Maya Lin is an American architect and artist best known for her design of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. She was only 21 years old when she won a national competition to design the memorial in 1981. Her design features two black granite walls inscribed with the names of the 58, 000 Americans who died in the Vietnam War. Lin's design has been praised for its simplicity and power, and it has become one of the most visited memorials in the United States.