Origins & Early Life

Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri AO (1932 – 21 June 2002) was an Australian painter, considered to be one of the most collected and renowned Australian Aboriginal artists. His paintings are held in galleries and collections in Australia and elsewhere, including the Art Gallery of New South Wales, the National Gallery of Australia, the Kelton Foundation and the Royal Collection. Possum's father was Tjatjiti Tjungurrayai and his mother was Long Rose Nangala. After his father's death in the 1940s his mother married Gwoya Jungarai, better known as One Pound Jimmy, whose image was used on a well known Australian postage stamp.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

His brother was Tim Leura Tjapaltjarri, whose artwork appeared on another stamp. His older brother Cassidy Possum Tjapaltjarri was a traditionalist who barely gone outside of the Yuelamu community and was one of the most respected elders till his passing in 2006, Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri was the most famous of the contemporary artists who lived around Papunya, in the Northern Territory's Western Desert area, when the acrylic painting style (known popularly as "dot art") was initiated. Geoffrey Bardon came to Papunya in the early 1970s and encouraged...

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The historical impact and works continue to influence the modern world.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Abebe Bikila — Contemporary (Born in 1932) (1932): Ethiopian Olympic marathon champion, known for his barefoot victories in Rome and Tokyo.
• Alan Bean — Contemporary (Born in 1932) (1932): American astronaut, naval officer, and lunar explorer who walked on the Moon.
• Alfred Worden — Contemporary (Born in 1932) (1932): American astronaut and test pilot, famous for Apollo 15 lunar mission.
• Abba Eban — Contemporary (Died in 2002) (2002): Israeli diplomat, politician, and scholar of Arabic and Hebrew languages.
• Aileen Wuornos — Contemporary (Died in 2002) (2002): American serial killer known for murdering seven male clients in Florida.
• Alexander Prokhorov — Contemporary (Died in 2002) (2002): Soviet physicist known for fundamental work on optics, leading to the laser and maser.
• Aloysius Gonzaga — Shared historical date (06-21 · Died) (1591): Italian Jesuit seminarian and saint, known for his aristocratic background and early death.
• Anders Jonas Ångström — Shared historical date (06-21 · Died) (1874): Pioneering Swedish physicist, founder of spectroscopy and astrophysics.
• Alvin Plantinga — Historical peer (Born in 1932) (1932): Leading American philosopher and theologian known for Reformed epistemology.
• Andrei Tarkovsky — Historical peer (Born in 1932) (1932): Master of metaphysical cinema, known for slow pacing and spiritual depth.
• 1932 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1932
• 2002 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 2002
• June 21 (06-21) On This Day — Historical events and memorials on June 21