Dr Maya Angelou lived a number of fascinatingly different lives — as a singer, storyteller, activist, poet and sex worker.
Today, to commemorate what would have been Angelou's 90th birthday, Google created a beautifully-animated Doodle. It's set to the soundtrack of one of her poems, I Rise, being read by some of the many people she inspired with her words including celebrities Alicia Keyes, Laverne Cox and Oprah Winfrey.
One of the most influential voices of our time, Angelou’s depictions of black lives, the human spirit and the strength of women in her work will forever be remembered and celebrated.
Here are five things you might not know about her:
1. SHE DRANK SHERRY WHILE SHE WROTE
Angelou had a very precise writing ritual. She would book a hotel room, strip the art from the walls and write 10-12 pages a day on a yellow legal pad with a bottle of sherry and a pack of cards for company. In the evening she would edit her work down to three to four pages, repeating this everyday until she was finished.