Charles Taylor Fast Facts - CNN.com (CNN) -- Here's an in-depth look at the life of Charles Taylor, former president of Liberia and convicted war criminal. Personal: Birth date: January 28, 1948 Birth place: Arthington, Liberia Birth name: Charles Taylor Father: Nelson Taylor Mother: Zoe Taylor Marriages: Victoria Addison-Taylor (unknown-present); Jewel (Howard) Taylor (1997-2006, divorce) Children: with Victoria Addison-Taylor: three girls; with Jewel (Howard) Taylor: McArthur Taylor. It is reported that Taylor has several other children. Education: Bentley College, Massachusetts, BA Economics,1977 Other Facts: Taylor stole or diverted nearly $100 million of Liberia's funds while in power according to government records investigated by the U.N. Taylor used the money to buy houses, cars, and illegal weapons while fighting the civil war. Timeline: 1972 - Emigrates to the U.S. to study. Reportedly has a child, possibly two. 1980 - Returns to Liberia and joins the administration of Samuel Doe, who comes into power after a coup. May 1983 - Flees to the United States after Doe accuses Taylor of corruption and stealing over $900,000 from the Liberian government. May 1984 -- Is arrested in Boston, Massachusetts. The court holds him to wait for extradition orders from the Liberian government. 1985 - Escapes from jail. Authorities believe he crosses into Mexico and then heads Libya where Colonel Moammar Gadhafi gives him asylum. 1989 - While in Libya, Taylor forms the militia group National Patriotic Front of Liberia 1990-1996 - A civil war is fought in Liberia. More than 150,000 people are killed and more than half of the population become refugees. 1996 - A peace pact brokered by the international community calls for elections. July 19, 1997 - Taylor is elected president of Liberia in a special election. 2000 - Rebels in Liberia begin a struggle against Taylor's government. June 4, 2003 - Taylor is indicted for crimes against humanity by a U.N. court sitting in Sierra Leone. The indictment includes 17 counts of crimes against humanity, including murder, enslavement and the recruitment of child soldiers. June 6, 2003 - Rebels advance into Monrovia, the capital of Liberia. June 2003 - President George W. Bush makes a statement asking Taylor to step down for the good of the Liberian people. August 7, 2003 - Taylor submits his letter of resignation. August 11, 2003 - Steps down as president, hands over power to Vice President Moses Blah and leaves for Nigeria where he is granted asylum. December 4, 2003 - Interpol puts out a global arrest warrant for Taylor. March 16, 2006 - The indictment against Taylor is amended and reduced to 11 counts. March 29, 2006 - Taylor is recaptured and taken into custody by border guards in northern Nigeria as he tried to leave the country with his wife. March 29, 2006 - Taylor arrives at the Special Court for Sierra Leone, where he is taken into custody on war-crimes charges. April 3, 2006 - Taylor appears at a U.N.-backed tribunal in Sierra Leone and pleads not guilty to 11 war crimes charges. June 30, 2006 - Taylor is transferred to The Hague in the Netherlands for trial. June 4, 2007 - Taylor boycotts the opening of his trial, calling it a "charade" in a letter read by his attorney, Karim Ahmad Khan. January 7, 2008 - Taylor appears in court as his war crimes trial resumes. June 2010 - The prosecution, which had rested its case against Taylor in 2009, is allowed to reopen its case. The move is done to allow for the testimony of model Naomi Campbell and actress Mia Farrow regarding "blood diamonds" that Taylor may have given Campbell in 1997. March 11, 2011 - Taylor's trial concludes. April 26, 2012 - Taylor is found guilty of aiding and abetting rebels who raped, killed and mutilated civilians in neighboring Sierra Leone. May 16, 2012 - At a sentencing hearing at the court in the Netherlands, Taylor says that terrible things happened in Sierra Leone, for which there can be no justification, but his role in the conflict was much different than represented. I pushed the peace process hard. Contrary to how I have been portrayed in this court. May 30, 2012 - Taylor is sentenced to 50 years in prison. January 22, 2013 - Taylor's lawyers argue an appeal of Taylor's conviction for war crimes. The court is not expected to issue a ruling for several months.