Eva Perón (1919-1952)

Evita Perón was born the 7th of May of 1919. She was the wife of the Argentine president Juan Perón, and first lady of Argentina from 1946 until her death the 26th of July 1952. She is usually referred to as Eva Perón or Evita.

She was born in poverty in the rural village of Los Toldos, in the Pampas, as the youngest of five children. The 15th of 1934 she moved to Buenos Aires to pursue a career as a stage, radio, and film actress. There, she met Juan Perón, a politician, during a charity event. The two were married the following year.

Juan Perón was elected president of Argentina in 1946. Eva became very powerful; she founded and ran the charitable Eva Perón Foundation.

In 1951, Eva Perón announced her candidacy for the Peronist nomination for the office of Vice President of Argentina, receiving great support from the Peronist political base. However, opposition from the nation’s military and bourgeoisie, coupled with her declining health, ultimately forced her to withdraw her candidacy.  

In 1952, shortly before her death, she was given the tittle of Spiritual Leader of the Nation by the Argentine Congress. She was given a state funeral upon her death, generally reserved for heads of state.