By Meredith Stewart

I’m a huge Golden Girls fan, so naturally I was sad to hear of Betty White’s death on December 31st. I remember a few days prior she had posted a magazine cover highlighting her 100th birthday. It would have been on January 17th, just a couple weeks after her passing. Despite the mourning many fans are experiencing due to the loss of this great actress and kind person,  there’s no doubt that Betty White lived a full and accomplished life. 

To honor her memory, I have put together a timeline of her life and all the achievements it included. 

Timeline:

January 17th, 1922- Born to Horace Logan White and Christine Tess in Oak Park, Illinois 

1923- moved to Alhambra, California with her family

During the Great Depression- moved to Los Angeles, California and attended Horace Mann Elementary School in Beverly Hills 

1939- graduated from Beverly Hills High School and appeared on an experimental television show. She also got her first professional acting job at the Bliss Hayden Little Theater 

1941- volunteered for American Women’s Voluntary Services to help with WWII

1949- got into radio talk shows and even co hosted her own show, The Betty White Show

1951- nominated for her first Emmy 

1952- began to host her radio show by herself and play the lead role in Life with Elizabeth which won her an Emmy 

1957- premiered on Date with the Angels, but she didn’t enjoy it

1960s- appeared on a lot of late night talk shows and game shows. White was offered a job on the Today Show, but she declined not wanting to move to NYC. 

1974- appeared several times on The Mary Tyler Moore Show

1975- was offered another sitcom, The Betty White Show

1983- became the first woman to receive a Daytime Emmy Award for being an Outstanding Game Show Host for Just Men. Also appeared as Ellen Harper Jackson on Mama’s Family.

1985- Betty White co-starred with Rue McClanahan, Bea Arthur, and Estelle Getty in the most popular of her TV shows, The Golden Girls. She won an Emmy for her portrayal of Rose Nylund from St. Olaf, Minnesota in 1986.  

1992- The Golden Girls ended and White played Rose again in the spin-off series, The Golden Palace. 

1996- White won another Emmy for The John Larroquette Show 

2006- appeared on the soap opera, The Bold and the Beautiful 

2009- co-starred in the movie, The Proposal and was on a commercial for Snickers 

2010- hosted Saturday Night Live 

2012- started producing and hosting a show called Betty White’s Off Their Rockers for which she won three Emmy nominations. She also won her first Grammy for Best Spoken Word Recording for If You Ask Me. 

2015- went on SNL for the last time

2018- a PBS documentary was made about White called Betty White: First Lady of Television

2019- voiced Bitey White, a toy named after her, in Toy Story 4

December 31st, 2021- Betty White passed away 

January 17th, 2022- a new documentary about White, Betty White: A Celebration was released