History of Betty White in Timeline
Betty White was a highly influential and prolific American actress and comedian, renowned for her extensive career in television, which spanned nearly seven decades. A pioneer in the early days of television, she gained prominence through her roles in sitcoms, sketch comedy, and game shows. Her remarkable career and enduring popularity established her 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 the American Women's Voluntary Services
In 1941, after the U.S. entered World War II, Betty White volunteered for the American Women's Voluntary Services, driving a PX truck and participating in events for troops.
1945: Marriage to Dick Barker
In 1945, after meeting while volunteering with the American Women's Voluntary Services, Betty White married Air Force P-38 pilot Dick Barker and moved to Belle Center, Ohio, where he owned a chicken farm.
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 appearing as co-host with Al Jarvis on his daily live television variety show Hollywood on Television, originally called Make Believe Ballroom.
1949: Divorce from Lane Allen
In 1949, Betty White divorced Lane Allen because he wanted to start a family, but she wanted to focus on her career.
1951: Live Production of Life with Elizabeth
In 1951, "Life with Elizabeth" was originally a live production on KLAC-TV.
1951: First Emmy Nomination
In 1951, Betty White received her first Emmy Award nomination as "Best Actress" on television.
1952: Hosting Hollywood on Television
In 1952, Betty White began hosting Hollywood on Television by herself.
1952: Hosting The Betty White Show
In 1952, Betty White hosted and produced her own daily talk/variety show, "The Betty White Show", on KLAC-TV and later on NBC.
1952: Co-founding Bandy Productions & Emmy Award
In 1952, the same year that she began hosting Hollywood on Television, Betty White co-founded Bandy Productions and won a Los Angeles Emmy Award for Life with Elizabeth.
1953: Life with Elizabeth Syndication
From 1953, Life with Elizabeth was nationally syndicated, allowing White to become one of the few women in television with full creative control.
1953: Production of Life with Elizabeth
In 1953, Betty White produced and starred in "Life with Elizabeth", making her the first woman to produce a sitcom.
1954: Cancellation of The Betty White Show
In 1954, NBC quietly cancelled "The Betty White Show" due to lower viewership after repeated time slot changes, despite initial ratings success.
1954: Criticism for Featuring Arthur Duncan
In 1954, as The Betty White Show became national across the United States, Betty White faced criticism in the Southern states for having Arthur Duncan, a Black tap dancer, on her variety show and was asked to remove him.
1955: Appearance on What's My Line?
In 1955, Betty White started appearing on What's My Line?
1955: End of Life with Elizabeth
In 1955, Betty White's sitcom "Life with Elizabeth" concluded its run.
1955: End of Syndication for Life with Elizabeth
In 1955, the nationally syndicated show "Life with Elizabeth" ended.
1956: Guest Starring on The Millionaire
In 1956, Betty White guest-starred on The Millionaire in "The Virginia Lennart Story" episode.
1957: Starring in Date with the Angels
In 1957, Betty White began appearing as Vicki Angel on the ABC sitcom Date with the Angels.
1958: End of Date with the Angels and Return of The Betty White Show
In 1958, Date with the Angels ended. Betty White relaunched her old talk/variety show, The Betty White Show, to fulfill her contractual agreement.
July 1959: Professional Stage Debut
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: Appearances on Password and To Tell the Truth
In 1961, Betty White began appearing on Password and also on To Tell the Truth.
1961: Met Allen Ludden on Password
In 1961, Betty White met her future husband Allen Ludden when she appeared as a celebrity guest on his game show "Password".
1961: Margaret McGloin Ludden's death
In 1961, Margaret McGloin Ludden, Allen Ludden's wife, died of 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 as a celebrity guest on his game show Password in 1961. Her legal name was changed to Betty Marion Ludden.
1968: Friendship with Tom Sullivan
In 1968, Betty White and Allen Ludden began a close friendship with blind musician and motivational speaker Tom Sullivan after meeting him while Sullivan was singing in a small club at the same time that White and Ludden were performing in a play on Cape Cod.
1971: Trustee of the Morris Animal Foundation
In 1971, Betty White became a trustee of the Morris Animal Foundation.
1972: Appearance on I've Got a Secret
In 1972, Betty White appeared on I've Got a Secret.
1973: Appearance on Match Game
In 1973, Betty White appeared on Match Game.
1973: Sue Ann Nivens on The Mary Tyler Moore Show
In 1973, Betty White began her role as Sue Ann Nivens on the CBS sitcom "The Mary Tyler Moore Show".
1973: Initial Appearance 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: Board of Directors of the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association
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 Password show.
1975: Replacement as Tournament of Roses Parade Host
In 1975, Betty White was replaced as the commentator hostess of the Tournament of Roses Parade due to her association with CBS's "The Mary Tyler Moore Show", however, she would soon start a ten-year run as hostess of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade for CBS.
