Corazon Aquino's Life in Photos

Corazon Aquino
Robin Moyer / Getty

Madame President
On Feb. 25, 1986, even as Marcos appeared to be adamant about remaining President, Aquino was sworn in by a justice of the Supreme Court as the first woman to lead the Philippines. In Washington, meanwhile, seeing the populace turn against his friend, Reagan called Marcos and persuaded him to leave the Philippines for exile in Hawaii. The man who had ruled the Philippines for two decades said farewell to his loyalists as his wife Imelda sang a final song. Then they took off for American territory on U.S. helicopters.

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