Here's a glimpse into the life of Nobel Peace Prize winner Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
Personal information
Date of birth:
October 7, 1931
Place of birth:
Klerksdorp, Transvaal, South Africa
Birth name:
Desmond Mpilo Tutu
Father:
Zachariah Tutu, school teacher
Mother:
Aletta Tutu, domestic worker
advertising
Marriage:
Nomalizo Leah (Shenxane) Tutu (July 2, 1955-present)
Children:
Trevor, Theresa, Naomi and Mpho
Education:
Bantu Normal Teacher's College, Pretoria, 1953, South Africa;
University of South Africa, Johannesburg, BA, 1954;
St. Peter's Theological College, Johannesburg, South Africa, 1960
Religion:
Anglican
Archbishop Desmond Tutu died at age 90
Other data
Sometimes called "the Arch", short for archbishop in English.
He chaired South Africa's post-apartheid Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
Chronology
1954-1957
- Teaches school and resigns in protest of government restrictions on the education of black children.
1961 -
Ordained an Anglican priest.
1975 -
Becomes the first black designated Anglican Dean of St. Mary's Cathedral in Johannesburg.
1976 -
Bishop of Lesotho is consecrated.
1978 -
Becomes the first black general secretary of the Interdenominational Council of Churches of South Africa.
1984 -
Becomes the second South African, after Chief Albert Lutuli, to win the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to end apartheid.
1986 - He
is elected Archbishop of Cape Town, becoming the leader of the Anglican Church in South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Swaziland and Lesotho.
1995 - He
is selected by South African President Nelson Mandela to chair the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
1996 -
He retires as Archbishop of Cape Town and becomes Archbishop Emeritus.
1997 -
Prostate cancer is diagnosed and treated in hospitals in the United States.
Desmond Tutu criticizes disputes between Nelson Mandela's relatives
1998 -
Establishes the Desmond Tutu Peace Trust.
1998-2000 -
Visiting Professor of Theology at Emory University in Atlanta.
2002 -
Visiting professor at Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
March 2003 -
Presents the final report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission to South African President Thabo Mbeki.
July 18, 2007 -
Former President Mandela announces the formation of The Elders, a group of old statesmen from around the world who will work to solve global problems.
Members of the group include Tutu, former US President Jimmy Carter, Kofi Annan, Mary Robinson and Ela Bhatt.
September 30, 2007 -
Tutu leads The Elders on their first mission, to Darfur in Sudan.
July 30, 2009 -
Receives the
2009
Presidential Medal of Freedom from the President of the United States, Barack Obama.
October 2011 -
Tutu harshly criticizes the South African government for not issuing a visa to the Dalai Lama.
He accuses the government of pleasing China and somehow being worse than the apartheid-era governments.
October 3, 2011 -
"Tutu: The Authorized Portrait" is released to coincide with Tutu's 80th birthday.
The book, written by his daughter Mpho and Allister Sparks, contains personal writings and anecdotes from the likes of Richard Branson, Bono, the Dalai Lama, Mandela, and others.
September 2, 2012 -
In an opinion piece published by The Observer newspaper, Tutu says former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and former US President George W. Bush should be "forced to answer" in court. Criminal International for his actions during the Iraq war.
October 4, 2012 -
Tutu receives $ 1 million from the Mo Ibrahim Foundation for "his lifelong commitment to speaking truth to power."
December 3, 2012:
A children's book called "Desmond and the Very Mean Word" is published.
2013 -
Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation established in Cape Town.
April 4, 2013 -
Tutu receives the 2013 Templeton Prize for his "lifelong work in advancing spiritual principles such as love and forgiveness, which has helped liberate people around the world."
The award has an approximate value of US $ 1.7 million.
September 7, 2016:
Tutu undergoes surgery to treat recurring infections that affect his health.
September 17-21, 2016:
Tutu is readmitted to a South African hospital after showing signs of infection after his recent surgery.
October 6, 2016 -
The day before your 85th birthday, write an op-ed for The Washington Post supporting the right to die with dignity.
“Dying people should have the right to choose how and when to leave Mother Earth.
I think, along with the wonderful palliative care out there, your options should include a dignified assisted dying. "
Nobel laureate Desmond Tutu proposes that Bush and Blair stand trial in The Hague
December 4, 2019:
Tutu has been admitted to the hospital for "treatment of a persistent infection," according to a statement issued by the Desmond & Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation.
On December 9, the foundation says that Tutu was released from the hospital.
September 9, 2020:
Tutu and his wife escape unscathed from a fire at their cabin on the outskirts of Cape Town, according to a statement from the Desmond and Leah Tutu Foundation.
Desmond Tutu Nobel Peace Prize South Africa
