Feminist Icon Gloria Steinem Dies at 92, Tributes Pour In

Feminist activist and journalist Gloria Steinem died Wednesday at her home in New York City at the age of 92.

Steinem, a co-founder of Ms. magazine in 1971 and the National Women's Political Caucus, became a prominent voice of the U.S. women's movement. She advocated for women's rights and was involved in the fight for the passage of the Equal Rights Amendment. Steinem gained national attention in 1963 with her exposé, "I Was a Playboy Bunny," based on 11 days she worked undercover at Hugh Hefner's Playboy Club.

She later credited an abortion she had in London in 1957, before it was legal for reasons other than the woman's health, as a pivotal moment, dedicating her 2015 book "My Life on the Road" to the doctor who referred her. Born in Toledo, Ohio, in 1934, Steinem's parents divorced when she was 10, and she cared for her mentally ill mother for many years.

She graduated from Smith College and spent two years studying in India, an experience she credited with inspiring her interest in grassroots activism. In 2000, at 66, she married entrepreneur and activist David Bale, who died four years later. Public figures including Kamala Harris, Hillary Clinton, Oprah Winfrey, Jill Biden, and Meghan Markle have paid tribute to Steinem.