Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, in the national spotlight since her husband ran for president in 1992, has broken the Gallup Poll record books, becoming the most admired woman in history, topping their list for the 17th time, far ahead of first lady Michelle Obama, Oprah Winfrey and Queen Elizabeth II.
"Hillary Clinton's first-place finish this year further solidifies her position as the most often named 'Most Admired Woman' in Gallup's history -- a total of 17 times going back to her first year as first lady in 1993," Gallup said Monday.
The former first lady and current 2016 Democratic presidential front-runner missed out on topping the Gallup list only twice since 1993, when Mother Teresa took the title in 1995 and 1996 and former first lady Laura Bush won in 2001.
President Obama took the "Most Admired Man in the World" for a fifth straight time.
Clinton's recent illness, which today has her in a New York hospital undergoing treatment for a blood clot, apparently made no impact on the poll. Neither did the slaying of the U.S. ambassador to Libya, for which she took responsibility.
In fact, she ranks sixth in Gallup's Top 10 list of modern-day historic women, behind Queen Elizabeth II, former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, Jacqueline Kennedy, Winfrey and former first lady Mamie Eisenhower.
Gallup said it's "Most Admired" question is "based on Americans' selection of men and women living anywhere in the world, which reduces the presence on the list of individuals whose death came relatively early in their careers, or whose rise to prominence came relatively late in their lives." They first asked about Most Admired women in 1948.
