Madeleine Albright.

Marie Jana Körbelová

Madeleine Albright — Academic

Born 15 May 1937 Prague, Czech Republic

Died 23 Mar 2022 Washington, United States

Citizenship Czech Republic

Would Be 89 yr If Living

11 min read

Reading time

2,099

Words

Mar 20, 2026

Published

28

Film credits

12

Books

27

Awards

TL;DR

Madeleine Albright became the first female U.S. Secretary of State when President Bill Clinton appointed her in 1997. A Czech-born refugee, she fled Prague with her family in 1948 and became a U.S. citizen in 1957. She appeared as herself on television series such as Gilmore Girls and Madam Secretary. Albright died of cancer in Washington, D.C., in 2022 at age 84.

Identity & family.

KIN · 6

Names, aliases, and relatives of Madeleine Albright — birth name, kin, and personal ties.

Birth Name Marie Jana Körbelová

Nicknames Madlenka, Madeleine

Aliases Dr. Madeleine Albright, Sec'y. Madeleine Albright, Sec. Madeleine Albright, Secretary Madeleine Albright, Madeleine Albrightová

PARENTS: Anna Spiegelová Josef Korbel
SPOUSES: Joseph Medill Patterson Albright
CHILDREN: Alice Albright Anne Korbel Albright Katie Albright

At a glance.

STATS

Madeleine Albright by the numbers — life, work, and family.

84 Years lived

28 Film credits

12 Books

27 Awards

1 Marriage

3 Children

Who was Madeleine Albright?

BIOGRAPHY

Madeleine Albright — early life, career, personal life, and legacy.

Early life

Josef Korbel, a Czechoslovak diplomat, and his wife Anna Spiegelová welcomed their daughter Marie Jana on May 15, 1937, in Prague. The family converted from Judaism to Catholicism to escape the Holocaust. After the communist takeover in 1948, the Korbels fled Czechoslovakia for the United States, settling in Denver, Colorado. Albright attended Kent Denver School, graduating in 1955, and enrolled at Wellesley College on a full scholarship, earning her bachelor’s degree in 1959. She later earned a PhD from Columbia University in 1975, with a dissertation on the Prague Spring of 1968.

Career

Albright began her political career as a staff member on the National Security Council under President Jimmy Carter. She served as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations from 1993 to 1997. In 1997, President Bill Clinton appointed her the 64th U.S. Secretary of State, making her the first woman to hold that position. During her tenure, she brokered peace talks and advocated for NATO expansion. After leaving office in 2001, she appeared as herself on television shows including Gilmore Girls 2000, Parks and Recreation 2009, and Madam Secretary 2014. She also wrote several books and remained an informal adviser to Democratic presidents.

Personal life

Albright married Joseph Medill Patterson Albright, a journalist and heir to the Marshall Field fortune, in 1959. They had three daughters: twins Alice and Anne born in June 1961, and Katherine. Another daughter died shortly after birth. The marriage ended in divorce in 1982. Albright converted from Catholicism to the Episcopal Church before marriage. She was a polyglot, speaking English, Czech, French, German, Polish, Russian, and Serbo-Croatian. Her signature collection of brooches became a diplomatic tool, with different pins conveying messages; a museum exhibition of her pins opened in 2009.

Legacy

Madeleine Albright shattered the glass ceiling as the first female U.S. Secretary of State, serving from 1997 to 2001. President Barack Obama awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2012. Her brooch collection, a unique diplomatic language, was exhibited at the Museum of Arts and Design in 2009 and later donated to the United States Diplomacy Center. Albright advised every Democratic president from Jimmy Carter to Joe Biden and occasionally consulted Republican President George W. Bush. She is remembered for breaking barriers for women in diplomacy and advocating for democracy.

Filmography.

FILMS · 28

Browse the complete filmography of Madeleine Albright — every film, TV show, and documentary credit, ranked by popularity.

