Born in Prague in 1937, Madeleine Korbel Albright fled to the U.S. with her family after World War II. Her early life was marked by tragedy—three grandparents lost in concentration camps—and resilience. Her father, a diplomat, encouraged intellectual curiosity and bold thinking.

“We only talked about foreign policy at our house,” she said. That passion would guide her to become the first woman U.S. Secretary of State in 1997, nominated by President Bill Clinton and confirmed unanimously.

Albright was a force of intelligence and wit. “When I work, I really work. I rub my eyes and my makeup comes off, and I stick pencils in my hair,” she laughed.

A champion of democracy, diplomacy, and equality, her legacy is both global and deeply human. Her eloquence, toughness, and commitment to peace live on in the voices of women who lead today.