The iconic and beloved Betty White, a shining beacon in an ever dimming world has passed. 

Jan. 17th, her birthday, would have been her 100th. This single individual has not only brought joy to millions for decades, but was a crusader of animal rights, and a dedicated advocate for equality. 

let’s take this moment to further immortalize the light she brought to this wold by making her birthday officially Betty White Day. Join us as we come together to celebrate the life of someone who brought a smile to each and every one of us. 

Sign, Share, and Remember Betty

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(CNN)Betty White, the self-described "lucky old broad" whose sweetly sarcastic senior citizen characters were a beloved fixture on TV shows and movies such as "The Golden Girls," "Boston Legal" and "Hot in Cleveland," died Friday, her agent and close friend Jeff Witjas told People magazine in a statement.

At 99, she was just weeks away from celebrating her 100th birthday on Jan. 17.

"Even though Betty was about to be 100, I thought she would live forever," Witjas said. "I will miss her terribly and so will the animal world that she loved so much. I don't think Betty ever feared passing because she always wanted to be with her most beloved husband Allen Ludden. She believed she would be with him again."

For the first half of her career -- eventually honored by Guinness World Records as the longest television career by a female entertainer -- White was a regular, but not widely noticed, presence on radio and television.

There were '50s sitcoms, a 1954 talk show and even a role in the 1962 film "Advise and Consent." She'd pop up on game shows occasionally, particularly "Password," hosted by her third husband, Allen Ludden.

"It was a little out of character, a little unfeminine, to be ... you shouldn't be funny," White recalled in a 2017 interview with CNN, reminiscing about her early days in Hollywood. Noting that women at the time were expected to simply "come in and be pretty," White countered: "No, it's so much more fun to get that laugh."