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Birth of Maya Angelou
Born by the name of Marguerite Annie Johnson -
Sexually abused and raped
Maya was sexually abused and raped by her mother's boyfriend, Mr. Freeman. Maya suffered the consequences which made her mute and she was sent back to live with her grandmother. -
Drops out of school in her teens
She dropped out of school in her teens to become San Francisco's first African American female cable car conductor -
Takes the name "Maya Angelou"
Took the name Maya Angelou and also began her career as a nightclub singer -
Records an Album
She recorded her first album, "Calypso Lady." -
Moves to Cairo, Egypt
She moved to Cairo, Egypt where she served as editor of the English language weekly, The Arab Observer. -
Published "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings"
Published "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings," also received the Chubb Fellowship from Yale University. -
Nominated for a Pulitzer Prize
She wrote the screenplay for "Georgia, Georgia" and composed the score. Her script was the first ever written by an African American woman to be filmed and she was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. -
Becomes First Professor of American Studies
She became First Reynolds Professor of American Studies and was appointed at Wake Forest University -
Wins a Grammy
Her poem, Phenomenal Woman, won the Grammy for Best Spoken Word or Non-Musical Album -
Wins Martin Luther King, Jr. Award
She won the Martin Luther King, Jr. Legacy Association National Award. -
Receives Medal of Freedom
Received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama at the White House. -
Death of Maya Angelou