Madeleine Jana Korbel Albright (born Marie Jana Körbelová) was a Czech-born American diplomat and political scientist who served as the 64th United States Secretary of State from 1997 to 2001 under President Bill Clinton, becoming the first woman to hold that office. Born on May 15, 1937, in Prague, Czechoslovakia, to a Jewish family, she fled with her parents to escape Nazi persecution in 1939, living in exile in London during World War II. After the war, the family returned to Czechoslovakia but fled again in 1948 following the communist coup, eventually settling in the United States where they were granted political asylum. Albright became a U.S. citizen in 1957 and was deeply influenced by her father, diplomat Josef Korbel, which shaped her worldview and career in international relations. She graduated from Wellesley College in 1959 and pursued advanced studies at Columbia University, earning a certificate in Russian studies in 1968 and a PhD in political science in 1976.

Albright's career in government began in the 1970s, working as a legislative aide and later holding key roles in Democratic administrations. She served as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations from 1993 to 1997, where she advocated for a more interventionist U.S. foreign policy and humanitarian interventions, earning a reputation as a hawk on issues like the Balkans conflicts. As Secretary of State, she played a pivotal role in NATO expansion, the Dayton Accords ending the Bosnian War, and responses to crises in Iraq and Kosovo, often prioritizing multilateralism while pushing for American leadership. A member of the Democratic Party and a distinguished fellow of the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), Albright was known for her strong stance against authoritarian regimes and her support for women's rights globally. After leaving office, she founded the Albright Group, which later became the Albright Stonebridge Group, a consulting firm. She also taught at Georgetown University and authored several books, including her memoir 'Madam Secretary' (2003). She remained an influential figure in foreign policy until her death on March 23, 2022, from cancer.

Albright's personal life included her marriage to journalist Joseph Medill Patterson Albright in 1959, with whom she had three daughters—Anne, Alice, and Katherine—before their divorce in 1982. Her family background as Holocaust survivors was not fully known to her until adulthood, adding layers to her commitment to democracy and human rights. Throughout her career, she was praised for breaking gender barriers in diplomacy but criticized for her support of sanctions on Iraq, which some argued contributed to civilian suffering, including a controversial 1996 statement defending the policy despite estimates of child deaths.