Shirley Temple was born on April 23, 1928 in Santa Monica, California. She began her career in acting at the age of 4

Shirley Temple was the most celebrated child star in history. The golden-haired little girl with the dimpled smile captured the hearts of millions around the world from her initial starring role at the age of six in Stand Up and Cheer. In her 19 feature films made between the ages of 6 and 13, she was called upon to sing, dance and act. She held her own with co-stars ranging from Bill "Bojangles" Robinson to Lionel Barrymore. Her films made as a young adult were less successful, and Temple retired to raise a family in 1949.

She later became active in Republican politics, rising to positions such as United Nations delegate, US Chief of Protocol, and two stints as a foreign ambassador, to Ghana and Czechoslovakia.