History of Betty White in Timeline
Betty White was a highly celebrated American actress and comedian, renowned for her pioneering role in early television. Her career spanned nearly seven decades, marked by prolific appearances in sitcoms like 'The Golden Girls' and 'The Mary Tyler Moore Show', sketch comedy, and game shows such as 'Password'. White's enduring popularity and comedic talent solidified her status as a beloved figure in the entertainment industry.
January 17, 1922: Betty White's Birth
On January 17, 1922, Betty Marion Ludden (née White), later known professionally as Betty White, was born. She became a renowned American actress and comedian.
1939: Graduation from Beverly Hills High School
In 1939, Betty White graduated from Beverly Hills High School.
1941: Volunteering for American Women's Voluntary Services
After the U.S. entered World War II in 1941, Betty White volunteered for the American Women's Voluntary Services, contributing to military support efforts in Hollywood.
1945: Marriage to Dick Barker
In 1945, Betty White married Air Force P-38 pilot Dick Barker, whom she met while volunteering with the American Women's Voluntary Services. After the war, they moved to Belle Center, Ohio.
1947: Marriage to Lane Allen
In 1947, Betty White married Hollywood talent agent Lane Allen.
1949: Co-Hosting Hollywood on Television
In 1949, Betty White began co-hosting "Hollywood on Television", a daily live television variety show with Al Jarvis.
1949: Divorce from Lane Allen
In 1949, Betty White divorced Hollywood talent agent Lane Allen because he wanted to start a family but she wanted to focus on her career.
1951: Life with Elizabeth Live Production
In 1951, "Life with Elizabeth" was originally a live production on KLAC-TV, earning Betty White a Los Angeles Emmy Award.
1951: First Emmy Nomination
In 1951, Betty White received her first Emmy Award nomination as "Best Actress" on television.
1952: Hosting Hollywood on Television Solo
In 1952, Betty White began hosting "Hollywood on Television" by herself after Al Jarvis left.
1952: Hosting The Betty White Show
In 1952, Betty White began hosting and producing her own daily talk/variety show, "The Betty White Show", first on KLAC-TV and then on NBC.
1952: Co-founding Bandy Productions
In 1952, Betty White co-founded Bandy Productions with George Tibbles and Don Fedderson to create new shows, like "Life with Elizabeth".
1953: Life with Elizabeth Nationally Syndicated
From 1953, "Life with Elizabeth" was nationally syndicated, which allowed Betty White to gain creative control in television.
1953: Production of Life with Elizabeth
In 1953, Betty White produced and starred in "Life with Elizabeth", becoming the first woman to produce a sitcom.
1954: Cancellation of The Betty White Show
By the end of 1954, NBC quietly cancelled "The Betty White Show" after repeated time slot changes and lower viewership, despite initial success.
1954: Criticism for Featuring Arthur Duncan
In 1954, Betty White faced criticism for including Arthur Duncan, a Black tap dancer, on her show, 'The Betty White Show', and was asked to remove him. She refused.
1955: First appearance on What's My Line?
In 1955, Betty White made her first appearance on the game show, "What's My Line?".
1955: Life with Elizabeth Concludes
In 1955, Betty White's show "Life with Elizabeth", which she starred in and produced, concluded.
1955: End of Life with Elizabeth Syndication
In 1955, the nationally syndicated show "Life with Elizabeth" concluded.
1956: Guest-starring on The Millionaire
In 1956, Betty White guest-starred on "The Millionaire" episode "The Virginia Lennart Story".
1957: Appearance on Date with the Angels
In 1957, Betty White appeared as Vicki Angel on the ABC sitcom "Date with the Angels".
1958: End of Date with the Angels and Rebooted Betty White Show
In 1958, after a critical and rating disaster, Betty White rebooted her old talk/variety show, "The Betty White Show", after her contract with ABC for "Date with the Angels" was fulfilled.
July 1959: Stage Debut in Third Best Sport
In July 1959, Betty White made her professional stage debut in a production of the play "Third Best Sport" at the Ephrata Legion Star Playhouse in Ephrata, Pennsylvania.
1961: Appearance on Password
In 1961, Betty White appeared on Password as a celebrity guest.
