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Betty White’s life through pictures on what would have been her 100th birthday

A celebration of life


JANUARY 17, 2022 9:06 AM EST

 Betty White  was just weeks away from a huge milestone when she passed away on December 31, 2021.

Today, January 17, would have been the beloved celebrity’s 100th birthday--but just because she’s gone doesn’t mean we can’t still celebrate. After all, it’s what the actor, comedian, and model would have wanted.

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Betty White in the 1950s

Luckily for fans around the world, a movie event planned prior to her death to mark her milestone birthday--Betty White: 100 Years Young -- A Birthday Celebration--will go on as planned.

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Betty White in the 1960s

“Our hearts mourn today with the passing of Betty White. During the many years we worked with her, we developed a great love and admiration for Betty as a person, and as an accomplished entertainer,” the film’s producers Steve Boettcher and Mike Trinklein said in a statement to CNN. “We are thankful for the many decades of delight she brought to everyone. Betty always said she was the ‘luckiest broad on two feet’ to have had a career as long as she did. And honestly, we were the lucky ones to have had her for so long.”

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Betty White in the 1970s

The film explores the beloved celebrity’s career and follows her day-to-day life, including her work and her advocacy for animals. It is set to screen at 900 theaters nationwide through Fathom Events, though, originally, it was going to show live footage of White’s actual birthday party.

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Betty White in the 1980s

For the highly-anticipated event, a star-studded cast of friends including Ryan Reynolds, Tina Fey, Robert Redford, Lin Manuel- Miranda, Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman, Jay Leno, Carol Burnett, Craig Ferguson, Jimmy Kimmel, Valerie Bertinelli, James Corden, Wendy Malick and more were originally scheduled to participate.

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Betty White in the 1990s

A few weeks ago, prior to her passing, Betty was extremely excited for the celebration.

“Who doesn‘t love a party?!? This one is gonna be GREAT!” she said in a statement to CNN at the time.

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Betty White in 2004

Now that she’s gone, fans are using her 100th birthday to remember all of the amazing things Betty White accomplished in her decade of entertaining. We all know the Golden Girls legend would want the world to celebrate her life, not mourn.

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Betty White in 2013

Following her passing, we can still take to heart everything Betty White embodied throughout her life.

“It‘s not like she’s just a bubbly, joyful person. She wakes up every day and chooses to be that way,” Ted Danson, who worked alongside White to support ocean conservation, told PEOPLE. “I think she leads a very purposeful life.”

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Betty White in 2018

“Betty lives a life of happiness,” White’s longtime agent and friend, Jeff Witjas, also told PEOPLE. “She always thinks of others first, and she stays positive no matter what, even when I beat her at our favorite game of gin rummy!”

Happy 100th, Betty White! Rest In Peace.