Betty White

Received the Womens International Center (WIC) Living Legacy Award in 1988.

Started career as the "Phone Girl" on Al Jarvis s afternoon TV show in L.A.

James L. Brooks offered her the role of Helen Hunt s mother in As Good as It Gets . She turned it down because she objected to the treatment of the dog in the film.

Beloved frequent guest celebrity/panelist on numerous game shows, including every version of "Password" , "The Hollywood Squares" , "Match Game 73" , "The $10,000 Pyramid" , and countless others.

Per her autobiography, White was named "Betty" at birth not "Elizabeth" because her parents did not want her to be saddled with any of the nicknames and derivatives of Elizabeth -- i.e. Beth, Liza, Ellie, etc.

Moved to Los Angeles when she was only two years old.

Played the same character, Rose Nylund, on four different TV series: "The Golden Palace" , "The Golden Girls" , "Nurses" , and "Empty Nest" .

Is an avid Animal Rights activist and is a sponsor for Farm Animal Reform Movement and Friends of Animals.

Graduated from Beverly Hills High School in Beverly Hills, California, in 1939, at age 17. Other alumni of the school include Angelina Jolie , Michael Klesic , Nicolas Cage , Lenny Kravitz , David Schwimmer , Jonathan Silverman , Gina Gershon , Rhonda Fleming , Jackie Cooper , Rob Reiner , Antonio Sabato Jr. , Pauly Shore , Michael Tolkin , Corbin Bernsen , Elizabeth Daily , Albert Brooks , and Crispin Glover.

Is strongly critical of reality television.

Admits to having surgery before "The Golden Girls" , even though the program was about growing old and not having a problem with it.

Her paternal grandfather, Christopher Hans Christian White, was Danish, and her maternal grandfather, Nicholas Cachikis, was Greek. Her grandmothers, both Canadian-born, had English and Welsh ancestry.

Is an avid animal welfare activist and works with a number of organizations; including the Los Angeles Zoo Commission, the Morris Animal Foundation, and Actors & Others for Animals.

Betty was originally considered for the role of the sexpot, "Blanche," on "The Golden Girls" . However, Betty had already been the aggressive "Sue Ann Nivens" on "Mary Tyler Moore" and Rue McClanahan had played the introverted "Vivian" on "Maude" . It was thought best not to have these two actresses reprise similar characters. Therefore, Betty got the part of naive "Rose Nylund" and Rue played the oversexed "Blanche".

Was portraying the conniving, gold-digging Ellen Harper, the niece of Rue McClanahan , who played the prudish Aunt Fran, On "Mamas Family" at the same time as they were working together on "The Golden Girls" in almost opposite roles.

Attended the same school as Jamie Luner.

Received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1988. The star is next to her late husband, Allen Ludden ,s star.

Made several appearances on "Santa Barbara" as part of a contest.

In 1955, Betty was the honorary mayor of Hollywood, California.

At 88 and a half, she was the oldest person to ever host "Saturday Night Live" .

She is a member of the Unity Church.

Of the four principal stars/actresses on "The Golden Girls" , Betty White is the oldest (first born), as well as the last surviving. (In order: Betty White, born on January 17, 1922; Bea Arthur , born on May 13, 1922; Estelle Getty , born on July 25, 1923; and Rue McClanahan , born on February 21, 1934).

Best known for her starring role as Rose Nylund on "The Golden Girls" .

She has never had children.

She started her entertainment career on radio in 1930 at the age of 8 playing an adopted orphan on the soap opera "Empire Builders".

She is a Democrat and throughout the years has endorsed Franklin D. Roosevelt , Adlai Stevenson , John F. Kennedy , Jimmy Carter , Bill Clinton , and Barack Obama.

