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Imelda MarcosFilipino political and social activist
Date of Birth: 02.07.1929
Country: ![]() |
Biography of Imelda Marcos
Imelda Romualdez Visitation Trinidad Marcos was born on July 2, 1929, in Manila. She came from a wealthy land-owning family. After her mother's death in 1938, the family moved to Tacloban, where Imelda won a beauty pageant and became known as the "Rose of Tacloban." Upon returning to Manila in 1950, Imelda began taking vocal lessons and placed second in the "Miss Manila" contest, eventually winning the title of "Miss Philippines."

On May 1, 1954, Imelda married Ferdinand Marcos, a congressman from the Nationalist Party, after just eleven days of courtship. The couple had three children and also took in a girl named Imee. In December 1965, Ferdinand was elected as the 10th president of the Philippines, and Imelda became the First Lady.

In July 1966, she had a confrontation with the Beatles after they unintentionally offended her by not attending a breakfast invitation at Malacañang Palace. In an attempt to hold onto power, her husband declared martial law on September 23, 1972. Once Ferdinand's position was solidified, Imelda spent millions of dollars from the state treasury to promote and glorify her husband. In the 1980s, she became one of the largest real estate buyers in Manhattan. Imelda acquired art collections, went on million-dollar shopping tours in Copenhagen, New York, and Rome, and organized luxurious receptions.

Despite her extravagant lifestyle in a poverty-stricken country, Imelda remained adored by millions of Filipinos. When Ferdinand fell ill with lupus erythematosus in the 1980s, Imelda essentially took charge of the Philippines. In 1986, there were snap elections, and Ferdinand's victory led to massive protests. The unconstitutional overthrow resulted in Imelda and her family fleeing to Hawaii via Guam on February 25. Reports indicate that 15 fur coats, 508 dresses, 1000 handbags, and 1060 pairs (or possibly 7500 pairs) of shoes belonging to Imelda were found in Malacañang Palace.
Imelda was allowed to return to the Philippines in November 1991, but she was immediately arrested on charges of corruption and tax evasion. She was released on bail for $6400. In 1992, Imelda ran for president and placed fifth out of seven candidates. She claimed that her wealth was nothing more than the "Yamashita's stolen gold." In September 1993, Imelda was found guilty of corruption and sentenced to 18-24 years in prison. She was released on bail and appealed the decision, leading to a lengthy legal battle.
In 1995, Imelda was elected to Congress and became a member of the House of Representatives representing Leyte. In December 2000, she suffered a stroke but managed to recover. In 2010, Marcos once again entered the House of Representatives, this time representing Ilocos Norte. In 2012, she declared her personal wealth to be $22 million. In 2013, she was reelected to the House of Representatives.
Imelda coined her own term for her flamboyant extravagance - "Imeldific." She stated, "I was born with the desire to show off. Someday my name will be in the dictionary. People will use the word 'Imeldific' when they mean ostentatiousness."