On New Year’s Eve, pioneering actress Betty White died at age 99. This past Monday marked her centennial birthday, as she left almost 100 years of a trailblazing legacy. 

Throughout her years, White continually shined on-screen. In 1952, White cofounded Bandy Productions to develop her own projects. Later that year the television sitcom, “Life with Elizabeth,” premiered. In 1973, White began appearing on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, which was a sitcom set in a television newsroom. White then starred in “The Betty White Show” (1977–78), while also holding recurring roles on multiple television shows. 

In 1985, “The Golden Girls,” a television show based on a group of older women living together in Miami, became highly successful. White co-starred the role of Rose Nylund, for which she earned seven Emmy nominations and won the award in 1986.

In 2010, White appeared in a Super Bowl commercial, following which she experienced a spike in popularity. Fans launched a Facebook campaign to have the 88-year-old actress host Saturday Night Live. White became the comedy show’s oldest host later that year and she earned an Emmy award for that performance. 

Sophomore Ava Klugerman said that she is inspired by White’s career because she showed that you can do practically anything at any age. “Even when she got old, she did things like she hosted SNL when she was in her 80s,” Klugerman said. 

In addition to her acting endeavors, White made relentless contributions to equality and humanitarian issues. White advocated for the LGBTQ+ community in her television roles, as she portrayed characters who were not afraid to speak their minds on what were considered taboo subjects. White also defended feminism and animal rights.

Senior Leo Hertzler agrees with Klugerman that White led an inspiring career. “Betty White made the decision every day to transgress boundaries that decided what was allowed on television, bringing everyone with her as she broke those boundaries,” Hertzler said. 

Late this past year in the entertainment industry, world-renowned composer-lyricist Stephen Sondheim died last November at age 91. 

At age 27, Sondheim was lyricist to the successful “West Side Story,” with music by Leonard Bernstein. Sondheim wrote lyrics for more award-winning shows, and his notable works include Gypsy (1959), Follies (1972), Sweeney Todd (1979), Into the Woods (1987) and Passion (1994).

Senior Claire Walker said that the legacies White and Sondheim left are meaningful to her. “The art and joy they’ve created and given to others is truly inspiring. They have truly blessed us while they were here,” Walker said.