1961: Death of Margaret McGloin Ludden
In 1961, Margaret McGloin Ludden, Allen Ludden's first wife, passed away from cancer, making Betty White the stepmother to his three children.
1962: Feature Film Debut in Advise & Consent
In 1962, Betty White made her feature film debut as Senator Elizabeth Ames Adams in the drama "Advise & Consent".
June 14, 1963: Marriage to Allen Ludden
On June 14, 1963, Betty White married television host Allen Ludden, whom she had met on his game show 'Password' in 1961. Her legal name was changed to Betty Marion Ludden.
1963: Marriage to Allen Ludden
In 1963, Betty White married Allen Ludden, the host of the game show Password.
1968: Met Tom Sullivan
In 1968, Betty White and her husband Allen Ludden met blind musician and motivational speaker Tom Sullivan in Cape Cod.
1971: Trustee of the Morris Animal Foundation
In 1971, Betty White began serving as a trustee of the Morris Animal Foundation.
1972: Appearance on I've Got a Secret
From 1972-73, Betty White appeared on "I've Got a Secret".
1973: Appearance on Match Game
From 1973 to 1982, Betty White appeared on "Match Game".
1973: The Mary Tyler Moore Show
In 1973, Betty White began playing Sue Ann Nivens on the CBS sitcom, "The Mary Tyler Moore Show".
1973: Recurring role on The Mary Tyler Moore Show
In 1973, Betty White made several appearances in the fourth season of "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" as Sue Ann Nivens.
1974: Member of the Board of Directors
In 1974, Betty White became a member of the board of directors of the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association.
1975: Last Appearance on Password
In 1975, Betty White made her last appearance on the hit show "Password" as a celebrity guest.
1975: Emmy Award for The Mary Tyler Moore Show
In 1975, Betty White won an Emmy Award for her role as Sue Ann Nivens in "The Mary Tyler Moore Show".
1975: Replacement as Tournament of Roses Parade Hostess
In 1975, NBC replaced Betty White as the commentator hostess of the Tournament of Roses Parade due to her association with CBS's "The Mary Tyler Moore Show".
1976: Second Emmy Award for The Mary Tyler Moore Show
In 1976, Betty White won her second consecutive Emmy Award for her role as Sue Ann Nivens in "The Mary Tyler Moore Show".
1977: End of The Mary Tyler Moore Show and The Betty White Show
Following the end of "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" in 1977, Betty White was offered her own sitcom, "The Betty White Show", but it was canceled after one season.
1977: End of The Mary Tyler Moore Show
In 1977, Betty White's role as Sue Ann Nivens on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" concluded.
June 9, 1981: Death of Allen Ludden
On June 9, 1981, Allen Ludden, Betty White's husband, died from stomach cancer in Los Angeles.
1982: Appearance on Pyramid
Starting in 1982, Betty White began appearing on Pyramid.
1983: Daytime Emmy Award for Just Men!
In 1983, Betty White received the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Game Show Host for "Just Men!", marking her as the first woman to achieve this honor.
1985: The Golden Girls Premiere
In 1985, Betty White began her role as Rose Nylund on the NBC sitcom, "The Golden Girls".
1990: Appearance on To Tell the Truth
In 1990, Betty White appeared on "To Tell the Truth".
1992: The Golden Girls Finale
In 1992, Betty White concluded her role as Rose Nylund on the NBC sitcom, "The Golden Girls".
1995: Inducted into the Television Hall of Fame
In 1995, Betty White was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame, recognizing her significant contributions to the industry.
2000: Hosted 'History on Film'
From 2000 to 2002, Betty White hosted 'History on Film' for the Los Angeles Zoo & Botanical Garden.
2004: Betty White on Q&A
In 2004, Betty White appeared on the talk show "Q&A", where her longevity as an actress was discussed.
April 2008: Donation to the Los Angeles Zoo
In April 2008, Betty White donated nearly $100,000 to the Los Angeles Zoo.
2009: President Emerita of the Morris Animal Foundation
As of 2009, Betty White was the president emerita of the Morris Animal Foundation, where she served as a trustee of the organization beginning in 1971.
2009: Starring in The Proposal
In 2009, Betty White starred in the romantic comedy film "The Proposal".
August 2010: Book Deal with G.P. Putnam's Sons
In August 2010, Betty White signed a deal with G.P. Putnam's Sons to produce two more books.
