On what would have been her 100th birthday, fans worldwide honored the late actor Betty White. The beloved comedian died on December 31 after suffering a stroke six days previously.
Celebrities, television shows, and even the Library of Congress joined together to celebrate her life and raise funds in White’s name to support animal shelters and rescue groups. The Cincinnati Zoo named a penguin chick in her honor.
Related: People are obsessed with this ongoing saga of a lesbian couple’s cats holding their blender hostage
The blue penguin chick was officially dubbed “Rose” after White’s iconic Golden Girls character.
Never Miss a Beat
Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights.
The #BettyWhiteChallenge hashtag swept Twitter as users donated small amounts to a fund that will distribute the contributions to a network of charities. Several different hashtags remained popular throughout the day.
“In honor of the late, great Betty White,” actor Bernadette Peters tweeted, “we ask that you participate in the #BettyWhiteChallenge by donating to Broadway Barks. Funds raised will be distributed amongst our network of 40+ animal shelters and rescue groups. RIP Dear Sweet Betty! Woof Woof.”
Actor Mark Hamill, however, opted to use the more blunt hashtag #DonateToAnAnimalCharityInHerName.
“Many are missed, but very few are never forgotten. We will never forget you, Betty White,” Kathy Lee Gifford sent. “Thank you for always being YOU.”
Television shows from Jeopardy! to Spongebob Squarepants also honored the star, remembering the times she had worked with them.
“Betty White left her stamp on Bikini Bottom,” the cartoon tweeted with a picture of the character Beatrice, who was voiced by White.
A one-night theatrical release celebrated White long career while NBC has announced it will air a primetime tribute to the iconic comedian later this month. The network’s streaming service, Peacock, will air it for free the next day.
“She’d want us all to be laughing, but damn it’s pretty hard not to cry. Happy 100th Birthday, Betty,” the network tweeted. “Thank you for being a friend.”
Betty White would have turned 100 today. We combed the archives and found a treasure hidden within our collections: Pictures of a stunning Betty from a 1954 photoshoot by Look photographer Maurice Terrell. We hope you enjoy this collage as much as we do.
Happy birthday, Betty. pic.twitter.com/tEeJtZTWn0
— Library of Congress (@librarycongress) January 17, 2022
In honor of the late, great Betty White we ask that you participate in the #BettyWhiteChallenge by donating to Broadway Barks. Funds raised will be distributed amongst our network of 40+ animal shelters and rescue groups.
RIP Dear Sweet Betty! Woof Woof https://t.co/ByJsIpf9VD https://t.co/spMIWRbmfR— Bernadette Peters (@OfficialBPeters) January 17, 2022
Many are missed, but very few are never forgotten. We will never forget you, Betty White. Thank you for always being YOU. pic.twitter.com/Cb5SBPqJHt
— Kathie Lee Gifford (@KathieLGifford) January 17, 2022
In honor of Betty White's birthday today, we are naming our little blue penguin chick Rose! We think Betty would approve! pic.twitter.com/OMXkKvaaB4
— Cincinnati Zoo (@CincinnatiZoo) January 17, 2022
For Betty: 🎂(times a hundred) #DonateToAnAnimalCharityInHerName pic.twitter.com/QFX7DGBnTC
— Mark Hamill (@HamillHimself) January 17, 2022
Betty White always made us laugh, especially right here on set! Happy 100th birthday, Betty. You are deeply missed. #ThankYouForBeingAFriend
("The Golden Girls" was produced by Witt Thomas Harris Productions in association with Touchstone Television (ABC/Disney)) pic.twitter.com/4BQhNvxyN8
— Jeopardy! (@Jeopardy) January 17, 2022
Many are missed, but very few are never forgotten. We will never forget you, Betty White. Thank you for always being YOU. pic.twitter.com/Cb5SBPqJHt
— Kathie Lee Gifford (@KathieLGifford) January 17, 2022
Betty White left her stamp on Bikini Bottom pic.twitter.com/b6Tq5QjC1S
— SpongeBob (@SpongeBob) January 17, 2022
She'd want us all to be laughing, but damn it's pretty hard not to cry. Happy 100th Birthday, Betty. Thank you for being a friend ❤️ pic.twitter.com/9tZ35KKB9r
— Peacock (@peacockTV) January 17, 2022
In honor of @BettyMWhite's birthday and her love for animals, we encourage you to take part in the #BettyWhiteChallenge by donating to your local shelter or rescue. To find your local shelter, visit https://t.co/tlNwRJnB8g pic.twitter.com/zWqrGx9x8c
— ASPCA (@ASPCA) January 17, 2022