Melina Mercouri

Maria Amalia Melina Mercouri Greek Μαρία Αμαλία Μελίνα Μερκούρη 18 October 1920 6 March 1994 was a Greek actress singer activist and politician She came from a prominent political family for multiple generations She received an Academy Award nomination and won a French Cannes Film Festival Best Actress Award for her performance in the film Never on Sunday 1960 and an Italian David di Donatello for Topkapi Mercouri was also nominated for one Tony Award three Golden Globes and two BAFTA Awards in her acting career In 1987 she was awarded a special prize in the first edition of the Europe Theatre Prize Mercouri was a member of the Hellenic Parliament elected as a representative of PASOK In October 1981 she became the first female Minister of Culture and Sports She has the longest tenure of any of Greeces Ministers of Culture having served from 1981 to 1989 and then from 1993 until her death in 1994 during PASOK governments Mercouris political activism included her long campaign for the return of the Parthenon Marbles One of her greatest achievements was the establishment of the European Capitals of Culture with Athens chosen as the first capital in 1985 Description above from the Wikipedia article Melina Mercouri licensed under CCBYSA full list of contributors on Wikipedia