Eva Perón

María Eva "Evita" Duarte de Perón (7 May 1919 – 26 July 1952) was the wife of President Juan Perón, and First Lady of Argentina from 1946 until her death in 1952.

Rising from rural poverty to pursue a career as an actress in Buenos Aires, she met Labor Secretary Perón on 22 January 1944 during an earthquake relief charity event. The two were married the following year. During Perón's presidency, Evita became powerful within the pro-Peronist trade unions, primarily for speaking on behalf of labor rights and women's rights. Her 1951 candidacy for Vice President received popular support, 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 from cancer, Eva Perón was given the title of "Spiritual Leader of the Nation" by the Argentine Congress. She was given a state funeral upon her death, a prerogative generally reserved for heads of state.

Eva Perón has remained an integral part of international popular culture, most famously as the subject of Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical play Evita (1976).

Eva Perón in "The Great White Way"
Virtual reality representations of Evita Perón and her husband Juan were among the ranks of Brent Birley's Webberite army during the battle against Trina Hutchinson's Sondheim characters. Their participation in the fight was brief, as they were swiftly gunned down by Lee Harvey Oswald.