The Life of Maya Angelou

By lrwagoner

  • Maya's Birthday

    Maya is born into her family in St. Louis, Missouri.

  • Stamps, Arkansas: Part 1

    Maya Angelou's parents' marriage ended, so she and Bailey were first sent to Stamps, Arkansas to live with her grandmother, Anne Henderson.

  • Incident of Rape

    When Maya was seven years old, she moved back to St. Louis after living in Stamps, Arkansas during her childhood. Her mother's boyfriend took advantage of her, and Maya had to deal with the effects for the rest of her life.

  • Stamps, Arkansas: Part 2

    Maya and Bailey return to live with Anne Henderson in Stamps.

  • Moving to San Francisco

    Maya, Bailey, and their mother move out to San Francisco, California, and she began taking dance lessons and professional theater.

  • San Francisco's First African American Female Car Conductor

    Maya drops out of school to become the first African American female car conductor, making history.

  • A Son is Born

    Maya Angelou had a son, Guy Johnson, and moved to San Diego, dancing as a stripper in clubs.

  • "Porgy and Bess"

    Maya enters for the international tour of "Porgy and Bess"

  • NEW YORK

    Maya moved to New York and befriended Harlem writers, influencing her work.

  • Egypt

    Maya moves to Egypt with her boyfriend and works for Arab Observer as an editor.

  • The Blacks

    Angelou appeared in an off-Broadway production of Jean Genet's The Blacks.

  • Wake Forest University

    Angelou was appointed Professor of American Studies at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem

  • Death

    Maya dies.