Better known (particularly to west end show and Madonna fans) as Evita.
A poor girl from rural Argentina who rose through the ranks (mainly by sleeping with influential people) to become the wife of Peron, the soon-to-be President of Argentina (bit too right-wing for modern tastes).
In her defence, she devoted herself to social issues and set up a government office (that she ran every day) to help needy people.
Died in her early 30's of Cancer (1952 I believe). Much revered throughout Argentina to this day even though subsequent political upheavals have shown her husband's periods in charge as being not in the country's best interests. But, then, what Argentine presidents have been??
Difficult to put into a few sentences but I would recommend the book Eva Peron by Alicia Ortiz as being the most impartial.