Susan Sontag, the preeminent essayist known for her groundbreaking thoughts on aesthetics and politics, died on December 28, 2004, at the age of 71. Born in New York City on January 16, 1933, Sontag studied philosophy, literature, and theology at the University of California, Berkeley, and received her degree in philosophy in 1951. The following year, she won a Scholarship to study for two years at the University of Paris, where she wrote her first novel, The Benefactor (1963). Sontag went on to write numerous essays, novels, and nonfiction books that touched on a wide variety of topics, from gender and lesbian identity to the philosophy of art to the healing properties of photography. She is widely credited as one of the most influential thinkers of the late 20th century, and her work has earned her numerous awards and accolades, including the National Book Award in 1975 for her collection of essays, On Photography. Sontag was also well-known for her activism, fighting for civil rights, world peace, and the anti-war movement. In 1975, she was appointed Lecturer at the Institute for Policy Studies, and in 2009, she was awarded theStudio Museum in Harlem Artist Award. She is survived by her son, David Rieff. Her legacy of thought-provoking and bold ideas will live on in generations to come.