Madeleine Albright

She has authored the books, 'Madam Secretary', 'The Mighty and the Almighty: Reflections on America, God, and World Affairs', 'Memo to the President Elect: How We Can Restore America's Reputation and Leadership' and 'Prague Winter: A Personal Story of Remembrance and War'.

Her hate speech against Serbs created a major controversy. She also got into an art ownership scandal.

She was born as Marie Jana Korbelova in Prague, Czechoslovakia to a Czech Jewish diplomat, Josef Korbel, and his wife Anna. After the Nazi invasion, her family fled the country.

Her family later came to Colorado, where her father became a professor at the University of Denver. He taught Condoleezza Rice, who was one of his most loved students.

She won a scholarship to the Wellesley College in Massachusetts, where she edited a newspaper and also developed an interest towards politics. She went on to pursue her graduate studies.

She later obtained a certificate in Russian studies from Columbia University. She subsequently went on to earn an M.A and complete her Ph.D on 'the role of journalists in the Prague Spring of 1968'.

In 1972, she began her political career after she assisted Democratic presidential candidate, Senator Edmund Muskie. He later appointed her as his chief legislative assistant.

After a few years, she was employed by Zbigniew Brzezinski, a former professor, who appointed her to work in the National Security Council during the time of President Jimmy Carter.

In 1980, after Jimmy Carter lost to Ronald Reagan, she took up a research project at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.

In 1982, she joined the academic department of Georgetown University, where she specialised in Eastern European studies. She was also appointed as the director of the 'women in global politics' program.

In 1984, she was appointed as one of the major Democratic Party foreign policy advisors to Vice-Presidential candidate Geraldine Ferraro. The campaign resulted in a defeat. She later advised Presidential candidate Michael Dukakis.

She became the second recipient of the Hanno R. Ellenbogen Citizenship Award, conferred by the Prague Society for International Cooperation.

In 2001, she became an elected Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

In 2006, she received the Menschen in Europa Award for 'furthering the cause of international understanding'.

In 2012, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama.