Eva Perón

Who is Eva Perón?

María Eva Duarte de Perón, universally known as 'Evita,' was born in Los Toldos, Buenos Aires Province, on 7 May 1919 and died in Buenos Aires on 26 July 1952. She began her career as a radio and film actress in Buenos Aires before marrying Colonel Juan Domingo Perón, who became president of Argentina in 1946. As First Lady she became an extraordinarily powerful political figure, championing the rights of workers and the poor, whom she called the 'descamisados.' She was instrumental in securing women's suffrage in Argentina in 1947 and founded the Eva Perón Foundation, which financed hospitals, schools and housing. Adored by her supporters and resented by opponents, she embodied the emotional core of the Peronist movement. She died of cancer at the age of 33, prompting an unprecedented outpouring of national grief. Her life inspired the musical 'Evita' and she remains one of Latin America's most iconic figures.

Sources: Eva Perón, 'La razón de mi vida' (1951) · Nicholas Fraser & Marysa Navarro, 'Evita: The Real Life of Eva Perón' (1996)