Skip to content

Top Navigation

EW.com Entertainment Weekly EW.com Entertainment Weekly
  • TV
    • TV Reviews
    • TV Reunions
    • TV Recaps
    • Animated
    • Comedy
    • Crime
    • Drama
    • Family
    • Mystery
    • Reality
    • Sci-fi
    • Thriller
  • Movies
    • Movie Reviews
    • Trailers
    • Film Festivals
    • Movie Reunions
    • Movie Previews
  • Music
    • Music Reviews
  • Books
    • Book Reviews
    • Author Interviews
  • Theater
    • Theater Reviews
  • Podcasts
  • Gaming
  • Events
    • Comic-Con
  • Celebrity
  • Awards
    • Oscars
    • Emmys
    • Golden Globes
    • SAG Awards
    • Grammys
    • Tony Awards
  • Streaming

Profile Menu

Your Profile

Account

  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletter
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Order Past Issues this link opens in a new tab
  • Logout
Login
Subscribe

Explore EW.com

EW.com Entertainment Weekly EW.com Entertainment Weekly
  • Explore

    Explore

    • Every RuPaul's Drag Race season 13 runway look, ranked

      Read More Next
    • Spread the love with EW's Valentine's Day gift guide

      Read More Next
    • The Masked Dancer revealed: Every unmasked celebrity on season 1

      Read More Next
  • TV

    TV

    See All TV
    • TV Reviews
    • TV Reunions
    • TV Recaps
    • Animated
    • Comedy
    • Crime
    • Drama
    • Family
    • Mystery
    • Reality
    • Sci-fi
    • Thriller
  • Movies

    Movies

    See All Movies
    • Movie Reviews
    • Trailers
    • Film Festivals
    • Movie Reunions
    • Movie Previews
  • Music

    Music

    See All Music
    • Music Reviews
  • Books

    Books

    See All Books
    • Book Reviews
    • Author Interviews
  • Theater

    Theater

    See All Theater
    • Theater Reviews
  • Podcasts
  • Gaming
  • Events

    Events

    See All Events
    • Comic-Con
  • Celebrity
  • Awards

    Awards

    See All Awards
    • Oscars
    • Emmys
    • Golden Globes
    • SAG Awards
    • Grammys
    • Tony Awards
  • Streaming

Profile Menu

Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
Your Profile

Account

  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletter
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Order Past Issues this link opens in a new tab
  • Logout
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. Home Chevron Right
  2. News Chevron Right
  3. The evolution of Betty White

The evolution of Betty White

See photos of the beloved actress through the years to celebrate her 99th birthday
By Madeline Boardman
Updated January 17, 2021 at 08:13 PM EST
Meredith has affiliate partnerships. These do not influence editorial content, though Meredith may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links.
Skip gallery slides
Save FB Tweet

1 of 43

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Betty White Through the Years

Born in Oak Park, Ill., on January 17, 1922, Betty White celebrates her 99th birthday Sunday. Pictured here in 1954, the beloved star got her start as a teenager, picking up early work through commercials and programs on the radio. White made her on-screen debut in the '40s and rose to fame on TV shows like Life with Elizabeth, Date with the Angels, The Jack Paar Tonight Show, To Tell the Truth, and The Betty White Show. In the decades since, the actress picked up Emmy Awards for her work on Mary Tyler Moore, The Golden Girls, The John Larroquette Show, and Saturday Night Live. See photos of White through the years, ahead.

1 of 43

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 43

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Betty White in 1954

Credit: NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

2 of 43

3 of 43

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Betty White at Her Home With Her Dog Stormy on February 3, 1954

3 of 43

Advertisement
Continued on next slide.
Advertisement

4 of 43

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Betty White in 1955

Credit: Hulton Archive/Getty Images

4 of 43

Advertisement

5 of 43

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Betty White in 1955

5 of 43

6 of 43

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Betty White at the Chirstmas Parade in Los Angeles in December 1955

Credit: Earl Leaf/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

6 of 43

Advertisement
Advertisement
Continued on next slide.
Advertisement

7 of 43

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Betty White in 1956

Credit: Hulton Archive/Getty Images

7 of 43

Advertisement
Advertisement

8 of 43

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Betty White at Home on May 6, 1957

Credit: ABC Photo Archives/ABC via Getty Images

8 of 43

Advertisement

9 of 43

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Betty White on Betty White's Date with L.A. Fireman on June 7, 1957

