Madeleine Jana Korbel Albright (born
Marie Jana Korbelová; May 15, 1937) is an American politician and diplomat. She is the first woman to have become the
United States Secretary of State. She was nominated by U.S. President
Bill Clinton on December 5, 1996, and was unanimously
confirmed by a
U.S. Senate vote of 99–0. She was sworn in on January 23, 1997.