TV

The Daily Show

1996
TV

Gilmore Girls

2000
TV

Real Time with Bill Maher

2003
TV

Madam Secretary

2014
TV

Morgenmagazin

1992
TV

Intimate Portrait

1993
TV

Maybrit Illner

1999
TV

History 101

2020
TV

Today

1952
TV

Iconoclasts

2005
TV

CNN Special Report

1980
TV

The Nineties

2017
TV

Tanner on Tanner

2004
TV

How to Become a Tyrant

2021

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Awards & honors.

AWARDS · 27

Every award, honor, and recognition received by Madeleine Albright — Grammys, hall-of-fame inductions, civic honors, lifetime achievements.

Grand cross of the Order of the White Lion
Anna Lindh Memorial Fund
Freedom Award
Democracy Service Medal
National Women's Hall of Fame
Library of Congress Living Legend
Colorado Women's Hall of Fame
Presidential Medal of Freedom
Theodore Roosevelt Award
Elizabeth Blackwell Award
Grand Order of Queen Jelena
honorary doctorate from Brown University
Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Great Gold Medal of Masaryk University
Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana, 1st Class
Grand Cross of the Order of the White Rose of Finland
Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland
honorary doctorate
honorary doctor of Brandeis University
Honorary doctor of the University of Gdańsk
Commander with Star of the Order of Merit of Hungary
honorary doctor of the University of Miami
Silver Medal of the President of the Senate
Great Immigrants Award
Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun
Margaret Brent Award
Medal for Distinguished Contribution to Diplomacy

Bibliography.

BOOKS · 12

Madeleine Albright's bibliography — every authored, edited, and co-written book, ranked by edition count.

Amazon

The Mighty and the Almighty

by Madeleine Korbel Albright
Amazon

Fascism

by Madeleine Korbel Albright
Amazon

Memo to the President Elect

by Madeleine Korbel Albright
Amazon

Madam Secretary

by Madeleine Korbel Albright
Amazon

Prague Winter

by Madeleine Korbel Albright
Amazon

Hell and Other Destinations

by Madeleine Korbel Albright
Amazon

Read My Pins

by Madeleine Korbel Albright

Could not load more books.

Notable quotes.

QUOTES · 3

A wall of memorable lines from Madeleine Albright — lyrics, interviews, and off-the-cuff remarks captured over a lifetime.

I Have Spent a Lifetime Looking for Remedies to All Manner of Life’s Problems Personal, Social, Political, Global. I Am Deeply Suspicious of Those Who Offer Simple Solutions and Statements of Absolute Certainty or Who Claim Full Possession of the Truth. yet I Have Grown Equally Skeptical of Those Who Suggest That All Is Too Nuanced and Complex for Us to Learn Any Lessons, That There Are so Many Sides to Everything That We Can Pursue Knowledge Every Day of Our Lives and Still Know Nothing for Sure. I Believe We Can Recognize Truth When We See It, Just Not at First and Not Without Ever Relenting in Our Efforts to Learn More. This Is Because the Goal We Seek, and the Good We Hope For, Comes as Not as Some Final Reward but as the Hidden Companion to Our Quest. It Is Not What We Find, but the Reason That We Cannot Stop Looking and Striving, That Tells Us Why We Are Here.
There’s a Special Place in Hell for Women Who Don’t Help Each Other.
The Question, ‘How Did You Do It All?’ May Be the Biggest Compliment a Mother Can Get from Her Adult Children.

Did you know?

FACTS · 22

Little-known facts about Madeleine Albright — origins, oddities, and behind-the-scenes details from a public life.

