24/08/2026
The youngest Nobel Prize laureate ever, Malala Yousafzai, was only 17 years old at the time of the award.
She was born on 12 July 1997 in Pakistan and was named after an Afghan poet, Malalai of Maiwand. Her father ensured that she received proper schooling and educated her at his private school. He added her name to the family register and she was allowed to stay up late and debate politics. From a young age Malala dreamt about becoming a doctor.
Malala had a gift for public speaking and she began to speak up for girls’ rights to education. In 2009, Yousafzai started an anonymous blog for BBC Urdu. After her identity was revealed, the New York Times made a short film about her and her fight for education for all.
As Yousafzai became more known, a death threat was issued against her. In 2012, Malala was shot by a masked gunman on a school bus. He threatened to kill all students on the school bus if she didn’t identify herself. The gunman also shot two of Malala’s friends.
After intensive rehabilitation in the United Kingdom, she survived the attack. Fearlessly and with determination, Yousafzai kept fighting for girls’ right to education. Today, she is a role model for many young girls.
In 2014, Malala Yousafzai received the Nobel Peace Prize for her bravery and work to ensure girls’ rights to education.
Learn more: https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/2014/yousafzai/facts/
