On April 23, 1928, Shirley Temple was born in Santa Monica, CA. She became one of the most famous child stars in history. From a childhood spent entertaining Great Depression-era audiences to an adulthood spent serving as a U.S. Diplomat, Temple is a national treasure. She died four years ago, but if Temple were still alive, she would be celebrating her 90th birthday today.
Born as Shirley Temple Black to a banker and a housewife, Temple landed her first contract at age three with Educational Pictures. She starred in a series of low-budget films, known as “Baby Burlesques.” In the short films, she parodied some of the most famous adult stars of the day, including Greta Garbo and Marlene Dietrich.
With her vibrant energy, cherubic face and blonde corkscrew curls, the young star then signed a contract with Fox Films. She appeared in her first Hollywood film, “Carolina,”, at age six. In 1934 alone, she made a total of 10 films, including “Little Miss Marker” and “Bright Eyes,” that introduced audiences to her now-iconic song and dance routine to “On The Good Ship Lollipop.” As she brightened up lives during the greatest economic crisis in American history, President Franklin D. Roosevelt called her “Little Miss Miracle.” Of Temple, he famously once said, “As
long as our country has Shirley Temple, we will be alright.” Acknowledging her cultural impact, she was awarded a special Juvenile Academy Award at the 1934 Oscars. She went on to star in more than 40 films, most before she turned 12.
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As Temple entered adulthood, her star power began to fade. She quit acting in 1950, after starring in the John Wayne film “Fort Apache.” After a brief stint as a television host in the late 1950s, she transitioned into a new role: public servant. She served as a U.S. delegate to the United Nations from 1969-1970 and then was appointed by President Ford as Ambassador to Ghana in 1974. Temple then made foreign policy history in 1989 when she achieved the rank of honorary U.S. Foreign Service officer. At the time, she was the only person to receive this title. After that, President George H.W. Bush appointed her as Ambassador to Czechoslovakia (1989-1992), during a time of major post-Cold War changes. After ending her tenure in that position, she continued to work in diplomacy throughout the 1990s.
In 1998, she was celebrated at the Kennedy Center Honors and then in 2005, she received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Screen Actors Guild. When accepting the 2005 award, she said, “I have one piece of advice for those of you who want to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award: start early!”