President Corazon Aquino, more popularly known as ,Cory Aquino, was born on January 25, 1933 in Paniqui, Tarlac in the Philippines. She was a member of one of the richest families in the Philippines and the fourth of six children in the family.

Aquino was sent to St. Scholastica’s College for her schooling and emerged as valedictorian in 1943. She attended high school for one year in 1946 before being sent overseas to Philadelphia to study. She later moved to New York to study at the Notre Dame Convent School and the College of Mount Saint Vincent.

By 1984 Aquino was volunteering in the presidential campaign of Thomas Dewey, who eventually lost to Harry Truman. During this time she studied liberal arts, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts with a major in French and a minor in mathematics in 1953. She’d planned on becoming a teacher and interpreter.

Life had other plans, however, and soon enough Aquino returned to the Philippines and studied law at Far Eastern University. She gave up her studies in 1954, however, when she married Benigno Servillano Aquino, Jr. (she’d previously been Marioa Corazon Sumulong Cojuangco). Together they had five children, one son and five four daughters. Aquino had difficulties adjusting to the provincial lifestyle when they moved as a couple to Concepcion, Tarlac a year after marriage, where husband Benigno was elected the town’s mayor. Aquino found Consepcion boring compared to the places she’d been.

During her husband’s rise in prominence, first to governor of Tarlac and then to a member of the Philippine Senate, Aquino played the dutiful housewife who took care of and raised the children and entertained guests of her husband. But though she would not join her husband during rallies on-stage Aquino nevertheless provided a great deal of assistance to Benigno in the form of advice, advice he took seriously and often followed.

Soon enough Benigno emerged as the spearhead of a party critical of then-president Fredinand Marcos. However Marcos evaded the length of his presidential term by abolishing the constitution and declaring martial law in 1972. Benigno soon found himself arrested.

Benigno struck back from prison, however, running for the 1978 Batasang Pambansa elections. Aquino and her child, Kris, spoke on his behalf in public, however Aquino remained in jail. He didn’t leave until, at the behest of Jimmy Carter, his family was allowed to enter exile in the United States in 1980. They settled in Boston and remained there for three years – until Benigno returned to the Philippines in 1983, and was assassinated at the airport. Aquino returned shortly after to participate in the funeral.

Aquino then began participating in protests following the assassination, and when Marcos announced an election for 1986 Aquino was touted by many as the prime candidate. Despite initial reluctance Aquino agreed; what followed however was a long series of denouncements by Marcos, who attacked Aquino as ‘just a woman’. Marcos won on election day, though his win, considered rigged by many, was denounced by thousands of protestors. He was forced out of office by a sudden revolution and Aquino was installed as the president.

Aquino’s presidency proved relatively fruitful and peaceful, despite several military insurrections by Marcos’ supporters aimed at overthrowing her. And despite her popularity Aqunio opted not to run again, instead backing one of her greatest proponents for the seat of president.

Since then Aquino has all but retired from public life, aside from a brief period in 2004 when she actively campaigned for the appointment of her son Benigno to the Philippines senate. He was successful.

Unfortunately Aquino was recently diagnosed with colon cancer, though according to some remarks by the former president her body is responding well to treatments.