There's no actress quite like Betty White. In 2018, the Golden Girls icon celebrated her 80th year in the entertainment industry. In that time, she became one of the very first women to host a television show, star in a sitcom, and earn an Emmy Award. We could go on and on about all of her success, but you know what's even more fun? Looking back at old photos! And don't forget to wish Betty White a happy birthday on January 17, when the star turns 98!

1947: Betty gets her start in radio.

White first pursued acting in high school and landed her first professional role at 25. After spending time in the casting office of The Great Gildersleeve, producers of the radio station offered her a few small roles on Blondie and This Is Your FBI in the mid 1940s.

1949: She becomes a young TV host.
As her radio career was taking off, the then 27-year-old didn't shy away from her true dream of becoming an actress. She landed her first television role as co-host for Hollywood On Television on KLAC-Los Angeles in 1949, making her one of the first female TV hosts in U.

S. history.

1966: White hosts the Thanksgiving Day Parade.
The Tournament of Roses was not the only famous parade White hosted back in the day: White once hosted the popular Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade for nearly a decade. Here, she co-hosts the annual event with Lorne Greene back in 1966.