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Born
in St. Louis, Missouri. Born Marguerite Annie Johnson -
Moved to Stamps, Arkansas
When Angelou was three, she was sent to Stamps, AR with her brother, Bailey. -
Gave Birth to Son
Angelou had a son, his name is Guy. -
Northern coordinator for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference
Angelou was the coordinator for Martin Luther King Jr.'s Southern Christian Leadership Conference -
Moved to Cairo
Angelou and her son moved to Cairo where Angelou worked as an associate editor at the weekly English-language newspaper "The Arab Observer". -
Moved to Ghana
Angelou and her son Guy moved to Accra, Ghana. She became an administrator at the University of Ghana, and was active in the African-American expatriate community.She was a feature editor for The African Review, a freelance writer for the Ghanaian Times, wrote and broadcast for Radio Ghana, and worked and performed for Ghana's National Theatre. -
Moved back to the U.S.
While in Ghana, Angelou became close friends with Malcolm X and returned to the U.S. to help him build the Organization of Afro-American Unity. -
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
Maya Angelou releases her autobiography about the early years of her life -
And Still I Rise
Her third volume of poetry. Made up of 32 short poems. -
On the Pulse of Morning
Poem written for the Inauguration that quickly became extremely popular -
Reading at Bill Clinton's Inauguration
Maya Angelou read, "On the Pulse of Morning," at President Bill Clinton's inauguration -
Rewarded Presidential Medal of Freedom
Angelou received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama -
Died
86 years old in Winston-Salem, NC