Birth name: Betty Marion White
Father: Horace White, electrical engineer
Mother: Tess White
Marriages: Allen Ludden (June 14, 1963-June 9, 1981, his death); Lane Allen (1947-1949, divorced); Dick Barker (1945, divorced)
Children: Three stepchildren with Allen Ludden: David, Martha and Sarah
Other Facts
Was offered the role of Blanche Devereaux on “The Golden Girls,” but accepted the role of Rose Nyland instead.
Turned down a part in the 1997 film, “As Good as it Gets,” because she objected to a scene in which a dog is thrown down a laundry chute.
Timeline
1940s – Has roles on several popular radio shows, including “Rin-Tin-Tin,” “This is Your FBI” and “The Great Gildersleeve.”
1949 – Lands her first role on television on “Hollywood on Television,” a live daily show.
1975 – Wins Emmy Award for Outstanding Continuing Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for “The Mary Tyler Moore Show.”
1976 – Wins Emmy Award for Outstanding Continuing Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for “The Mary Tyler Moore Show.”
1985-1992 – Plays Rose Nyland on “The Golden Girls.”
1986 – Wins Emmy for Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Comedy Series for “The Golden Girls.”
1995 – Is inducted into the Television Hall of Fame.
1996 – Wins Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for “The John Larroquette Show.”
May 8, 2010 – Hosts “Saturday Night Live.”
August 21, 2010 – Wins a Creative Arts Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series, for her guest host spot on “Saturday Night Live.”
2010-2015 – Plays Elka Ostrovosky on “Hot in Cleveland.”
February 12, 2012 – Wins Grammy for Best Spoken Word Album (Includes Poetry, Audio Books & Story Telling) for “If You Ask Me (And Of Course You Won’t).”
December 2013 – Earns the Guinness World Record for Longest TV Career for a female entertainer (74 years).