Maya Angelou Timeline

By laineyfouts

  • Birth of Maya Angelou

    Born by the name of Marguerite Annie Johnson

  • Sexually abused and raped

    Maya was sexually abused and raped by her mother's boyfriend, Mr. Freeman. Maya suffered the consequences which made her mute and she was sent back to live with her grandmother.

  • Drops out of school in her teens

    She dropped out of school in her teens to become San Francisco's first African American female cable car conductor

  • Takes the name "Maya Angelou"

    Took the name Maya Angelou and also began her career as a nightclub singer

  • Records an Album

    She recorded her first album, "Calypso Lady."

  • Moves to Cairo, Egypt

    She moved to Cairo, Egypt where she served as editor of the English language weekly, The Arab Observer.

  • Published "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings"

    Published "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings," also received the Chubb Fellowship from Yale University.

  • Nominated for a Pulitzer Prize

    She wrote the screenplay for "Georgia, Georgia" and composed the score. Her script was the first ever written by an African American woman to be filmed and she was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize.

  • Becomes First Professor of American Studies

    She became First Reynolds Professor of American Studies and was appointed at Wake Forest University

  • Wins a Grammy

    Her poem, Phenomenal Woman, won the Grammy for Best Spoken Word or Non-Musical Album

  • Wins Martin Luther King, Jr. Award

    She won the Martin Luther King, Jr. Legacy Association National Award.

  • Receives Medal of Freedom

    Received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama at the White House.

  • Death of Maya Angelou