John Bowlby was born on February 26, 1907, in London, England.¹⁾

He came from an upper-middle-class family and had a privileged upbringing.²⁾

Bowlby's interest in psychology and human development was influenced by his father, a surgeon, and his mother, a devoted philanthropist.³⁾

He studied at Trinity College, Cambridge, where he developed a strong interest in psychology and natural sciences.⁴⁾

Bowlby's first major work on attachment theory, “The Nature of the Child's Tie to His Mother,” was published in 1958.⁵⁾

He collaborated with Mary Ainsworth, a developmental psychologist, to refine and expand his attachment theory.⁶⁾

Ainsworth's “Strange Situation” experiment is one of the most famous and influential studies in the field of attachment theory, and Bowlby played a significant role in its development.⁷⁾

Bowlby's attachment theory posits that early relationships with caregivers have a profound impact on a child's emotional and social development.⁸⁾

He believed that a secure attachment to a caregiver was crucial for a child's healthy emotional development.⁹⁾

Bowlby's ideas were met with skepticism at first, but over time, they gained widespread recognition and acceptance.¹⁰⁾

He served in the British Army during World War II, where he was involved in the treatment of soldiers suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).¹¹⁾

Bowlby's wartime experiences influenced his later work on attachment and separation.¹²⁾

He held various academic positions throughout his career, including at the Tavistock Institute of Human Relations in London.¹³⁾

Bowlby's “Attachment and Loss” trilogy, published between 1969 and 1980, is considered his most significant contribution to the field of psychology.¹⁴⁾

The trilogy consists of three books: “Attachment,” “Separation,” and “Loss.”¹⁵⁾