Today marks the 60^th anniversary of the death of Argentina’s iconic first lady, Evita Perón, who succumbed to cancer at the age of 33.

In honour of the occasion, President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner unveiled a new $100 bill featuring the face of Evita on Wednesday night. In addition, she will begin a new public housing project in Evita’s honour. “She would have liked that,” Ms. Fernandez said of Evita.

“Evita now is a character accepted nationwide much more than 20 years ago. Many people who don’t think like Evita, admire her,” historian Felipe Pigna told The Associated Press.

A controversial character in her own time, her image has been exhaustively debated and perhaps jaded by her representation in the Andrew Llyod Weber musical, her memory in Argentine society is now more positive than ever.

“Even from parts of Argentine society you wouldn’t expect, I don’t know if they vindicate her, but they respect her,” said Mr. Pigna. “There has been a transformation in Argentine society.”

Both Néstor Kirchner (the former president and late husband of the current president) and President Fernández have always claimed to continue the legacy of the Peróns.

President Fernández said the initial printing will be commemorative, but went on to say that she would like all $100 notes to eventually carry Evita’s image, replacing that of Julio Argentino Roca, a 19th century president.

“After 200 years it’s the first time that a woman appears on a bill, and if you have to honour the gender, who better than the figure of Eva?” she asked.

“It’s not that Eva was a saint. It’s not that she didn’t make mistakes,” Ms. Fernandez said on Wednesday night. “What made her into an immortal character was, having been a humble woman from a small town, she made the decision to change things in favour of the people, at the cost of her own life.”