Shirley Temple Went From Child Star to U.S. Ambassador
She won a special Oscar at six. Decades later, she watched history being made in Prague.
During the Great Depression, Shirley Temple's curls, dimples and tap dancing lifted the spirits of millions. From 1935 to 1938, she was the top box office star in America.
An Oscar at six
In 1935 she received a special Juvenile Academy Award, the first of its kind. She was just six years old.
A new career
Temple retired from films in 1950. As Shirley Temple Black, she entered public service. She was appointed U.S. Ambassador to Ghana in 1974 and later became the first woman to serve as U.S. Chief of Protocol.
The Velvet Revolution
In 1989 she became U.S. Ambassador to Czechoslovakia. She arrived just months before the peaceful Velvet Revolution ended Communist rule, and she witnessed the historic change firsthand.
She said she was proud of both careers. She died in 2014 at age 85.
This story is based on the stars' own interviews and memoirs and on widely reported history. Spotted an error? Tell us and we will correct it.
