Updated Jan. 3, 2024 at 12:30 p.m.
Happy birthday to environmental activist Greta Thunberg, born on this day in 2003.
Get This Happened straight to your inbox ✉️ each day! Sign up here.
Who is Greta Thunberg?
Thunberg rose to prominence as a teenager after campaigning outside the Swedish parliament in 2015. She held a sign saying “School Strike for Climate.”
Her campaign inspired thousands of young people around the world to organize their own strikes. She later received three Nobel Peace Prize nominations for climate activism.
Thunberg has Asperger syndrome and has said being different can be a "superpower". Her mother, Malena Ernman, is an opera singer. Her father, Svante Thunberg, is an actor.
What do people say about Greta Thunberg?
Thunberg has received support from climate activists, politicians and celebrities. Prominent environmentalist David Attenborough said to her: "You have aroused the world. I'm very grateful to you."
Others have been less supportive. Former U.S. President Donald Trump said she should "work on her anger management problem" and Russian President Vladimir Putin described her as a "kind but poorly informed teenager".