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Maya Angelou was born on April 4, 1928 in St. Louis with the full name Marguerite Ann Johnson.
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In 1942, Maya dropped out of school to become the first female African American cable car conductor in San Francisco.
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Maya returned to high school but became pregnant with her son Guy. Shortly after graduating, Maya gave birth to Guy and worked as a single mom.
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In 1952, Maya picked up a job as a nightclub singer at the "Purple Onion" in San Francisco. At this time, she changed her stage name from Marguerite Johnson to Maya Angelou.
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Maya Angelou married the Greek sailor Tosh Angelos. However, the marriage was short lived and quickly failed.
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Maya Angelou toured in the opera production of Porgy and Bess as a singer and dancer.
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Maya recorded her album "Miss Calypso" for Scamp Records.
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In 1958, Maya moved to New York where she developed as a writer and joined the Harlem Writers Guild.
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Following Malcolm X's assassination, Dr. Martin Luther King Junior asked Maya to be the northern coordinator of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, an organization that was heavily involved in the Civil Rights movement.
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Maya married a man named Paul de Feu. Their family moved to Sonoma, California where Maya continued to pursue her singing and acting career
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Maya met Oprah Winfrey and developed a friendship and mentorship with her.
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In 1993, Maya performed the poem "On the Pulse of Morning" for Bill Clintons Inauguration. That year she won a Grammy for the best spoken word album.
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In 1996 Maya was awarded with the Martin Luther King Junior King Jr. Legacy Association National Award.
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In 2006 Maya received the Mother Teresa Award.
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Maya Angelou died on May 28th, 2014 in Winston-Salem, NC at the age of 86.
