Fridays for Future

Quick Facts: Who was Fridays for Future?

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Fridays for Future

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International youth movement demanding climate action through school strikes.

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2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

Fridays for Future (FFF), also known as the School Strike for Climate (Swedish: Skolstrejk för klimatet [ˈskûːlstrɛjk fœr klɪˈmɑ̌ːtɛt]), is an international movement of school students who skip Friday classes to participate in demonstrations to demand action from political leaders to prevent climate change and for the fossil fuel industry to transition to renewable energy. Publicity and widespread organising began after Swedish pupil Greta Thunberg staged a protest in August 2018 outside of the Swedish parliament, the Riksdag, holding a sign that read "Skolstrejk för klimatet" ("School strike for the climate"). A global strike on 15 March 2019 gathered more than one million strikers in 2,200 strikes organised in 125 countries. On 24 May 2019, in the second global strike, 1,600 protests across 150 countries drew hundreds of thousands of strikers. The May protests were timed to coincide with the 2019 European Parliament election.

Career & Major Achievements

The 2019 Global Week for Future was a series of 4,500 strikes across over 150 countries, focused around Friday 20 September and Friday 27 September. Likely the largest climate strikes in world history, the 20 September strikes gathered roughly 4 million protesters, many of them schoolchildren, including 1.4 million in Germany. On 27 September, an estimated two million people participated in demonstrations worldwide, including over one million protesters in Italy and several hundred thousand protesters in Canada. In November 2006, the Australian Youth Climate Coalition was formed to organise climate change actions involving youth and school children. In 2010, in England there were school walkouts over climate change, linked to a Climate Camp.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

In late-November 2015, an independent group of students invited other students around the world to skip school on the first day of the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris. On 30 November, the first day of the conference, a "Climate strike" was organised in over 100 countries; over 50,000 people participated. The movement focused on three demands: 100% clean energy; keeping fossil fuels in the ground, and helping climate refugees. On 20 August 2018, the Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, then in ninth grade, decided to not attend school until the 2018 Sweden general election on 9 September after heat waves and wildfires in Sweden. She has said she was inspired by the teen activists at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, who organised the March for Our Lives.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 2006: 2006 Milestone — In November 2006, the Australian Youth Climate Coalition was formed to organise climate change actions involving youth and school children.
2. 2010: 2010 Milestone — In 2010, in England there were school walkouts over climate change, linked to a Climate Camp.
3. 2015: 2015 Milestone — In late-November 2015, an independent group of students invited other students around the world to skip school on the first day of the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris.
4. 2018: 2018 Milestone — Publicity and widespread organising began after Swedish pupil Greta Thunberg staged a protest in August 2018 outside of the Swedish parliament, the Riksdag, holding a sign that read "Skolstrejk för klimatet" ("School strike for the climate").
5. 2019: 2019 Milestone — A global strike on 15 March 2019 gathered more than one million strikers in 2,200 strikes organised in 125 countries.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Fridays for Future

True or False: “The initial global strike organized by Fridays for Future occurred on March 15, 2019.”

Answer (TRUE ⭕): This massive gathering involved over one million strikers across 2,200 strikes in 125 countries.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

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• Aaron Spelling — Historical peer (Died in 2006) (2006): Pioneering American producer of hit TV series like Dynasty and Beverly Hills, 90210.
• Abu Musab al-Zarqawi — Historical peer (Died in 2006) (2006): Jordanian jihadist militant known for orchestrating violence in Iraq (1966–2006)
• Alex Chilton — Historical peer (Died in 2010) (2010): American musician, best known for his vocal work with The Box Tops and Big Star.
• Alexander McQueen — Historical peer (Died in 2010) (2010): Iconic British fashion designer known for theatrical, boundary-pushing collections.
• A. P. J. Abdul Kalam — Historical peer (Died in 2015) (2015): Visionary aerospace engineer, scientist, and former President of India.
• Abdullah of Saudi Arabia — Historical peer (Died in 2015) (2015): King of Saudi Arabia, known for his role in modernizing the kingdom's governance.

Frequently Asked Questions about Fridays for Future