LibGuides: Mother Teresa of Calcutta: Life

Major Life Events

1910 - Born Anjezë Gonxha Bojaxhiu in Skopje (now the capital of Macedonia) of the Ottoman Empire
1919 - Her father, Nikollë, died
1928 - Traveled to Dublin, Ireland, to join the Sisters of Loreto
1929 - Sent to India by the Sisters of Loreto to teach at one of their Catholic schools
1931 - First Profession of Vows
1937 - Final Profession of Vows, making her "Mother Teresa"
1948 - Received permission to leave the Sisters of Loreto to pursue a new calling ministering in the slums of Calcutta, India
1950 - Founded a new religious order, the Missionaries of Charity
1952 - Opened the first "Home for the Dying" in Calcutta
1962 - Awarded the "Padma Shri" (4th highest civilian award given by the government in India)
1962 - Received the "Ramon Magsaysay Award for International Understanding" (Philippines)
1965 - Pope Paul IV conferred "Decree of Praise" upon Missionaries of Charity
1969 - Received the "Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding" (international award given by India)
1971 - Traveled to New York City and founds her first American-based charity
1971 - Received the "Pope John XXIII Peace Prize" from Paul IV
1979 - Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize (10 December in the Oslo City Hall, Norway)
1980 - Received the "Bharat Ratna" (highest civilian award in India)
1981 - Visited Mount St. Scholastica and Benedictine College in Atchison, KS
1982 - Traveled to Beirut, Lebanon, secretly to help both Christian and Muslim children during the Siege of Beirut
1983 - First heart attack in Rome while visiting Pope John Paul II
1983 - Awarded the "Order of Merit" (Great Britain)
1985 - Spoke at the 40th Anniversary of the United Nations General Assembly in New York City
1985 - Founded the "Gift of Love" (home for those infected with HIV/AIDS) in New York City
1987 - Received honorary doctorate in social science from the University of Scranton
1989 - Second heart attack; artificial pacemaker implanted
1996 - Granted honorary citizenship in the United States
1997 - Died on September 5 at the age of 87 in Calcutta, India