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"&lt;img alt=\"Maya Angelou Dead\" src=\"http://ll-media.tmz.com/2014/05/28/0528-maya-angelou-3.jpg\" /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;img alt=\"update_graphic_red_bar\" src=\"http://ll-media.tmz.com/2013/11/20/update-graphic-red-bar.jpg\" /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;8:10 AM PT -- &lt;/strong&gt;Angelou's family just posted on her Facebook page, \"Dr. Maya Angelou passed quietly in her home before 8:00 a.m. EST. Her family is extremely grateful that her ascension was not belabored by a loss of acuity or comprehension. She lived a life as a teacher, activist, artist and human being. She was a warrior for equality, tolerance and peace. The family is extremely appreciative of the time we had with her and we know that she is looking down upon us with love.\"&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;9:50 AM PT -- President Obama &lt;/strong&gt;calls Angelou \"one of the brightest lights of our time\" ... in a statement he just released. He added, \"Michelle and I will always cherish the time we were privileged to spend with Maya.\"&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;img alt=\"update_grey_gray_bar\" src=\"http://ll-media.tmz.com/2013/11/20/update-grey-gray-bar.jpg\" /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Maya Angelou&lt;/strong&gt;&amp;#65279;&amp;#65279; -- one of America's most famous poets -- has died in Winston-Salem, North Carolina while recovering from a mystery sickness.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Angelou had been recovering from an \"unexpected ailment.\" We're told paramedics got a 911 call at 7:39 A.M. from someone reporting a death at her home. She died with family by her side.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;In a Facebook post yesterday, she said doctors had advised her not to travel ... forcing her to cancel a planned trip to Houston ... where Maya was&amp;#160;to be honored Friday with the Beacon of Life Award at Major League Baseball's Civil Rights Game.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The famed author has received more than 30 honorary degrees from universities around the world. She was honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Her most famous book -- &lt;strong&gt;\"I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings\"&lt;/strong&gt; -- was also her most controversial ... for its depiction of lesbians, premarital sex, and porn.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Oprah Winfrey&lt;/strong&gt; has called Angelou her mentor -- they met while Oprah was working in local news in Baltimore in the 80s.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;{{tmz_video_0}}&lt;br /&gt;Angelou famously spoke at &lt;strong&gt;Bill Clinton&lt;/strong&gt;'s 1993 Inauguration ... reciting her poem &lt;strong&gt;\"On the Pulse of Morning.\"&amp;#160;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;{{tmz_video_1}}&lt;br /&gt;Angelou was one of the most inspiring poets of our time -- most famously saying, \"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.\"&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a class=\"lightbox-link\" href=\"http://www.tmz.com/photos/2014/05/28/maya-angelou-photos-through-the-years/\"&gt;&lt;img alt=\"0528_maya_angelou_through_the_years_footer\" src=\"http://ll-media.tmz.com/2014/05/28/0528-maya-angelou-through-the-years-footer-3.jpg\" /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.tmz.com/2014/05/28/maya-angelou-dead-dies-poet-laureate/7/>