Eva Perón Eva Perón María Eva Duarte de Perón (7 May 1919 – 26 July 1952) was the wife of Argentine President Juan Perón (1895–1974) and First Lady of Argentina from 1946 until her death in 1952. She is usually referred to as Eva Perón or Evita. She was born in poverty in the rural village of Los Toldos, in the Pampas, as the youngest of five children. At 15 in 1934, she moved to the nation's capital of Buenos Aires to pursue a career as a stage, radio, and film actress. She met Colonel Juan Perón there on 22 January 1944
SS Argentina (1929) "Argentina" reached New York on 1 January 1946. During and after the war she made a total of 56 troop voyages, covered and carried at least 175,592 soldiers. On 26 January 1946 "Argentina" left Southampton as a "dependent transport" carrying the first 452 war brides, one war groom and 173 children to the USA in the Army's highly publicized "Operation Diaper's" European phase. The brides came from England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and Malta. Due to stormy weather the ship reached New York a day late on 4 February. As she was the first war bride ship she was greeted