1975: Emmy Award for The Mary Tyler Moore Show
In 1975, Betty White won an Emmy Award for her role in "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 in "The Mary Tyler Moore Show".
1977: End of The Mary Tyler Moore Show
In 1977, Betty White's role as Sue Ann Nivens on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" came to an end as the show concluded.
1977: The Betty White Show Cancellation
In 1977, following the end of "The Mary Tyler Moore Show", Betty White was offered her own sitcom on CBS entitled "The Betty White Show", however, it was canceled after one season due to poor ratings.
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
In 1982, Betty White started appearing on Pyramid.
1983: Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Game Show Host
In 1983, Betty White became the first woman to receive the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Game Show Host for the show "Just Men!".
1983: Daytime Emmy Award for Just Men!
In 1983, Betty White became the first woman to win a Daytime Emmy Award in the category of Outstanding Game Show Host, for the NBC entry "Just Men!".
1985: Rose Nylund on The Golden Girls
In 1985, Betty White began her iconic 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: End of The Golden Girls
In 1992, the NBC sitcom "The Golden Girls", starring Betty White as Rose Nylund, concluded its run.
1995: Induction into the Television Hall of Fame
In 1995, Betty White was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame.
2000: Hosted "History on Film"
From 2000 to 2002, Betty White hosted "History on Film" for the Los Angeles Zoo & Botanical Garden's ZooScape member newsletter.
2002: Hosted "History on Film"
From 2000 to 2002, Betty White hosted "History on Film" for the Los Angeles Zoo & Botanical Garden's ZooScape member newsletter.
2004: Talk Show Q&A Appearance
In 2004, Betty White appeared on the talk show Q&A, where Brian Lamb remarked on her longevity as an actress.
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 had been a trustee since 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 entered a deal with G.P. Putnam's Sons to produce two more books.
2010: Elka Ostrovsky on Hot in Cleveland
In 2010, Betty White began her role as Elka Ostrovsky on the TV Land sitcom "Hot in Cleveland".
2010: Support for LGBT Rights
In 2010, Betty White expressed her support and advocacy for LGBT rights, stating her belief that gay couples should have the right to marry and that people should mind their own business regarding others' relationships.
2010: Interview on The Interviews: An Oral History of Television
In 2010, Mary Tyler Moore discussed the initial hesitation to audition Betty White for "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" due to their friendship, in "The Interviews: An Oral History of Television".
2010: Inside the Actors Studio Interview
In 2010, during an interview on "Inside the Actors Studio" with James Lipton, Betty White expressed that if Heaven exists, she would like God to say to her, "Come on in, Betty. Here's Allen."
January 2011: SAG Award for Hot in Cleveland
In January 2011, Betty White received a Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series for her role as Elka Ostrovsky in "Hot in Cleveland".
September 2011: Released "I'm Still Hot" remix
In September 2011, Betty White teamed up with English singer Luciana to produce a remix of her song "I'm Still Hot".
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 at 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: Release of "If You Ask Me (And of Course You Won't)"
In 2011, Betty White released 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 revealed that Betty White was considered the most popular and most trusted celebrity among Americans, surpassing celebrities such as Denzel Washington, Sandra Bullock, and Tom Hanks.
2011: Liberace's sexuality
In a 2011 interview, Betty White revealed that she always 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 for Longest TV Career (Female)
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's role as Elka Ostrovsky on the TV Land sitcom "Hot in Cleveland" concluded as the show ended.
2017: Member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
In 2017, after 70 years in the industry, Betty White became a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, being the oldest new member at the time at age 95.
2017: Reunion with Arthur Duncan
In 2017, sixty-three years after The Betty White Show was canceled, Arthur Duncan appeared as a surprise guest on the series premiere of the reality talent series "Little Big Shots: Forever Young", where he performed and reunited with Betty White, later thanking her again for her support.
2018: Second Guinness World Record for Longest TV Career (Female)
In 2018, Betty White again earned the Guinness World Record for the longest TV career by a female entertainer.
2018: Release of Betty White: First Lady of Television
In 2018, the documentary "Betty White: First Lady of Television" was released, detailing her life and career.
2018: "Betty White: First Lady of Television" Documentary
In the 2018 documentary "Betty White: First Lady of Television", Betty White recalled threats to take her show off-air in 1954 if she didn't remove Arthur Duncan, because he was Black. She refused, saying "he stays, live with it".
December 25, 2021: 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. Her career spanned almost seven decades.
June 2022: Sale of Carmel Home
In June 2022, Betty White's Carmel, California home was sold, following the April sale of her Brentwood home. Her personal belongings were sold at auction that September, with proceeds donated to several charities.
2025: Forever Stamp Unveiled
In 2025, the United States Postal Service unveiled a new Forever stamp that features Betty White with the words "Forever USA" under her.
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