every child would be in school by 2015.

December 31, 2012

Runner up for the 2012 TIME Person of the Year

TIME nominates Malala for their Person of the Year in 2012. She is named runner-up.

July 12, 2013

Malala speaks at the UN

On Malala Day, her 16th birthday, Malala gives her first public speech since the shooting. Her message was: “Our books and our pens are the most powerful weapons.”

September 9, 2013

Nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize

October 8, 2013

Releases her book

Malala Yousafzai’s autobiography titled “I am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban” tells the story of her being shot by the Taliban.

October 8, 2013

Threatened by the Taliban again

As the Nobel announcement nears, the Taliban issues a new threat against Malala. In a telephone interview, a spokesperson says that the group would try to harm Malala as long as she criticises the efforts to impose strict Islamic law in Pakistan. October 9th, 2013 will be one year since she was shot.

October 10, 2014

Malala awarded Nobel Prize for Peace

The Nobel Peace Prize for 2014 was awarded to Pakistani Malala Yousafzai and India’s Kailash Satyarthi.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 2014 to Kailash Satyarthi and Malala Yousafzai for their struggle against the suppression of children and young people and for the right of all children to education.