Betty Marion White Ludden was an iconic actress and comedian born January 17th 1922. The shock of her passing on December 31st, 2021 took many by surprise. People were touched by this comedic genius and were heartbroken to hear the news. White has had many milestones/highlights and has been a prominent figure in people’s lives. However, there are a few occasions that take the cake.

One of White’s biggest accomplishments is having the Longest TV career as a female entertainer. Her career spanned over seven decades and was a pioneer for early television. She is also one of the first women to work as an actress and director, and the first woman to produce a sitcom. As a result of this long running career, the love of Betty White has been passed down for decades. 

Betty White also has a vast collection of Emmy’s. She has twelve Emmy’s in various categories, but has won Lead Actress in a Comedy Series the most times with a total of seven awards. She has also won a Grammy for her Spoken Word Album “If You Ask Me (And of Course You Won’t)” in 2011.  For White’s contribution to the film industry, she was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 1995.

White has had so many roles it’s hard to pinpoint just one, even though The Golden Girls is so iconic. This series ran for seven years from 1985 to 1992 and is still relevant to modern day pop culture. Especially during quarantine in 2020 many people found light in this show. This is proof that even today, Betty White is just as welcome in our homes and puts a smile on our faces when you are down in the dumps or just stuck in your house.

Not only was she famously recognized as an actress but also stood up for animal rights. She is known for being an animal activist and being very involved with the Los Angeles Zoo. Tom Jacobson, president of the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association said “Her first act as a board member was to create a television special about the zoo and she recruited a bunch of her celebrity friends to be in it, which was a fantastic introduction of our zoo to the L.A. community.” He also stated that “She had a particular affinity for elephants and gorillas and orangutans.” She would often visit an orangutan named “Elka,” who was named for her character in, Hot in Cleveland.”

Betty White has been a household name for several decades and has had an amazing career. Even though her passing was sudden, her impact on everyone around her is greater and more memorable. Plus some of the accomplishments she has achieved are near impossible for anyone to earn. Betty White always looked on the bright side and tried to humor the dark, which is a good look on life especially nowadays. It is important to recognize the life of many influential people and all that they have done with their time.