Maya Angelou Life Timeline By lmoster25 Apr 4, 1928 Born in St. Louis MO 1935 Raped by mother's boyfriend Does not speak until 1941 1943 Works as Streetcar Conductor 1955 Calypso singer and dancer 1960 Works with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr and Malcom X Through 1968 1969 Starts her career as an author Publishes the book "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" 1970 Awarded Chubb Fellowship 1974 Publishes "Gather Together in My Name 1975 Appointed to Presidential Commission for the International Year of the Woman 1976 Publishes "Singin' and Swingin' and Gettin' Merry Like Christmas" 1977 Acts in the movie Roots 1981 Becomes a professor at Wake Forest University 1981 Publishes "The Heart of a Woman" 1991 Awarded Langston Hughes Award 1992 Awarded Crystal Award 1993 Acts in Poetic Justice 1993 Invited to read a President Clinton's inauguration May 28, 2014 Dies in Winston-Salem, NC