known as Evita orig. María Eva Duarte
born May 7, 1919, Los Toldos, Arg.
died July 26, 1952, Buenos Aires
Second wife of Argentine president Juan Perón and a powerful though unofficial political leader.
Born into poverty, she was an actress when she married Perón. She was instrumental in the success of his first presidential campaign and won the adulation of the masses. Evita acted as de facto minister of health and labour, awarding generous wage increases to workers. With "voluntary" contributions from businesses, labour unions, and the elite, she established thousands of hospitals, schools, and orphanages. After her death from cancer at age 33, her grief-stricken working-class followers sought to have her canonized.