Parks was the first woman to lie in honor at the U.S. Capitol
One of the most interesting facts about biography of Rosa Parks is that she was the first woman to be laid to rest in the United States Capitol. Parks' corpse was flown to Montgomery and brought in a horse-drawn hearse to the St. Paul African Methodist Episcopal (AME) church, where a memorial ceremony was held, after she died on October 24, 2005, at the age of 92. When her body was transported to the rotunda of the United States Capitol, she was given a final tribute.
The casket was then transported to Washington, D.C., on a bus similar to the one she had refused to give up her seat on. More than 30,000 people lined up to pay their respects to her coffin. The award is given to the country's most illustrious citizens, mainly those who have served in public office. Parks is still the only woman to earn the award, and one of just four private citizens.
Her remains were eventually returned to Detroit, where it was laid to rest in the Woodlawn Cemetery. The Rosa L. Parks Freedom Chapel, where the funeral was conducted, was called after her. Parks once wrote, "We are here on Earth to live, grow up, and do what we can to make this world a better place for all people to enjoy freedom."
