Photo: Willem van de Poll, CC BY-SA 4.0

Golda Meir

1898 – 1978 · died at about 80^[1][2]

Politics & Leadership

Fun Facts About Golda Meir

• Golda Meir once traveled to Amman in secret, disguised as an Arab woman, to meet King Abdullah I of Jordan. He told her he would be forced to invade.^[1]
• In 1948 the Jewish Agency's treasurer expected American Jews to give $7 to $8 million. Meir raised over $30 million, and Ben-Gurion called her the woman "who got the money which made the state possible."^[1]
• Meir was issued the first Israeli passport, for a fundraising tour on which she raised around $50 million.^[1]
• As a schoolgirl in Milwaukee, Meir organized a fundraiser in 1908 to pay for her classmates' textbooks. Her old grade school is now named the Golda Meir School.^[1]
• Meir was born Golda Mabovitch. In 1956 she changed her surname from Meyerson to Meir, meaning "illuminate," because all foreign service members had to take a Hebrew surname.^[1]
• Though born in Kiev, Meir spoke no Russian. As Israel's envoy in Moscow, she was mobbed by thousands of Russian Jews chanting "Nasha Golda" ("Our Golda").^[1]
• Golda Meir was alive at the same time as Shakira — their lives overlapped for 1 year (1977–1978).^[1][2][3][4]
• Golda Meir shares a birthday with Niccolò Machiavelli: both were born on May 3.^[1][2][5][6]

Golda Meir was the prime minister of Israel from 1969 to 1974. She was Israel's first and, to date, only female head of government.^[1]

Contemporaries

Georgia O'Keeffe

80 yr overlap

Charlie Chaplin

79 yr overlap

Jorge Luis Borges

79 yr overlap

Alfred Hitchcock

79 yr overlap

Agatha Christie

78 yr overlap

Mao Zedong

78 yr overlap

Haile Selassie

77 yr overlap

Hirohito

77 yr overlap

Chiang Kai-shek

77 yr overlap

Marlene Dietrich

77 yr overlap

Pablo Picasso

75 yr overlap

J.R.R. Tolkien

75 yr overlap

Their World

Questions About Golda Meir

When was Golda Meir born?

Golda Meir was born on May 3, 1898, and died on December 8, 1978.

How old was Golda Meir at death?

Golda Meir was born on May 3, 1898, and died on December 8, 1978, at age 80.

What was Golda Meir known for?

Golda Meir was known for: Fourth Prime Minister of Israel. Golda Meir was the prime minister of Israel from 1969 to 1974. She was Israel's first and, to date, only female head of government.

Who was alive at the same time as Golda Meir?

Golda Meir's closest contemporary was Georgia O'Keeffe. Their lives overlapped for 80 years.