Eva Peron was born in Argentina in 1919 as the illegitimate daughter of a rancher who died when she was just a child. History remembers her as EVITA the First Lady of Argentina, wife of the caudillo and according to many Argentines, the spirit of their country.
Maria Eva Duarte de Peron was an actress, an activist and a politician before her death in 1952 at the age of 33 from cancer. She knew from her youngest years that she would be a film and music star. She was bold and strong in an age and in a country where women were more often expected to be seen than to be heard. She was a powerful force in the government of her husband, Juan Peron, and she won the hearts of millions of people in Argentina and around the world.
Stories tell of Evita knocking on every door in Buenos Aires to rouse hundred of thousands of people to protest in the streets for the release of her husband who had been arrested by rivals. The musical EVITA shows her as a legendary hero for the people of Argentina and Madonna portrayed her in the movie. People everywhere know the words to "Don't Cry For me Argentina".
Today, in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, we recognize the beloved former first lady of Argentina, EVITA, Eva Peron.
