Martha Graham was a very famous dancer during her time and even now in the dance world. She was a modern dancer and a choreographer. She was born in 1894 and she died in 1991 at age 96. She changed modern dance forever and created more than 180 works as a dancer and choreographer. Her influence on modern dance has often been compared with the influence Picasso had on the modern visual arts. She didn’t just collaborate with other dancers but also other painters, musicians, and designers. She founded the Martha Graham Dance Company, which is today the oldest American dance company; the company served as the launch pad for many of the great 20th and 21st century modern dancers and choreographers. In 1976, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award of the USA, in 1976 by President Gerald Ford who declared her "a national treasure” and Time magazine named her the “Dancer of the Century” in 1998.She became addicted to alcohol at one point of time following her last performance as a dancer. She became depressed and she tried to commit suicide. However, she quit alcohol and went back to her career as a choreographer. She lived a long life and continued choreographing till the very end. She died of pneumonia on April 1, 1991, at the age of 96.