Friends with Shirley Jones , Gavin MacLeod , Florence Henderson , Mary Tyler Moore , Edward Asner , Cloris Leachman , Doris Roberts , Rue McClanahan , Charlotte Rae , Marla Gibbs , Della Reese , Norman Lloyd , Dick Van Dyke , Carol Burnett , Tom Poston , Susan Harris , Mark Goodson , Dick Clark , Bill Cullen , Doris Day , Barbara Walters , Richard Dawson , Alex Trebek , Robert Wagner , Carol Channing , Bob Eubanks , Joyce Bulifant , Ed Begley Jr. , Vicki Lawrence , Ralph Helfer and Joan Rivers.

Alongside Norman Lloyd , William Daniels , Dick Van Dyke , Ernest Borgnine , Mickey Rooney , Angela Lansbury , Edward Asner , Phyllis Diller , Adam West , Marla Gibbs , Larry Hagman , Florence Henderson , Christopher Lee , Shirley Jones and Alan Alda , White is one of the few screen actors who have lived into their 80s and/or 90s without ever either retiring from acting or having stopped getting work.

Appeared on many games shows with good friend Vicki Lawrence who was also a big game player.

Release of her book, "Betty Whites Pet-Love: How Pets Take Care of Us".

New York, NY, USA: Release and promotion of her newest book, "If You Ask Me: (And of Course You Wont)"

Release of her autobiography, "Betty White in Person".

Ralph Helfer , renowned animal trainer and Hollywood animal behaviorist is very dear of Betty who provided many of his exotic animals for her television show "The Pet Set" .

Met Mark Goodson , Bill Todman , Frank Wayne and Chester Feldman ; when White was in New York, doing game shows.

Despite not having children, White is the stepmother of: David, Martha and Sarah (Allen Ludden s first marriage to Margaret McGloin).

She was born on the street opposite of Chicago, in a suburb of Oak Park.

Had begun writing plays when she was in grammar school.

Long lives ran in her family.

An avid game player.

Her parents met in Chicago, where her father, Horace Logan White, worked at an electrical company, and her mother, Christine Tess White, was a housewife.

Had frequently flew from Los Angeles to New York being a panelist on game shows.

Before she was a successful comedienne, actress and an animal activist, she was a member of the American Womens Voluntary Services (where she drove a PX truck) during World War II and she worked as a disc jockey at KLAC.

Started her own theatrical agency Betty White Limited

And nobody takes it seriously - you either enjoy it and get a laugh out,of the reactions or not.

I think older women still have a full life.

You can always tell about somebody by the way they put their hands on an,animal.

Whatever turns you on.

During the Depression, my dad made radios to sell to make extra money.

Nobody had any money to buy the radios, so he would trade them for,dogs. He built kennels in the backyard, and he cared for the dogs.

I just make it my business to get along with people so I can have fun.

Hot dogs and Red Vines and potato chips and French fries are my favorite,foods.

Long ago, I did a five-and-a-half-hour-a-day, six-day-a-week talk show,for four years, early on, in Los Angeles - local show. And when you are,on that many hours with no script, you know, you get very comfortable,maybe overly comfortable with that small audience.

A good friend of mine was Lucy Ball. Her mother and my mother were best,friends.

A lady likes to be complimented on her looks, her eyes, her figure. But,the personality comments are much appreciated.

The writers are the stars of every really successful sitcom.

I like bawdy humor. I love bawdy humor, but not dirty humor.

They were fun, and we would laugh a lot.

I have the backbone of an eel.

I stayed in show business to pay for my animal business.

I love Cadillacs and name them after birds.

I was one of the first women producers in Hollywood.

When I realized I could use Facebook as a way to communicate directly,with my fans, I thought it would be a great idea.

"Mary Tyler Moore" (1970) was - it was my first big hit.

If one has no sense of humor, one is in trouble.

Animals don’t lie. Animals don’t criticize. If animals have moody days, they handle them better than humans do.

I like bawdy humor. I love bawdy humor, but not dirty humor.

During the Depression, my dad made radios to sell to make extra money. Nobody had any money to buy the radios, so he would trade them for dogs. He built kennels in the backyard, and he cared for the dogs. .