Betty White, TV star and America's sweetheart, through the years

Betty White, a TV legend best known for roles in "Golden Girls" and "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," has died. She was 99.

White was born Jan. 17, 1922, in Oak Park, Illinois, and grew up in Los Angeles. (NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images) She did some modeling and by the 1940s was getting work on radio.  (Getty Images) That segued into hosting a variety show on television. In 1950, she was nominated for her first Emmy. (ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images) After appearing as the title character on the television show "Life With Elizabeth" from 1952-55, White went on to appear on a number of talk and game shows in the 1950s and '60s. (NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images) In 1973, she landed the first part that brought her national recognition: Sue Ann Nivens, the conniving, sweet-as-pie-stab-you-in-the-back happy homemaker on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," a role that brought her back-to-back Emmys. (CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images) White's next signature part, Rose Nylund on "The Golden Girls," was almost the opposite of Sue Ann. (ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images) White went on to appear as a guest star on a number of television shows, on the soap opera "The Bold and the Beautiful," in the 2009 film "The Proposal" and a 2010 Super Bowl ad for Snickers, before joining "Hot in Cleveland" later that year. (Joe Scarnici/Getty Images) White was also known for her affinity for animals. The actress was an active supporter of a number of animal organizations and zoos. (Bob Riha, Jr./Getty Images) White was married three times: in 1945 to Army pilot Dick Barker, from 1947-49 to Hollywood agent Lane Allen and to "Password" host Allen Ludden from 1963 until his death in 1981. Ludden and White are pictured here. (ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images) Throughout her storied career, White was honored with eight Emmys. She also received the lifetime achievement award in 2015. (Reuters)