© Getty Images

The Thunbergs -

Greta Thunberg was born on January 3, 2003, in Stockholm, Sweden. She was born into a fairly famous family, with an actor father Svante, and opera singer mother Malena.

© Getty Images

Climatizing - Thunberg claims that she first heard about climate change when she was eight.

© Getty Images

Small setbacks - When she was 11, Thunberg started showing signs of Asperger syndrome, OCD, and selective mutism.

© Reuters

Every word counts - Thunberg has described selective mutism as speaking only when she needed to, stating "now is one of those moments."

© Reuters

On the spectrum - She has also seen the benefit of being on the "spectrum," saying that she sees "almost everything" as "black or white."

© Getty Images

A matter of life or death - The activist has said that "I feel like I am dying inside if I don't protest."

© Reuters

No filter - Thunberg is also famed for her protest outside the Swedish parliament, with leaflets reportedly reading the message "I am doing this because you adults are s******g on my future."

© Reuters

Skipping school to save the world - Thunberg has cut class to focus on protests. "[We] respect that she wants to make a stand. She can either sit at home and be really unhappy, or protest, and be happy," said her father.

© Getty Images

Starting at home - Greta's influence started at home. She has influenced her parents into a vegan diet, and persuaded them to give up flying.

© Reuters

Inspiration - Thunberg first came up with the idea of a climate strike after watching school children skipping out on class after school shootings in February 2018.

© Getty Images

Momentum -

Thunberg's star started to shine in May 2018, when she won a writing competition held by Svenska Dagbladet, which focused on the environment.

© Getty Images

Bo Thorén - After her article was published, she got in contact with Bo Thorén (leader of the Fossil Free Dalsland group), who helped her plan a climate change strike.

© Getty Images

Going it alone - Thunberg reached out to persuade her peers, but claims that initially, "no one was really interested." Undeterred, she went on to strike by herself.

© Getty Images

School protest - Starting on August 20, 2018, Thunberg refused to attend school until September 9, the date of the Swedish general election. This followed Sweden's hottest summer in over 260 years.

© BrunoPress

Student strikes worldwide - Greta made public demands of the Swedish government, asking for reduced carbon emissions. She protested by sitting outside the Riksdag parliament building every day for three weeks. After the elections passed, Thunberg decided to strike on Fridays, and she started gaining more and more attention. Soon, schools around the world were taking part in student strikes.

© Getty Images

More strikes - As of December 2018, over 20,000 students held strikes in at least 270 cities around the world.

© Getty Images

One of many - This marked Thunberg's transition from protesting as an individual to taking part in widespread demonstrations across Europe.

© Getty Images

Going to Brussels - In October 2018, she took part in the Rise for Climate demonstration outside the European Parliament in Brussels.

© Getty Images

Never give up - Her regular protests outside Swedish parliament continues, and other students have joined her along the way.

© Getty Images

Academic support - Come February 2019, over 220 academics had signed an open letter, supporting Thunberg's cause along with that of the other striking schoolchildren.

© Getty Images

Women's Day - On International Women's Day, Sweden voted Thunberg as the most important woman of 2019.

© Getty Images

Nobel Peace Prize candidate - In March 2019, Swedish parliamentarians and deputies nominated Greta Thunberg as a Nobel Peace Prize candidate.

© Getty Images

One influential girl - In December 2019, Greta Thunberg was named Time magazine's person of the year.

© Getty Images

Read all about it - In May 2019, Penguin published a collection of Thunberg's speeches, named 'No One is Too Small to Make a Difference.' Profits go to charity.

© Reuters

The Greta Effect - Thunberg's influence has been called The Greta Effect. She was the subject of a documentary titled 'Make the World Greta Again,' which also interviewed youth protest leaders across Europe.

© Reuters

Enemies - As much praise as Greta has gotten, she has also made some enemies. Earlier in 2019, she was subject to attacks from Germany's far-right AfD party.

© Getty Images

The greatest threat - In July 2019, Mohammed Barkindo, secretary-general of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), spoke against Thunberg. He said her strikes were "perhaps the greatest threat to our industry going forward."

© Reuters

The Green New Deal - Thunberg visited the House of Representatives via video link in June 2019. She spoke alongside Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, promoting the Green New Deal.

© Reuters

Charity -

In 2020, Thunberg contributed a US$100,000 award she received to UNICEF for purchasing soap, masks, and gloves to safeguard children during the coronavirus pandemic. In July of the same year, she was honored with the inaugural Gulbenkian Prize for Humanity and chose to donate the €1 million prize money to charitable organizations.

© Getty Images

"No more Blah Blah Blah" -

Addressing a youth protest in Glasgow in 2021, following the city's hosting of the COP26 climate change summit, Greta Thunberg made the famous statement: "[World leaders have held] 26 COPs. They have had decades of blah, blah, blah - and where has that got us?"

© Getty Images

Surprise appearance -

In 2022, the crowd at Britain's Glastonbury festival warmly receive Thunberg as she took to the Pyramid stage for an unexpected speech on day four.

© Getty Images

'The Climate Book' -

On October 30, 2022, Greta Thunberg delivered a speech on stage during the worldwide debut of 'The Climate Book' at The Royal Festival Hall, in London. The collective non-fiction book features contributions from over 100 experts, including scientists, activists, and Indigenous leaders.

© Getty Images

Norway protests -

In March 2023, Thunberg joined hundreds of protesters obstructing the entrances to government buildings in Oslo, rallying against the allocation of Indigenous land for wind turbines. She was apprehended on two occasions outside Norwegian government premises.

© Getty Images

Not guilty -

In February 2024, Greta Thunberg was acquitted of public order offense charges stemming from a climate change protest in London, in October 2023. The activist was arrested during a demonstration against the Energy Intelligence Forum, a significant oil and gas industry conference. Subsequently, she and four other activists were charged with public order offenses for purportedly blocking a road and refusing to disperse. 

© Getty Images

Making a difference -

In just a short amount of time, Greta has made a big impact on the world. In her home country, more Swedes are taking public transport, while there is a growing shame that comes with taking commercial flights, and awareness of the climate crisis continues to grow. 

See also: Shocking shows and films about climate change

© Getty Images