Gloria Steinem, a towering figure in the American feminist movement, died on September 2, 2026, at her home in New York City. She was 92 years old. Steinem rose to national prominence in the late 1960s and early 1970s as a leading voice of second-wave feminism, maintaining her influence throughout the 1980s and early 1990s.
Born Gloria Marie Steinem on March 25, 1934, in Toledo, Ohio, she was a journalist and activist who co-founded Ms. magazine in 1972. The magazine's initial run saw 300,000 test copies sell out in eight days, quickly garnering 26,000 subscription orders and over 20,000 reader letters. Ms. magazine was later sold to the Feminist Majority Foundation in 2001, with Steinem remaining on the masthead as a founding editor and advisory board member. She also co-founded other significant organizations including the National Women's Political Caucus and the Women's Media Center.
Steinem's activism extended beyond publishing; she famously signed the "Writers and Editors War Tax Protest" pledge in 1968 against the Vietnam War and, in 1979, brought the issue of female genital mutilation to public awareness through an article in Ms. magazine. For her lifelong dedication to women's rights and equality, she received numerous accolades, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2013 and the Princess of Asturias Award for Communication and Humanities in 2021.
Steinem's death was announced on her Instagram, stating she "passed away peacefully at her home in New York City, surrounded by some of the many who loved her." Her work as a writer, journalist, and organizer profoundly impacted the women's liberation movement, advocating for equal rights, opportunities, and greater personal freedom for women. She earned a B.A. from Smith College and was married to David Bale from 2000 until his death in 2003.
