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Born
She was born on this day as Marguerite Annie Johnson in St. Louis Missouri, US. -
Sexually abused at a young age.
when she was eight and living with her mother, She was Sexually abused by her mother's boyfriend, who was named Freeman. -
Angelou became mute.
After being sexually abused, Freeman was found guilty and arrested but he only lasted one day in jail. Days after the release, he was murdered and Angelou decided to not talk because she thought that her voice killed him and her voice could kill anyone. She was mute for almost five years. -
First Black female streetcar conductor in San Francisco.
Angelou attended the California Labor School during World War II. her mother encouraged her to pursue that position. -
Angelou got married and moved to New York with her son.
Angelou took modern dance classes in San Francisco then she moved with her family to New York because she wanted to learn African dance. She then returned a year later. -
Angelou toured Europe.
With the help of the production of the opera "Porgy and Bess". -
"Miss Calypso"
she recorded her first album. -
Angelou moved to New York again.
when she got there, she joined the Harlem Writers Guild. She also acted in Jeans Genet's Off- Broadway production, "The Blacks", and performed "Cabaret for Freedom." -
Angelou moved to Ghana.
She taught at the university of Ghana's school of Music and Drama. She also worked as a feature editor for the African Review and wrote for "The Ghanaian Times". -
Returned to America.
She returned to America to help Malcolm X build his organization of African American Unity. -
"Georgia, Georgia"
Angelou wrote the screenplay and composed the score. Her script was the first ever written by an African American woman to be filmed, and was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. -
"Roots"
Appeared in the television adaptation of Alex Haley's Roots. She was given a multitude of awards during this period, including more than thirty honorary degrees from colleges and universities from all over the world. -
Wake Forest University
Angelou joined the faculty at Wake Forest University as a Professor of American studies. -
Won Grammy.
Appeared in John Singleton's Poetic Justice. Won Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Or Non-Musical Album for "On the Pulse of Morning." -
Won another Grammy.
Won Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Or Non-Musical Album for "Phenomenal Woman." -
Collaboration with other R&B artists
She collaborated with R&B artists Ashford & Simpson on seven of the eleven tracks of their album Been Found. The album was responsible for three of Angelou's only Billboard chart appearances. -
Award..
Awarded the Presidential Medal of arts. -
Completed autobiography and won Grammy.
After more than 30 years, Angelou completed her sixth autobiography and won a Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album with "A Song Flung Up To Heaven." -
Supported Hillary Clinton then Barack Obama.
When Clinton's campaign ended, Angelou put her support behind Obama, who went on to win the presidential election and became the first African-American president of the United States. After Obama's inauguration, she stated, "We are growing up beyond the idiocies of racism and sexism." -
Medal Of Freedom.
Received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama at the White House. -
Published the seventh volume of autobiography.
At the age of 85, Angelou published the seventh volume of autobiography in her series, entitled Mom & Me & Mom, which focuses on her relationship with her mother. -
Died at the age of 86.
Angelou died and she was found by her nurse. Although Angelou had reportedly been in poor health and had canceled recent scheduled appearances, she was working on another book, an autobiography about her experiences with national and world leaders.