Career
Jovanović was born in Kotor, Principality of Montenegro. He finished primary and secondary school in Kotor. He was educated at the Belgrade Higher School, during which he left to participate in the uprising in the Bay of Kotor.
He graduated in History at the Faculty of Philosophy.
From 1887 to 1901 he was a teacher at secondary schools. He was a librarian and Director of the National Library, then professor at the Belgrade Higher School and University.