Maya Angelou was born on 4 April 1928 in St. Louis. An American poet, memoirist and civil rights activist, Angelou had a varied early life as a dancer, singer, actor and journalist. She worked with Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X in the civil rights struggle. Her memoir I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1969), about her childhood in Arkansas and California, was a landmark of American autobiography and the first of a series of seven. Her poetry includes Still I Rise, and she recited On the Pulse of Morning at Bill Clinton's inauguration in 1993. She taught for years at Wake Forest University and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2010.
Before and after
- 25 January 1928Birth of Eduard Shevardnadze
- 4 February 1928Death of Hendrik Lorentz
- 27 February 1928Birth of Ariel Sharon
- 22 March 1928Founding of Muslim Brotherhood
- 4 April 1928Birth of Maya Angelou
- 6 April 1928Birth of James Watson
- 23 April 1928Birth of Shirley Temple
- 4 May 1928Birth of Hosni Mubarak
- 13 June 1928Birth of John Forbes Nash
More in Wars, politics & history
- from 8 March 1917 to 16 March 1917February Revolution
- from 1 August 1927 to 1 May 1950Chinese Civil War
- from 7 July 1937 to 9 September 1945Second Sino-Japanese War
- from 22 June 1941 to 7 May 1945Eastern Front
- from 22 June 1941 to 5 December 1941Operation Barbarossa
- 7 December 1941Attack on Pearl Harbor
The era
This moment belongs to the Modern era (1914 CE to 1945 CE), world wars and a changing world. You can also browse everything in the 20th century.