American poet Maya Angelou has died at 86, her home school of Wake Forest University said Wednesday.

Angelou’s most famous work is the best-selling I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, her 1969 autobiography detailing her upbringing during the tumultuous years prior to America’s civil rights movement. With her high-profile literature, she was able to work alongside historical figures including Malcolm X, Nelson Mandela and the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Angelou, a professor of American Studies for more than 30 years at Wake Forest, famously read a poem titled "On the Pulse of Morning," at President Bill Clinton's 1993 inauguration.

Watch the video on Breaking Celebrity News (Courtesy: William J. Clinton Presidential Library)