11/14 - Maya Angelou Timeline

By cmprkr

  • Birth

    Maya Angelou was born in St. Louis, Missouri. Her birth name is Marguerite Annie Johnson.

  • Moves to Arkansas

    At age 3, Maya moved with her brother to Stamps, Arkansas, to live with their grandmother.

  • Becomes a Mother

    She became a mother at 17 to her only child, Clyde.

  • Becomes a Dancer & Singer

    She worked as a dancer and singer, using the stage name "Maya Angelou" and performing in clubs.

  • Releases her First Album

    Released her first album, "Miss Calypso".

  • Moves to Egypt

    Moved to Cairo, Egypt, where she worked as an editor for The Arab Observer.

  • Moves to Ghana

    Moved to Ghana, where she taught at the University of Ghana’s School of Music and Drama.

  • Returns to the United States

    Joined Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to help him with conferences. She also worked with Malcolm X.

  • Publishes her first Autobiography

    Published "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings," which gave her a big voice in the literature world.

  • Appears in Roots

    Appeared in the series "Roots," a drama about slavery.

  • Becomes the Reynolds Professor of American Studies

    She became the Reynolds Professor of American Studies at Wake Forest University.

  • Makes "On the Pulse of Morning"

    She read her iconic poem "On the Pulse of Morning" at President Bill Clinton's inauguration.

  • Receives the National Medal of Arts

    She was awarded the National Medal of Arts from President Bill Clinton.

  • Receives the Presidential Medal of Freedom

    Awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in the United States, by President Barack Obama.

  • Death

    Maya Angelou passed away on May 28 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.