Credit: ABC Photo Archives/ABC via Getty Images

9 of 43

Advertisement
Advertisement
Continued on next slide.
Advertisement

10 of 43

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Betty White on The Betty White Show on March 8, 1958

Credit: ABC Photo Archives/ABC via Getty Images

10 of 43

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

11 of 43

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Betty White With Her Husband Allen Ludden in the 1960s

Credit: NBCU Photo Bank

11 of 43

Advertisement
Advertisement

12 of 43

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Betty White With Allen Lunden on May 8, 1963

Credit: CBS via Getty Images

12 of 43

Advertisement
Advertisement
Continued on next slide.
Advertisement

13 of 43

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Betty White With Allan Ludden on Password on February 7, 1967

Credit: CBS via Getty Images

13 of 43

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

14 of 43

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Betty White With Lorne Greene at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in 1967

Credit: NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

14 of 43

Advertisement
Advertisement

15 of 43

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Betty White in New York on December 27, 1968

Credit: CBS via Getty Images

15 of 43

Advertisement
Advertisement
Continued on next slide.
Advertisement

16 of 43

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Betty White in 1970

Credit: NBC/NBCU Photo Bank

16 of 43

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

17 of 43

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Betty White With Allen Ludden on February 14, 1972

17 of 43

Advertisement
Advertisement

18 of 43

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Betty White With Allen Ludden, Brett Somers, Charles Nelson Reilly, Dolly Read Martin, Richard Dawson, and Gene Rayburn on Match Game in 1973

Credit: Courtesy Everett Collection

18 of 43

Advertisement
Advertisement
Continued on next slide.
Advertisement

19 of 43

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Betty White on Mary Tyler Moore in 1974

Credit: CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images

19 of 43

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

20 of 43

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Betty White With Ted Knight, Georgia Engel, Gavin MacLeod, Mary Tyler Moore, and Ed Asner on Mary Tyler Moore on November 21, 1975

Credit: CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images

20 of 43

Advertisement
Advertisement

21 of 43

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Betty White With Mary Tyler Moore on The Mary Tyler Moore Show in 1975

21 of 43

Advertisement
Advertisement
Continued on next slide.
Advertisement

22 of 43

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Betty White With Ed Asner, Mary Tyler Moore, and Ted Knight at the Emmy Awards in 1976

Credit: CBS via Getty Images

22 of 43

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

23 of 43

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Betty White With Johnny Carson on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson on February 8, 1979

Credit: Gene Arias/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank

23 of 43

Advertisement
Advertisement

24 of 43

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Betty White With Rue McClanahan, Estelle Getty, and Bea Arthur on The Golden Girls on July 26, 1986 

Credit: Gary Null/NBCU Photo Bank

24 of 43

Advertisement
Advertisement
Continued on next slide.
Advertisement

25 of 43

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Betty White at the 38th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards on September 21, 1986

Credit: Ron Galella/WireImage

25 of 43

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

26 of 43

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Betty White on The Golden Girls in the Late 1980s

26 of 43

Advertisement
Advertisement

27 of 43

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Betty White With Her Golden Girls Costars Bea Arthur, Rue McClanahan, and Estelle Getty in 1988

Credit: ABC Photo Archives/ABC via Getty Images

27 of 43

Advertisement
Advertisement
Continued on next slide.
Advertisement

28 of 43

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Betty White With Rue McClanahan on The Golden Girls in 1989

Credit: Theo Westenberger/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

28 of 43

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

29 of 43

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Betty White at the ABC All-Star Party for Summer TCA Press Tour on July 20, 1995 

Credit: Ron Galella/WireImage

29 of 43

Advertisement
Advertisement

30 of 43

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Betty White on Ladies Man in 1999

Credit: CBS via Getty Images

30 of 43

Advertisement
Advertisement
Continued on next slide.
Advertisement

31 of 43

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Betty White With Mary Tyler Moore and Cloris Leachman at the 2nd Annual TV Land Awards in Hollywood on March 7, 2004

Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images

31 of 43

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

32 of 43

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Betty White With Rue McClanahan and Bea Arthur at the DVD Release Party for The Golden Girls in Los Angeles on November 18, 2004

Credit: Carlo Allegri/Getty Images

32 of 43

Advertisement
Advertisement

33 of 43

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Betty White With James Spader on Boston Legal on January 24, 2006 

Credit: RON TOM/ABC Photo Archives

33 of 43

Advertisement
Advertisement
Continued on next slide.
Advertisement

34 of 43

Save