28 moments

1. Birth in St. Louis

   1928-04-04 · St. Louis, Missouri, United States

   Marguerite Annie Johnson, later Maya Angelou, was born in St. Louis.

2. Sent to live with grandmother

   1931-01-01 · Stamps, Arkansas, United States

   As a small child, Angelou was sent by train with her brother to live with their paternal grandmother in Stamps. Year follows the stated age of three after her 1928 birth; no more precise date is supported.

3. Return to mother's care

   1935-01-01 · St. Louis, Missouri, United States

   Angelou and her brother returned from Stamps to their mother in St. Louis. Year follows the source's statement that this occurred four years after the 1931 move.

4. Return to Stamps and school

   1936-01-01 · Lafayette County Training School, Stamps, Arkansas, United States

   After the trauma she experienced in St. Louis, Angelou returned to her grandmother in Stamps and attended the local training school. Year follows her stated age of eight.

5. Move to Oakland

   1942-01-01 · Oakland, California, United States

   Angelou moved with her brother into their mother's home in Oakland during adolescence. Year follows her stated age of fourteen.

6. San Francisco streetcar conductor

   1944-01-01 · San Francisco, California, United States

   At sixteen, Angelou became San Francisco's first Black female streetcar conductor. Year follows her stated age of sixteen.

7. Porgy and Bess European tour

   1954-01-01 · Europe

   Angelou traveled through Europe as part of the touring production of Porgy and Bess. Europe-wide itinerary is supported, but the source does not identify individual tour stops; coordinates are a representative central-European point.

8. Purple Onion performer

   1954-01-01 · The Purple Onion, San Francisco, California, United States

   Following the end of her first marriage, Angelou performed professionally in San Francisco clubs, including the Purple Onion.

9. Move to New York for writing

   1959-01-01 · New York City, New York, United States

   At John Oliver Killens's urging, Angelou relocated to New York to focus on writing and joined the Harlem Writers Guild.

10. Fidel Castro visit at Hotel Theresa

    1960-09-19 · Hotel Theresa, Harlem, New York City, New York, United States

    Angelou was among the crowd greeting Fidel Castro when he entered Harlem's Hotel Theresa during the United Nations General Assembly.

11. Associate editor in Cairo

    1961-01-01 · Cairo, Egypt

    Angelou moved with her son and Vusumzi Make to Cairo, where she worked for the Arab Observer.

12. The Blacks at St. Mark's Playhouse

    1961-01-01 · St. Mark's Playhouse, New York City, New York, United States

    Angelou played the White Queen in the landmark New York production of Jean Genet's The Blacks. The source establishes the 1961 production and her cast role but does not date each individual performance.

13. Accra expatriate and university work

    1962-01-01 · University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana

    While living in Accra, Angelou became an administrator at the University of Ghana and worked across Ghanaian media and theater. The source supports residence from 1962 through 1965; the card date marks the beginning of that documented stay.

14. Move to Accra

    1962-01-01 · Accra, Ghana

    Angelou and her son relocated to Accra, initially for his college attendance; she remained there through his recovery and stayed until 1965.

15. Move back to Los Angeles

    1965-01-01 · Los Angeles, California, United States

    Angelou moved from Hawaii back to Los Angeles to concentrate on writing. The move is described within the article's 1965 chronology.

16. Return to the United States

    1965-01-01 · United States

    Angelou returned from Ghana to assist Malcolm X with the Organization of Afro-American Unity. The source identifies the country but not her initial U.S. arrival city; coordinates are a representative national point.

17. Singing career in Hawaii

    1965-01-01 · Hawaii, United States

    After Malcolm X's assassination, Angelou joined her brother in Hawaii and resumed singing. The source identifies Hawaii but not a specific island or venue; coordinates represent Honolulu on Oahu.

18. Witness to the Watts riots

    1965-01-01 · Watts, Los Angeles, California, United States

    While working as a market researcher in Watts, Angelou witnessed the summer 1965 riots.

19. Return to New York

    1967-01-01 · New York City, New York, United States

    Angelou returned to New York, where she renewed important literary and personal relationships while writing and acting.

20. First Wake Forest speaking engagement

    1973-01-01 · DeTamble Auditorium, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States

    Angelou's first documented Wake Forest visit was a speaking engagement in DeTamble Auditorium.

21. Marriage to Paul du Feu

    1973-01-01 · San Francisco, California, United States

    Angelou married Paul du Feu in San Francisco.

22. Reynolds Professor at Wake Forest

    1982-01-01 · Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States

    

    Angelou began her long tenure as Wake Forest University's Reynolds Professor of American Studies. The source supports service beginning in 1982 but does not provide an exact start date.

23. Directing at Almeida Theatre

    1988-01-01 · Almeida Theatre, London, England, United Kingdom

    Angelou directed a revival of Errol John's Moon on a Rainbow Shawl at London's Almeida Theatre.

24. Presidential inaugural recitation

    1993-01-20 · West Front, United States Capitol, Washington, D.C., United States

    

    Angelou recited "On the Pulse of Morning" at Bill Clinton's first presidential inauguration.

25. Clinton campaign event

    2008-01-01 · North Carolina, United States

    

    Angelou appeared with Hillary Clinton at a North Carolina event during the 2008 presidential campaign. The image caption supports Angelou's presence in North Carolina, but does not identify the city or venue; coordinates represent Raleigh.

26. Presidential Medal of Freedom

    2011-02-15 · East Room, White House, Washington, D.C., United States

    

    President Barack Obama presented Angelou with the Presidential Medal of Freedom at the White House.

27. Final Wake Forest public remarks

    2013-11-06 · Brendle Recital Hall, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States

    Angelou delivered opening remarks for Wake Forest's Dignity and Respect Campaign celebration in Brendle Recital Hall.

28. Death in Winston-Salem

    2014-05-28 · Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States

    Angelou died at age eighty-six in Winston-Salem, where she had long lived and taught at Wake Forest. Coordinates represent Winston-Salem city center; the source does not identify the exact residence.