Hollywood’s Golden Girl passed away just before reaching her 100th birthday.
Fans around the world mourned the loss of Betty White, who passed away just before the new year and only weeks away from her centennial year, which would have been on January 17. Simply saying the name Betty White can put an ear-to-ear smile on anyone’s face. The icon’s on-screen sassy charm and humor touched more than just audiences, she was also an animal welfare advocate who poured her time and efforts into local organizations.
Hollywood’s Golden Girl has starred in shows since 1939, making her the actress with the longest spanning television career in history. Along with that, she pioneered in the industry both behind and in front of the camera, becoming the first woman to produce her sitcom, “Life with Elizabeth,” and was also named the Honorary Mayor of Hollywood in 1955, earning her the unofficial title of the “First Lady of Television.”
While she featured in plenty of shows in her rise to fame, most notably as the clueless Rose Nylund in “The Golden Girls,” she maintained her presence in pop culture with fun TV spots like the famous Snickers ad. She also racked up plenty of Emmys. She is the only woman to receive Emmys in all performing comedic categories—which includes five Primetime Emmy Awards, two Daytime Emmy Awards (including the 2015 Daytime Emmy for Lifetime Achievement), and she received a Los Angeles Emmy Award in 1952.
The star had big plans to celebrate her 100th birthday alongside a screening event for the release of a new film celebrating her life as an entertainer called, “Betty White: 100 Years Young—A Birthday Celebration.” Producers stated the event (which was set to include the likes of Tina Fey, Robert Redford, Lin Manuel- Miranda, Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman, and more) will go ahead as intended, according to a CNN report.
White was known for her work with the Greater Los Angeles Zoo. She was a member of the Association’s Board of Trustees in 1974, and was a member of the Board of Zoo Commissioners, according to ABC-7. In honor of her work in animal conservation, Pink’s Hot Dogs will be donating 100% of “Betty White naked hot dog” sales to the Los Angeles Zoo for the next week.