Madalyn Murray O'Hair, the influential American activist and atheist known for her prominent legal fight and ensuing court ruling against religious schooling in the 1960s, passed away on September 29, 1995. She was 76 years old. Born Madalyn Mays on April 13, 1919 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Madalyn earned her bachelor's degree in Chemistry from the University of Pittsburgh in 1940. She moved to Baltimore, Maryland, where she initiated her chain of legal battles over the separation of church and state which culminated in the 1963 US Supreme Court ruling of Murray v. Curlett. The ruling established that mandatory prayer had no place in public education. Madalyn was a controversial figure, as her passion for her cause often fought against traditional values. She founded the organization American Atheists in 1963 as well as several atheist publications during her lifetime, and served as its long-time president until her disappearance in 1995. She will live on in her legacy as a pioneering figure for the rights of atheists, particularly in the United States.