American · Arts · Politics

Shirley Temple

April 23, 1928 — February 10, 2014Made for kids · Grade 3–4

Grade 3–45 min read≈ 549 words

Full summary

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Shirley Temple, born April 23, 1928, became Hollywood's top box-office star between 1934 and 1938, headlining more than 20 films that offered Depression-era audiences hope and comfort.
She received a special Juvenile Academy Award in 1935, becoming the youngest Oscar recipient, and her staircase dance with Bill 'Bojangles' Robinson in The Little Colonel is considered one of the first interracial dance pairings in major Hollywood film.
After retiring from acting around 1950, she transitioned into Republican politics and international diplomacy, serving on the U.S. delegation to the UN, as Ambassador to Ghana (1974–1976), as the first female U.S. Chief of Protocol (1976–1977), and as Ambassador to Czechoslovakia (1989–1992) during the Velvet Revolution.
She publicly disclosed her breast cancer diagnosis and mastectomy in the early 1970s, helping destigmatize discussions of women's health.
Temple married John Agar in 1945 and later Charles Alden Black in 1950, raising three children, and authored the autobiography Child Star in 1988.
She died on February 10, 2014, in Woodside, California, at age 85, leaving a legacy spanning film history, gender studies, and diplomatic achievement.

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1. What song made Shirley Temple famous in 1934?
2. What special award did Shirley Temple win in 1935?
3. What important job did Shirley Temple have in 1976?
4. What health issue did Shirley Temple talk about publicly in the 1970s?

Shirley Temple was born on April 23, 1928, in Santa Monica, California. Her dad worked at a bank. Her mom stayed home and took care of the family. Shirley had two older brothers. Her mom loved to help her sing, dance, and curl her hair into 56 little ringlets.

When Shirley was only three years old, her mom sent her to a dance school. She learned tap dancing, ballet, and other fun dance moves. Movie people noticed how talented she was.

Shirley started acting in short films when she was very young. In 1932, she got her first speaking part. Soon she was acting in real movies too. In 1934, she sang and danced in a movie called Stand Up and Cheer! People loved her right away. That same year, she starred in Bright Eyes and sang a famous song called "On the Good Ship Lollipop." The song became super popular all over the country.

From 1934 to 1938, Shirley was the most popular movie star in America, even more popular than grown-up actors! She made over 20 movies. In 1935, she won a special award called the Juvenile Academy Award. This made her the first kid to ever win an Oscar. She even placed her hands and feet in cement outside a famous theater in Hollywood.

One of her most special movies was The Little Colonel. In it, she danced with a man named Bill "Bojangles" Robinson. This was one of the first times a Black performer and a white performer danced together in a big Hollywood movie.

As Shirley grew older, it became harder for movie studios to find roles for her. Her last movie came out in 1949. She stopped acting in movies around 1950, but she still worked on TV shows for a while.

Later, Shirley became interested in helping her country in a new way. She joined the Republican Party and tried running for Congress, but she did not win. In 1969, the President chose her to help represent the United States at the United Nations. Then in 1974, she became an ambassador to a country called Ghana. Two years later, she became the first woman ever to be the Chief of Protocol, a job where she helped plan important visits from world leaders.

Later, in 1989, she became the U.S. Ambassador to Czechoslovakia. She was there during a very important time when the country was changing from communism to freedom.

Shirley got many awards for her acting and her work as a diplomat. In 1998, she received the Kennedy Center Honors. In 2006, she got a special award from actors for her whole career.

In her personal life, Shirley married twice. Her first husband was John Agar, and they had a daughter named Linda Susan. Later, she married Charles Black, and they had two more children. In the 1970s, Shirley bravely told the public that she had breast cancer. This helped other women feel okay about talking about their own health.

Shirley wrote a book about her life called Child Star. She passed away on February 10, 2014, at her home in California. She was 85 years old. People all over the world remembered her as a talented actress and a hardworking diplomat who helped her country in many different ways.