Eva María Duarte de Perón (also known as Evita) (May 7, 1919 – July 26, 1952) was the second wife of Argentine President Juan Perón (1895–1974) and the First Lady of Argentina from 1946 until her death in 1952.
Though she was never an officially elected political figure, most scholars agree that she came to exercise more power and influence within the government than anyone but her own husband. This power derived from her leadership roles within the Pro-Peronist trade unions, the Eva Perón Foundation, and the Female Peronist Party. Evita was the most powerful woman in the history of her nation, and possibly one of the most powerful women on earth.
Today, Eva Perón is perhaps best known to the world as the subject of the Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice musical Evita, which was later adapted as a movie starring Madonna.