U.S. Secretary of State from January 23, 1997 to January 20, 2001.
Madeleine’s parents were Jews who converted to Catholicism to escape the Holocaust. She was not informed of her Jewish heritage until age 59. She had converted to the Episcopal Church before marrying Joseph Albright in 1959.
Her daughters, twins Alice and Anne, were born in June 1961. She then gave birth to another daughter who died soon after, and later had daughter Katherine.
Her parents named her Marie Jana; the nickname Madlenka became Madeleine.
Albright served as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations from 1993-1997, then as the 64th Secretary of State, the first woman in that role. She was also a university professor and served on the National Security Council under President Jimmy Carter.
President Barack Obama awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom on May 29, 2012.
Tied with Henry Kissinger as the highest-ranked foreign-born U.S. cabinet member.
Former daughter-in-law of Ivan Le Lorraine Albright.
She wore brooches to communicate diplomatic messages. A museum exhibition of her pins premiered at the Museum of Arts and Design on September 30, 2009, and later toured 22 museums. She donated the collection to the United States Diplomacy Center in 2017.
Beginning with President Jimmy Carter, she advised every Democratic U.S. president, served on the National Security Council under Carter, as UN Ambassador and Secretary of State under Clinton, and informally advised Obama and Biden. She also occasionally advised Republican President George W. Bush.
Served on the board of directors of the Council on Foreign Relations.
Awarded honorary degrees from Brandeis University 1996, University of Washington 2002, Smith College 2003, Washington University in St. Louis 2003, University of Winnipeg 2005, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 2007, Knox College 2008, Dickinson College 2014, and Tufts University 2015.
In 1948, Albright immigrated with her family from Czechoslovakia to the United States, settling in Denver, Colorado.
After retiring as Secretary of State in 2001, she received the U.S. Senator H. John Heinz III Award for Greatest Public Service.
She was a polyglot, speaking English, Russian, Czech, French, German, Polish, and Serbo-Croatian.
In 1975, she earned a PhD from Columbia University, writing on the Prague Spring of 1968.
Graduated from Kent Denver School in 1955.
Became a U.S. citizen in 1957.
Attended Wellesley College on a full scholarship, graduating in 1959.
In 2021, Forbes selected her for the Forbes 50 Over 50 list.
Passed away five months after Colin Powell, who also served as Secretary of State; they were born one month apart in 1937. Albright spoke at Powell’s funeral.
Jazz musician Herbie Hancock performed Maiden Voyage at her funeral.

You wanted to know.

FAQ · 35

Quick answers to the questions readers ask most about Madeleine Albright.

When was Madeleine Albright born?

Madeleine Albright was born on May 15, 1937. Her birth name was Marie Jana Körbelová.
Where was Madeleine Albright born?

She was born in Prague, Czechoslovakia, which is now the Czech Republic. Her family fled the communist takeover in 1948.
When did Madeleine Albright die?

Madeleine Albright died on March 23, 2022. She was 84 years old at the time of her death.
How did Madeleine Albright die?

She died of cancer at her home in Washington, D.C. Her death was confirmed by her family.
Where did Madeleine Albright die?

She died in Washington, District of Columbia, USA. She had lived there for many years.
How old was Madeleine Albright when she died?

She was 84 years old. She was born in 1937 and died in 2022.
What was Madeleine Albright's real name?

Her birth name was Marie Jana Körbelová. The nickname Madlenka led to the Anglicized name Madeleine.
What was Madeleine Albright's height?

Madeleine Albright was 4 feet 10 inches tall, or 1.47 meters. She was often noted for her petite stature.
What did Madeleine Albright do for a living?

She was a diplomat and politician who served as U.S. Secretary of State. She also acted in television shows such as Gilmore Girls and Parks and Recreation.
What nationality was Madeleine Albright?

She was born in Czechoslovakia and became a U.S. citizen in 1957. She held citizenship in both countries.
Who were Madeleine Albright's parents?

Her father was Josef Korbel, a Czechoslovak diplomat, and her mother was Anna Spiegelová. They were Jews who converted to Catholicism.
Who was Madeleine Albright married to?

She was married to Joseph Medill Patterson Albright, a journalist, from 1959 until their divorce in 1982.
Did Madeleine Albright have children?

Yes, she had four children: twins Alice and Anne born 1961, a daughter who died soon after birth, and daughter Katherine.
Where did Madeleine Albright go to school?

