Father: Vicente Orestes Romualdez

Mother: Remedios Trinidad

Marriage: Ferdinand Marcos (May 1, 1954-September 28, 1989, his death)

Children: Irene, Ferdinand Jr. “Bongbong” and Imee

Other Facts

Her nickname in the Philippines was the “Iron Butterfly.”

The Marcos family was accused of stealing billions of dollars from the Philippine people during Ferdinand’s presidency.

Famous for her lavish spending while first lady. At the time of her husband’s ouster from office, she left over 1,000 pairs of shoes and more than 800 purses behind when fleeing to Hawaii.

Timeline

1954 – Imelda marries Ferdinand Marcos 11 days after meeting him.

December 30, 1965 – Becomes first lady of the Philippines at her husband’s presidential inauguration.

September 21, 1972 – President Marcos signs a martial law decree, which he publicly declares two days later.

December 7, 1972 – Is stabbed in her arms and hands during an assassination attempt by Carlito Dimahilig.

1975-1986 – Appointed governor of Metropolitan Manila.

1978-1986 – Appointed Minister of Human Settlements.

January 17, 1981 – President Marcos lifts martial law.

February 1986 – The Marcos family flees to Hawaii after the Filipino people oust Marcos from office. Three years later, he dies in exile.

1990 – Marcos goes on trial in New York for racketeering. The charges allege she stole from the Philippines National Bank and invested the money in the United States. She is later acquitted of the charges.

November 4, 1991 – Marcos returns from exile to the Philippines and is arrested the next day for tax fraud and corruption. She is released on bail.

1992 – After returning to the Philippines, Marcos runs unsuccessfully for president.

1993 – Goes on trial in the Philippines for corruption and is found guilty.

1995-1998 – Serves in the Philippines House of Representatives.

February 7, 1998 – Declares her intent to run for president.

April 29, 1998 – Withdraws from the presidential race.

October 6, 1998 – The Philippine Supreme Court overturns her 1993 corruption conviction.

November 2006 – Marcos launches a fashion line, “The Imelda Collection.”

July 2007 – The Philippine government loses its case claiming rights to $4.7 million in Marcos’ account after 10 years of prosecution against the Security Bank and Trust Co.

March 10, 2008 – A Philippine court acquits Marcos in a 17-year-old case of 32 counts of illegal transfer of wealth totaling $863 million in Swiss bank accounts.

May 11, 2010 – Marcos wins a seat representing Ilocos Norte province in the Philippine House of Representatives.

September 9, 2010 – A Philippine court orders Marcos to repay the government almost $280,000 for funds taken from the National Food Authority by Ferdinand Marcos in 1983.

February 2016 – The Philippine government approves the auction of Marcos’ jewelry collection — worth approximately $21 million in total.