Meet Edie Windsor, the 83-Year-Old Woman Behind the Gay Marriage Ruling

"Windsor v. the United States" is the name of the Supreme Court case that wound up striking down the Defense of Marriage Act Wednesday. But who is Windsor? She's Edie Windsor, 83, who had the gumption to challenge a hefty bill she received for federal estate taxes after the 2009 death of her soul mate, Thea Spyer. Shortly before Spyer's death, the couple married in Toronto--a long-awaited journey, as they had already been together for 41 years. But the U.S. government didn't recognize the union because of the Defense of Marriage Act, signed into law by President Bill Clinton in 1996. She fought it. And the rest, as they say, is history.--Beth Greenfield, Shine Staff