She attended Kent Denver School, Wellesley College BA, Columbia University PhD, and also studied at Johns Hopkins University and the School of Advanced International Studies.
What awards did Madeleine Albright win?

She received many honors, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom 2012, the National Women’s Hall of Fame, and honorary degrees from numerous universities.
What is Madeleine Albright best known for?

She is best known as the first female U.S. Secretary of State. She also appeared on TV shows like Gilmore Girls and was known for her brooch collection.
Why was Madeleine Albright’s nickname Madlenka?

Madlenka is a Czech diminutive of Marie Jana, her birth name. It was later anglicized to Madeleine when her family immigrated to the United States.
What aliases did Madeleine Albright use?

She was often called Dr. Madeleine Albright, Secretary Madeleine Albright, and in Czech contexts, Madeleine Albrightová.
How many awards did Madeleine Albright receive?

She received 27 major awards, including the Grand Cross of the Order of the White Lion and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
What was Madeleine Albright's role in the United Nations?

She served as the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations from 1993 to 1997, before becoming Secretary of State.
When did Madeleine Albright become Secretary of State?

She was sworn in as the 64th U.S. Secretary of State on January 23, 1997, and served until January 20, 2001.
Did Madeleine Albright serve under multiple presidents?

Yes, she served on the National Security Council under Jimmy Carter, as UN Ambassador and Secretary of State under Bill Clinton, and informally advised Barack Obama and Joe Biden.
What was Madeleine Albright’s brooch collection?

She used brooches to send diplomatic messages, with different pins for different occasions. A collection of over 200 pins toured museums and was donated to the U.S. Diplomacy Center.
Did Madeleine Albright write any books?

Yes, she wrote several books, including Madam Secretary and Fascism: A Warning. She was also a professor and author.
What languages did Madeleine Albright speak?

She was a polyglot who spoke English, Czech, French, German, Polish, Russian, and Serbo-Croatian.
What was Madeleine Albright’s PhD about?

She earned a PhD from Columbia University in 1975 with a dissertation on the Prague Spring of 1968.
How did Madeleine Albright’s family escape the Holocaust?

Her parents converted from Judaism to Catholicism and fled Czechoslovakia in 1948 after the communist takeover, eventually settling in Denver, Colorado.
What was Madeleine Albright’s connection to Colin Powell?

Both served as Secretary of State, and she spoke at his funeral. They were born one month apart in 1937 and died five months apart.
What song was performed at Madeleine Albright’s funeral?

Jazz musician Herbie Hancock performed his piece Maiden Voyage at her funeral.
Was Madeleine Albright on any TV shows?

Yes, she appeared as herself on Gilmore Girls, Parks and Recreation, Madam Secretary, The Daily Show, and Real Time with Bill Maher.
Did Madeleine Albright have any honorary degrees?

She received honorary degrees from Brandeis University 1996, University of Washington 2002, Smith College 2003, and many others.
What is the Madeleine Albright collection at the U.S. Diplomacy Center?

In 2017, she donated her collection of diplomatic brooches to the U.S. Diplomacy Center for permanent exhibition.
Did Madeleine Albright advise Republican presidents?

Yes, she informally advised President George W. Bush on foreign policy issues on several occasions.
What was Madeleine Albright’s relation to Ivan Le Lorraine Albright?

She was the former daughter-in-law of the painter Ivan Le Lorraine Albright, as her husband Joseph was his son.
How did Madeleine Albright learn about her Jewish heritage?

She was raised Catholic and only learned of her Jewish ancestry at age 59, when a reporter discovered it.

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Audited & updated by

Emma has 8 years of editorial experience and a very clear idea of what a good biography looks like. At Famousy, she runs the editorial operation and decides what meets the bar and what doesn't. She's the kind of editor who remembers the profiles she pushed back on more clearly than the ones she approved. That's not a complaint. That's exactly why the site reads the way it does.

Published on March 20, 2026

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