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Birth
Maya Angelou was born on April 4, 1928, in St Louis, Missouri. Her original name was Marguerite Johnson. -
Southern Christian Leadership Conference
Martin Luther King Jr. requests that Maya Angelou leads the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, which advocates for African American rights in the U.S. -
Maya Goes Abroad
Maya leaves New York City and travels to Cairo, Egypt, as an editor. A year later, she moved to Ghana. Maya became fluent in many languages, including Fanti, French, Spanish, Italian, and Arabic. She returned to the U.S. in 1964. -
Famous Works
Some of her most famous works include I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1969), Just Give Me a Cool Drink of Water ‘fore I Diiie (1971), Wouldn’t Take Nothing for My Journey Now (1993), The Heart of a Woman (1981). -
Roles
Outside of being an author, Maya Angelou was also a singer, dancer, actor, and civil rights activist. -
Roots
Maya plays a supporting role Golden Globes-winning TV mini-series called Roots. -
Presidential Commission for International Women’s Year
Maya served on Jimmy Carter's Presidential Commission for International Women’s Year. -
Wake Forest
Maya was the first Reynolds Professor of American Studies at Wake Forest University. -
Honor
At President Bill Clinton's Inaugural Ceremony in 1993, Maya was given the honor of reciting her dedicatory poem titled "On the Pulse of Morning." -
Presidential Medal of Freedom
Maya received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Barack Obama. -
Literarian Award
She received the Literarian Award for her contributions to the literary community. -
Degrees
Maya was awarded over 50 honorary degrees before she died. -
Death
Maya Angelou died at age 86 on May 28, 2014. She had been dealing with heart problems.