Maya Angelou was an American poet, memoirist and civil rights activist, best known for her memoir I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. This Maya Angelou life biography for 2026 covers her childhood, her career, her books and her many awards. She was born Marguerite Johnson in St. Louis, Missouri, and died in 2014 at age 86.
Quick Overview of Maya Angelou
| Profile Attributes | Details |
|---|---|
| Full name | Maya Angelou (born Marguerite Johnson) |
| Born | April 4, 1928, St. Louis, Missouri |
| Died | May 28, 2014, in North Carolina, at age 86 |
| Age | Would have turned 98 in April 2026 |
| Profession | Poet, memoirist, actress, dancer, singer, playwright and teacher |
| Best known for | I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Still I Rise, On the Pulse of Morning |
| Education | George Washington High School, San Francisco; later studied dance and drama on a scholarship at the California Labor School |
| Spouse | Tosh Angelos (married 1950, per the Poetry Foundation) |
| Child | One son, Guy |
| Teaching | Reynolds Professor of American Studies at Wake Forest University from 1982 |
| Top honors | National Medal of Arts (2000), Presidential Medal of Freedom (2010 recipient) |
| Nominations | Pulitzer Prize (1972), Emmy (1977), National Book Award (for her first memoir) |
| Honorary degrees | More than 50 |
| Official website | mayaangelou.com |
Maya Angelou Age and Basic Facts
Any Maya Angelou life biography starts with the dates. She was born on April 4, 1928, in St. Louis, Missouri, and died on May 28, 2014, at age 86, according to the Academy of American Poets. Had she lived, her age in 2026 would be 98. Readers who search for a Maya Angelou biography usually want these basics first.
Maya Angelou Early Life and Childhood
The Maya Angelou life biography moves quickly between places. The Poetry Foundation says she lived in Long Beach, St. Louis and Stamps, Arkansas, with her brother and her grandmother. Her Maya Angelou childhood included serious trauma, and she stopped speaking for about five years. A woman named Mrs. Flowers encouraged her to speak again and introduced her to poetry. She graduated at the top of her eighth grade class.
Education, Family, Husband and Son
Maya Angelou education included George Washington High School in San Francisco, where she graduated at about age seventeen. She later took dance and drama lessons on a scholarship at the California Labor School, per the Poetry Foundation. On the Maya Angelou son question, the Poetry Foundation says her son, Guy, was born around the time she finished high school. The same source says she married Tosh Angelos in 1950, so that is the Maya Angelou husband it confirms. In the late 1950s she joined the Harlem Writers Guild in New York.
Maya Angelou Career in Stage and Screen
A full Maya Angelou life biography has to show how many careers she had. Her early jobs included streetcar conductor, cook and nightclub singer, and she toured with Porgy and Bess from 1954 to 1955. Later she worked as an actress, dancer, composer and playwright. The Poetry Foundation says her screenplay Georgia, Georgia was produced in 1972, and she earned an Emmy nomination for Roots in 1977. Her Maya Angelou career also included writing the poetry for the film Poetic Justice in 1993.
Maya Angelou Civil Rights Work and Years Abroad
This part of the Maya Angelou life biography shows her activism. At Martin Luther King Jr.’s request, she became northern coordinator of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in 1959, according to the Academy of American Poets. She then lived in Egypt and Ghana. She worked as associate editor of The Arab Observer in Cairo from 1961 to 1962 and as feature editor of the African Review in Accra from 1964 to 1966. Her Maya Angelou civil rights work earned her appointments to commissions under Presidents Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter.
Teaching at Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University says she joined its faculty in 1982 as its first Reynolds Professor of American Studies. The Academy of American Poets describes it as a lifetime appointment. No Maya Angelou life biography is complete without this teaching role, which she had held for about 29 years by the time of her 2011 White House ceremony.
Maya Angelou Books and I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings came out in 1969 and was the first of six autobiographies, per the Poetry Foundation. It was nominated for a National Book Award. Her books sit at the center of any Maya Angelou life biography. The later memoirs are Gather Together in My Name (1974), Singin’ and Swingin’ and Gettin’ Merry like Christmas (1976), The Heart of a Woman (1981), All God’s Children Need Traveling Shoes (1986) and A Song Flung Up to Heaven (2002). Among Maya Angelou books, Letter to My Daughter (2008) and Mom & Me & Mom (2013) are also widely listed. Her official site says schools banned her first memoir in many places because it discussed childhood sexual abuse.
Maya Angelou Poems and On the Pulse of Morning
The best known Maya Angelou poems include “Still I Rise,” “Phenomenal Woman” and “Caged Bird.” Her collection Just Give Me a Cool Drink of Water ‘fore I Diiie appeared in 1971, and The Complete Collected Poems of Maya Angelou followed in 1994. She also wrote and read “On the Pulse of Morning” at President Bill Clinton’s inauguration in 1993. This Maya Angelou life biography would be incomplete without it, since it brought her poetry to a huge audience.
Maya Angelou Awards and Honors
The Academy of American Poets lists her Pulitzer Prize nomination for Just Give Me a Cool Drink of Water ‘fore I Diiie and the National Medal of Arts in 2000. She was named a 2010 recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Wake Forest University reports that President Barack Obama presented the medal on February 15, 2011. The Poetry Foundation adds the 2013 Literarian Award and more than 50 honorary degrees. Her Maya Angelou awards span literature, theater and public service. Together they anchor the Maya Angelou life biography.
Maya Angelou Death and Legacy
She died on May 28, 2014, at age 86. Her Maya Angelou death closed a career that covered poetry, stage, film and teaching. The Maya Angelou legacy lives on in classrooms, where her memoir became a course text at colleges around the world, according to her official site. Her poems are still widely read, and many of her books remain in print.
Maya Angelou Social Media Presence
Readers can follow her legacy and browse her film and television credits on these pages.
| Platform | Link |
|---|---|
| @drmayaangelou | |
| Maya Angelou on Facebook | |
| IMDb | Maya Angelou on IMDb |
Final Thoughts
This Maya Angelou life biography shows a writer who turned hardship into art and public service. From a childhood spent in silence to a White House medal, her story stays relevant for new readers in 2026. For readers who want more, her memoirs and poems tell the story in her own voice. Check the official site for updates and reading lists.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Maya Angelou life biography?
It is the story of Maya Angelou, born Marguerite Johnson, a poet, memoirist, actress and civil rights activist who lived from 1928 to 2014.
Where can I read more about the Maya Angelou life biography?
Her official site, the Poetry Foundation and the Academy of American Poets each publish biographies. Her memoirs tell the story in her own words.
When and where was Maya Angelou born?
She was born on April 4, 1928, in St. Louis, Missouri, according to the Academy of American Poets.
How old was Maya Angelou when she died?
She was 86 when she died on May 28, 2014.
What is Maya Angelou best known for?
She is best known for her memoir I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings and poems such as “Still I Rise.”
Who was Maya Angelou’s husband?
The Poetry Foundation names Tosh Angelos, whom she married in 1950. Sources differ on other relationships, so verify before adding more.
Did Maya Angelou have a son?
Yes. The Poetry Foundation says she had a son named Guy.
What awards did Maya Angelou win?
She received the National Medal of Arts in 2000 and was a 2010 recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Was Maya Angelou involved in the civil rights movement?
Yes. She served as northern coordinator of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in 1959 at Martin Luther King Jr.’s request.
