History of Betty White in Timeline
Betty White was a highly acclaimed American actress and comedian, celebrated for her pioneering role in early television and a remarkable career that spanned nearly seven decades. Renowned for her extensive television presence, she excelled in sitcoms, sketch comedy, and game shows, leaving an indelible mark on the entertainment industry with her comedic talent and enduring charm.
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: Graduated from Beverly Hills High School
In 1939, Betty White graduated from Beverly Hills High School.
1941: Volunteered for 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, contributing to the war effort by driving a PX truck and participating in events for troops.
1945: Marriage to Dick Barker
In 1945, Betty White married Air Force P-38 pilot Dick Barker after meeting while volunteering with the American Women's Voluntary Services. 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 appearing as a co-host with Al Jarvis on his daily live television variety show "Hollywood on Television".
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: Emmy Award Nomination as Best Actress
In 1951, Betty White was nominated for her first Emmy Award as "Best Actress" on television.
1951: Live production of Life with Elizabeth
In 1951, the television comedy "Life with Elizabeth", a live production, started showing on KLAC-TV.
1952: Hosted The Betty White Show
From 1952, Betty White hosted and produced her own daily talk/variety show, "The Betty White Show", on KLAC-TV and then on NBC.
1952: Hosting Hollywood on Television
In 1952, Betty White began hosting "Hollywood on Television" by herself after Al Jarvis's departure.
1952: Co-founded Bandy Productions
In 1952, Betty White co-founded Bandy Productions with George Tibbles and Don Fedderson.
1953: Life with Elizabeth Nationally Syndicated
From 1953, "Life with Elizabeth" was nationally syndicated, allowing White to become one of the few women with full creative control.
1953: Produced and Starred in Life with Elizabeth
In 1953, Betty White produced and starred in the TV series "Life with Elizabeth", making her the first woman to produce a sitcom.
1954: Cancellation of The Betty White Show
In 1954, after facing criticism and changing time slots, NBC cancelled "The Betty White Show".
1954: Criticism for Featuring Arthur Duncan
In 1954, when The Betty White Show became national, Betty White was criticized for having Arthur Duncan, a Black tap dancer, on her variety show and refused to remove him despite threats.
1955: What's My Line? appearance
In 1955, Betty White first appeared on "What's My Line?".
1956: Guest-starred on The Millionaire
In 1956, Betty White guest-starred on "The Millionaire" in "The Virginia Lennart Story".
1957: Appeared as Vicki Angel on Date with the Angels
From 1957, Betty White appeared as Vicki Angel on the ABC sitcom "Date with the Angels".
1958: Rebooted The Betty White Show
In 1958, instead of a retooled version of "Date with the Angels", White rebooted her old talk/variety show, "The Betty White Show" to fulfill her contract with ABC.
July 1959: Professional stage debut
In July 1959, Betty White made her professional stage debut in the play, "Third Best Sport", at the Ephrata Legion Star Playhouse in Ephrata, Pennsylvania.
1961: Appeared on Password
From 1961, Betty White made many appearances on the hit game show "Password" as a celebrity guest.
1961: Stepmother to Allen Ludden's Children
In 1961, Betty White became the stepmother of Allen Ludden's three children after his first wife, Margaret McGloin Ludden, died of cancer.
1961: Meeting Allen Ludden on Password
In 1961, Betty White met her future husband, Allen Ludden, as a celebrity guest on his game show Password.
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.
1963: Married Allen Ludden
In 1963, Betty White married Allen Ludden, the host of the "Password" show.
1968: Meeting Tom Sullivan
In 1968, Betty White and Allen Ludden met blind musician and motivational speaker Tom Sullivan while he 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: I've Got a Secret appearance
From 1972, Betty White appeared on "I've Got a Secret".
1973: Frequent Game Show Appearances
From 1973, Betty White made frequent game show appearances on "Match Game".
1973: Sue Ann Nivens on The Mary Tyler Moore Show
In 1973, Betty White began appearing on "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: Emmy Award for The Mary Tyler Moore Show
In 1975, Betty White won an Emmy Award for her role on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show".
1975: Replaced as commentator of Tournament of Roses Parade
In 1975, NBC replaced Betty White as commentator hostess of the Tournament of Roses Parade due to her association with CBS's "The Mary Tyler Moore Show".
1975: Appeared on Password
Until 1975, Betty White made many appearances on the hit game show "Password" as a celebrity guest.
1976: Emmy Award for The Mary Tyler Moore Show
In 1976, Betty White won an Emmy Award for her role on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show".
1977: The Betty White Show on CBS
Following the end of "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" in 1977, Betty White was offered her own sitcom on CBS, "The Betty White Show", which was later cancelled 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: Frequent Game Show Appearances
From 1982, Betty White made frequent game show appearances 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 "Just Men!".
1983: Daytime Emmy Award for Just Men!
In 1983, Betty White became the first woman to win a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Game Show Host, for the NBC show "Just Men!".
1985: Role as Rose Nylund on The Golden Girls
In 1985, Betty White began her role as Rose Nylund on the NBC sitcom "The Golden Girls".
1990: To Tell the Truth appearance
In 1990, Betty White appeared on "To Tell the Truth".
1995: Inducted into Television Hall of Fame
In 1995, Betty White was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame.
2000: Hosted History on Film
From 2000, Betty White hosted "History on Film" for the Los Angeles Zoo & Botanical Garden's ZooScape member newsletter.
2002: Hosted History on Film
Until 2002, Betty White hosted "History on Film" for the Los Angeles Zoo & Botanical Garden's ZooScape member newsletter.
2004: Talk show appearance on Q&A
In 2004, Betty White made an appearance on talk show Q&A.
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 since 1971.
2009: Starred 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: Role as 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.
2010: Interview about auditioning for The Mary Tyler Moore Show
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, Betty White expressed her desire to be reunited with her late husband, Allen Ludden, in Heaven.
January 2011: SAG Award for Outstanding Performance
In January 2011, Betty White received a 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: Collaboration with Luciana on "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". 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 was awarded an honorary degree and a white doctor's coat by 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)", which included stories about her friendship with John Steinbeck.
![[(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 the 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 conducted by Reuters and Ipsos revealed that Betty White was considered the most popular and most trusted celebrity among Americans.
2011: Relationship with Liberace
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
In 2014, Betty White earned the Guinness World Record for the longest TV career by a female entertainer.
2015: To Tell the Truth appearance
In 2015, Betty White appeared on "To Tell the Truth".
2017: Membership in 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, making her the oldest new member 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 Little Big Shots: Forever Young, where he performed and reunited with Betty White.
2018: Second Guinness World Record
In 2018, Betty White earned the Guinness World Record for the longest TV career by a female entertainer for the second time.
2018: Betty White: First Lady of Television Documentary
In 2018, the documentary "Betty White: First Lady of Television" detailed Betty White's life and career.
December 25, 2021: Betty White Suffered a Stroke
On December 25, 2021, Betty White suffered a stroke.
December 31, 2021: Betty White's Death
On December 31, 2021, Betty White passed away. She was a pioneer of early television and had a career spanning almost seven decades.
June 2022: Sale of Carmel Home
In June 2022, Betty White's California home in Carmel was sold after her death.
2025: United States Postal Service Stamp Unveiling
In 2025, the United States Postal Service unveiled a new stamp that features Betty White on it. It is a Forever stamp with the words "Forever USA" under her.
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