2010: Betty White in Hot in Cleveland
In 2010, Betty White began starring as Elka Ostrovsky on the TV Land sitcom "Hot in Cleveland".
2010: Support of LGBT Rights
In 2010, Betty White voiced her support for LGBT rights, stating her belief in marriage equality.
2010: The Interviews: An Oral History of Television
In 2010, Mary Tyler Moore discussed in "The Interviews: An Oral History of Television" the producers' initial hesitations about auditioning Betty White for "The Mary Tyler Moore Show".
2010: Interview on Inside the Actors Studio
In 2010, during an interview on Inside the Actors Studio with James Lipton, Betty White shared her sentiments about her late husband, Allen Ludden.
January 2011: SAG Award for 'Hot in Cleveland'
In January 2011, Betty White won a SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series for her role as Elka Ostrovsky in 'Hot in Cleveland'. The show was also nominated but did not win.
September 2011: Release of "I'm Still Hot" Remix
In September 2011, Betty White teamed up with Luciana to produce a remix of her song "I'm Still Hot". The song was released digitally on September 22 and the video later premiered on October 6.
October 2011: Honorary Degree from Washington State University
In October 2011, Betty White received an honorary degree and a white doctor's coat from Washington State University at the Washington State Veterinary Medical Association's centennial gala in Yakima, Washington.
November 8, 2011: Judge for American Humane's Hero Dog Awards
On November 8, 2011, Betty White served as a judge alongside Whoopi Goldberg and Wendy Diamond for American Humane's Hero Dog Awards on the Hallmark Channel.
2011: Publication of 'If You Ask Me (And of Course You Won't)'
In 2011, Betty White published her book 'If You Ask Me (And of Course You Won't)'.
![[(If You Ask Me: (And of Course You Won't) )] [Author: Betty White] [May-2011]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41HZ5X3hUML._SL500_.jpg "[(If You Ask Me: (And of Course You Won't) )] [Author: Betty White] [May-2011]")
2011: Judge at American Humane Hero Dog Awards
In 2011, Betty White served as a judge at the American Humane Hero Dog Awards ceremony.
2011: Most Popular and Trusted Celebrity
In 2011, a poll by Reuters and Ipsos found that Betty White was considered the most popular and most trusted celebrity among Americans.
2011: Liberace friendship
In a 2011 interview, Betty White revealed that she knew her close friend Liberace was gay and that she sometimes accompanied him to premieres to help him hide it.
February 2012: Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Recording
In February 2012, Betty White received a Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Recording for the audio recording of her 2011 book 'If You Ask Me (And of Course You Won't)'.
2014: Guinness World Record
In 2014, Betty White earned the Guinness World Record for the longest TV career by a female entertainer.
2015: Appearance on To Tell the Truth
In 2015, Betty White appeared on "To Tell the Truth".
2015: End of Hot in Cleveland
In 2015, Betty White concluded her role as Elka Ostrovsky on the TV Land sitcom "Hot in Cleveland".
2017: Reunion with Arthur Duncan
In 2017, Arthur Duncan reunited with Betty White on the series premiere of 'Little Big Shots: Forever Young', where he performed and thanked her for her support.
2017: Member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
In 2017, after 70 years in the industry, Betty White was invited to become a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, becoming the oldest new member at the time at age 95.
2018: Guinness World Record (Second Time)
In 2018, Betty White earned the Guinness World Record for the longest TV career by a female entertainer for the second time.
2018: Recalled Threats to Her Show
In 2018, Betty White recalled the threats to take her show off-air if she didn't remove Arthur Duncan in the documentary 'Betty White: First Lady of Television'.
2018: Betty White: First Lady of Television Documentary
In 2018, the documentary "Betty White: First Lady of Television" was released, detailing her life and career.
December 25, 2021: Betty White Suffers Stroke
On December 25, 2021, Betty White suffered a stroke.
December 31, 2021: Betty White's Death
On December 31, 2021, Betty White, a celebrated American actress and comedian, passed away after a career spanning nearly seven decades.
June 2022: Sale of Carmel Home
In June 2022, Betty White's Carmel home was sold.
2025: United States Postal Service Unveils Betty White Stamp
In 2025, the United States Postal Service unveiled a Forever stamp featuring Betty White.
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