Writer and poet Maya Angelou is born Marguerite Annie Johnson in St. Louis, Missouri.
At a Glance
- Date
- 4 April 1928
- Location
- St. Louis, Missouri
- Key people
- Maya Angelou
- Category
- Arts & Literature
- Source
- I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1969) · Library of Congress
What It Meant Then
She would become one of the most widely read American memoirists and poets.
What It Means Now
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings remains a staple of American literature curricula.
Also on 4 April
Cite this page
- MLA
- “Maya Angelou Is Born.” Black-History.com, 30 Sept. 2026, https://black-history.com/on-this-day/maya-angelou-is-born/.
- APA
- Black-History.com Editors. (2026, September 30). Maya Angelou Is Born. Black-History.com. https://black-history.com/on-this-day/maya-angelou-is-born/
- Chicago
- Black-History.com Editors. “Maya Angelou Is Born.” Black-History.com. September 30, 2026. https://black-history.com/on-this-day/maya-angelou-is-born/.
Editorial Note
By the Black-History.com editors. Last reviewed 30 September 2026. To suggest a primary source or a correction, write to editors@black-history.com or use our corrections form.