28 moments

1. Birth in Ihithe

   1940-04-01 · Ihithe, Tetu, Nyeri County, Kenya

   Maathai was born in the central highlands village of Ihithe, in present-day Nyeri County. Village coordinates are representative.

2. Return to childhood home

   1947-01-01 · Ihithe, Tetu, Nyeri County, Kenya

   After her family had lived near Nakuru, Maathai returned with her mother to Ihithe, where she soon joined her brothers at primary school. The source supports late-1947 precision only; village coordinates are representative.

3. Studies begin in Atchison

   1960-09-01 · Mount St. Scholastica College, Atchison, Kansas, United States

   Selected through the Kennedy Airlift, Maathai began undergraduate study in biology at Mount St. Scholastica College, now Benedictine College. September 1960 is supported by her selection to study in the United States; the source does not give an arrival day.

4. Graduate study in Pittsburgh

   1964-01-01 · University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States

   After her bachelor's degree, Maathai pursued a master's degree in biology at the University of Pittsburgh, where she encountered local environmental-restoration efforts. The source places the start of her Pittsburgh study after her 1964 bachelor's degree; no month is given.

5. Research appointment in Nairobi

   1966-01-01 · University College of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya

   Following her master's degree, Maathai returned to Kenya and began work in the veterinary-anatomy department at University College of Nairobi. The surrounding source identifies the university as University College of Nairobi; the exact arrival date is not given.

6. Doctoral study at Giessen

   1967-01-01 · University of Giessen, Giessen, Hesse, Germany

   Maathai traveled to West Germany to pursue her doctorate at the University of Giessen.

7. Doctoral study in Munich

   1967-01-01 · LMU Munich, Munich, Bavaria, Germany

   During her German doctoral work, Maathai also studied at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich. The source gives 1967 for her travel to Germany but no separate date for the Munich study.

8. Return to Nairobi academic work

   1969-01-01 · University College of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya

   Maathai returned to Nairobi in spring 1969 and resumed her studies and teaching as an assistant lecturer at University College of Nairobi. The source supports spring 1969 rather than a specific month.

9. Habitat I conference

   1976-06-01 · Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

   UNEP sent Maathai to Habitat I, the first United Nations Conference on Human Settlements, an experience that informed her later tree-planting proposal. Habitat I took place in Vancouver; the Queen Elizabeth Theatre was its main venue.

10. First Green Belt tree planting

    1977-06-05 · Kamukunji Park, Nairobi, Kenya

    Maathai and other women planted seven trees in Nairobi on World Environment Day, an event identified as the first Green Belt Movement planting. The ceremony took place at Kamukunji Park; the cited source identifies Nairobi and the date.

11. Imprisonment at Lang'ata

    1979-01-01 · Lang'ata Women's Prison, Nairobi, Kenya

    After being convicted of contempt of court following her divorce case, Maathai spent three days in Lang'ata Women's Prison before her release. The source gives 1979 but no more precise detention dates; prison coordinates are approximate.

12. Right Livelihood Award acceptance

    1984-01-01 · Stockholm, Sweden

    Maathai traveled to Stockholm to accept the Right Livelihood Award, international recognition that strengthened the Green Belt Movement's profile. The acceptance speech is associated with her 1984 award; no ceremony day is stated in the cited text.

13. UN women's conference work

    1985-07-01 · Nairobi, Kenya

    At the third global UN women's conference in Nairobi, Maathai organized presentations about the Green Belt Movement and escorted delegates to nurseries and tree plantings. The United Nations' third World Conference on Women was held in Nairobi in July 1985; the precise venues are not specified.

14. Goldman Environmental Prize

    1991-01-01 · San Francisco, California, United States

    Maathai received the Goldman Environmental Prize in San Francisco, an important international recognition during her pro-democracy activism. The source supports the year but not a ceremony date.

15. Freedom Corner hunger strike

    1992-02-28 · Freedom Corner, Uhuru Park, Nairobi, Kenya

    While on bail, Maathai joined a hunger strike at Freedom Corner demanding the release of political prisoners; police forcibly removed the protesters four days later.

16. Earth Summit spokesperson

    1992-06-01 · Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

    Maathai traveled to Rio de Janeiro for the UN Conference on Environment and Development and was selected as a chief spokesperson at the summit. The source supports June 1992; no specific summit-day attendance is given.

17. Edinburgh Medal visit

    1993-04-01 · Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom

    After leaving hiding in Kenya, Maathai flew to Scotland to receive the Edinburgh Medal.

18. Karura Forest protest attack

    1999-01-08 · Karura Forest, Nairobi, Kenya

    Maathai returned to Karura Forest with fellow protesters to plant a tree against planned forest clearance and was injured when the group was attacked.

19. Arrest at Wang'uru village

    2001-03-07 · Wang'uru, Kirinyaga County, Kenya

    While protesting proposed allocation of public forest land and gathering petition signatures, Maathai was arrested at Wang'uru village near Mount Kenya. Settlement coordinates are representative.

20. Saba Saba Day arrest

    2001-07-07 · Freedom Corner, Uhuru Park, Nairobi, Kenya

    After planting trees at Freedom Corner to commemorate Saba Saba Day, Maathai was arrested and released later that evening without charge.

21. McCluskey Fellowship at Yale

    2002-01-01 · Yale School of the Environment, New Haven, Connecticut, United States

    Maathai joined Yale's School of Forestry and Environmental Studies as the Dorothy McCluskey Visiting Fellow for Conservation, teaching on sustainable development through June. The Yale announcement was published 29 January 2002 and describes her spring 2002 presence.

22. Nobel Prize announcement visit

    2004-10-08 · Ihururu, Nyeri County, Kenya

    When the Nobel Peace Prize was announced, Maathai was visiting Ihururu village north of Nairobi while distributing government food. Coordinates are representative for Ihururu village; the Nobel source dates the announcement to 8 October 2004.

23. Nobel Peace Prize ceremony

    2004-12-10 · Oslo City Hall, Oslo, Norway

    Maathai received the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize at Oslo City Hall and delivered her Nobel Lecture there the same day.

24. Japan visit and mottainai advocacy

    2005-01-01 · Japan

    A visit to Japan helped inspire Maathai's later advocacy of mottainai, a Japanese waste-reduction philosophy. The source does not identify a Japanese city; coordinates represent Japan nationally.

25. Tour with Gordon Brown

    2005-01-01 · Nairobi, Kenya

    

    Maathai toured a Nairobi primary school with Gordon Brown during her service as Kenya's assistant minister for environment and natural resources. The specific primary school is not identified.

26. Connecticut College commencement

    2006-05-21 · Connecticut College, New London, Connecticut, United States

    Maathai received an honorary doctorate and delivered the commencement address at Connecticut College.

27. Tree planting with Barack Obama

    2006-08-01 · Uhuru Park, Nairobi, Kenya

    

    Maathai met then-U.S. Senator Barack Obama in Nairobi; together they planted a tree in Uhuru Park. The source supports August 2006 but not a specific day.

28. Death during treatment

    2011-09-25 · Nairobi, Kenya

    Maathai died from complications of ovarian cancer while receiving treatment at a Nairobi hospital. The hospital is not identified; coordinates represent central Nairobi.