Malala Yousafzai has left an indelible mark on the world. Her courage, resilience, and commitment to girls’ education have inspired millions. She was born on July 12, 1997 and lived with her parents, Ziauddin and Toor Pekai Yousafzai. Malala and her brothers grew up in Pakistan. They lived with their parents in a medium-size city called Mingora. The Yousafzais are proud of their Pashtun heritage. Pashtuns are an independent group of people whose lands spread across both Pakistan and Afghanistan. Malala has said, “I am proud of all my identities—as a Swati (a person living in Swat Valley), as a Pashtun, and as a Pakistani.” 

Photo credit: Malin Fezehai for Malala Fund

From an early age, Malala’s father, who ran an all-girls school in Swat Valley, encouraged Malala to pursue an education and to speak up for girls’ right to an education.When the Taliban announced that girls were no longer allowed to receive an education, Malala and classmates attended school in secret. She was just 11 years old when she published anonymous blog entries through the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). It was called “Diary of a Pakistani Schoolgirl” and it chronicled life as a girl under Taliban rule in Swat Valley. You can read her first entries here. Despite the imminent danger, she advocated for girls’ right to an education. Her voice was heard around the world. 

“When the whole world is silent, even one voice becomes powerful”
Malala Yousafzai

Let’s delve into ten remarkable facts about the remarkable Malala Yousafzai:

1. Malala is named after Malalai of Maiwand, a folk hero of Afghanistan from the 19th century
2. In 2009, Malala’s blog entries were published under the name “Gul Makai”—she would write her posts by hand and give them to a local BBC reporter, who would email or fax the pages to the BBC to be published online
3. In 2012, Malala survived an assassination attempt when Taliban members boarded her school bus and shot her in the head
4. Malala co-wrote her autobiography with Christina Lamb—I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban—it was published in 2013 (check The Museum Store for avaialability) 
5. At just 17 years old, Malala became the youngest-ever recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014, recognizing her tireless advocacy for girls’ education
6. Malala has received numerous awards and honors throughout the years, including an honorary Canadian citizenship, the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, the International Children’s Peace Prize, and the official recognition of July 12—her birthday—as World Malala Day by the United Nations
7. In 2017, the International Astronomical Union gave an asteroid that orbits the Sun between Mars and Jupiter a new name—316201 Malala
8. In 2019, members of the U.S. Women’s National Team wore jerseys honoring powerful, influential, iconic, and inspirational women during their first soccer match of the year—Carli Lloyd chose Malala Yousafzai
9. In 2020, Malala graduated from Oxford University with a degree in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE)
10. In 2021, Malala married Asser Malik

Sharing Malala Yousafzai’s legacy

Malala continues to champion girls’ education worldwide. The Malala Fund, founded by Malala and her father in 2013, continues to champion every girl’s right to 12 years of free, safe, quality education. 

In 2021, we began telling Malala’s story alongside those of Anne Frank, Ruby Bridges, and Ryan White in The Power of Children: Making a Difference® exhibit. The stories of these extraordinary children in history inspire children and grown-ups to fight discrimination and intolerance and make a positive difference in the world. The Power of Children is the world’s first permanent exhibit to feature Malala’s story. Our team worked closely with Malala’s family and the Malala Fund to share her story. While she was unable to attend the exhibit’s opening day festivities, she did record this special message for us.

Malala’s parents, however, had the opportunity to visit The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis in 2023. In addition to talking with our paleontologists and walking through our archives area, they explored the exhibit area dedicated to their daughter’s story and legacy. 

“I was very moved by the lighting show because it summarizes the story so powerfully. I cried a little bit—it moved me to tears”
Ziauddin Yousafzai