Soong Mei-ling or
Soong May-ling, also known as
Madame Chiang Kai-shek or
Madame Chiang (; March 5, 1898 – October 23, 2003), was a
First Lady of the
Republic of China (ROC), the wife of
Generalissimo and
President Chiang Kai-shek. Soong played a prominent role in the politics of the Republic of China and was the sister-in-law of
Sun Yat-sen, the founder and the leader of the Republic of China. She was active in the civic life of her country and held many honorary and active positions, including chairman of
Fu Jen Catholic University. During the
Second Sino-Japanese War she rallied her people against the Japanese invasion and in 1942 conducted a speaking tour of the
United States to gain support. She was also the youngest and the last surviving of the three
Soong sisters, and the only
first lady during World War II who lived into the 21st century. Her life extended into three centuries.