Transitions...Shirley Temple Black
 

Shirley Temple Black, who was one of the most iconic child stars of the 20th century, has died. She was 85.

The dimpled actress found fame at the height of the Great Depression in movies including "Heidi," "Curly Top" and "Bright Eyes" and later served as U.S. ambassador to Ghana and Czechoslovakia.

Temple Black died of natural causes Monday at her home in Woodside, Calif., her publicist confirmed to NBC News early Tuesday.

"She was surrounded by her family and caregivers," a statement released by her family said. "We salute her for a life of remarkable achievements as an actor, as a diplomat, and... our beloved mother, grandmother [and] great-grandmother."

Temple Black was the top box-office draw for four years in a row between 1935 and 1938. She won a special Academy Award in early 1935 for her "outstanding contribution to screen entertainment" in the previous year.

At the height of her fame, Temple Black earned praise from President Franklin D. Roosevelt who called her "Little Miss Miracle" for raising the public's morale during times of economic hardship, even going so far as to say that, "as long as our country has Shirley Temple, we will be all right."

She even had a drink named after her, an appropriately sweet and innocent cocktail of ginger ale and grenadine, topped with a maraschino cherry.

However, the star's popularity waned in her late teens.

Shirley Temple's Storybook NBC / NBC
Shirley Temple appeared in Shirley Temple's Storybook from 1958 - 1961.
She married Charles Black in 1950, a marriage that lasted until his death in 2005 at age 86.

Temple Black went on to sit on the boards of corporations and organizations including The Walt Disney Company, Del Monte and the National Wildlife Federation, and unsuccessfully ran for Congress as a Republican in 1967. She was later appointed as America’s ambassador to Ghana in 1974.

In 1988 Temple Black became the first person to achieve the rank of honorary Foreign Service officer of the United States and a year later she took up the post of ambassador to Czechoslovakia, where she served until 1992.

In 1999, the American Film Institute ranking of the top 50 screen legends ranked Temple at No. 18 among the 25 actresses.

"I have one piece of advice for those of you who want to receive the lifetime achievement award. Start early," she quipped in 2006 as she was honored by the Screen Actors Guild.

Temple Black is survived by children Linda Susan, Charlie Jr and Lori, along with her granddaughter Teresa and two great-granddaughters Lily and Emma.

A long, fruitful and classy life.

Go in peace, shirlet Temple Black.

She was such a marvelous child actress. Actually, a simply great actress and woman!

May she rest in peace.

She was professional in all her callings and a roll-model for child stars to come after. What happened? :confused:

Following child stars tended to be rolled by the system.

A few made it through, Annette Funicello comes to mind, but most did not.

Ron Howard has done excellent transitioning from a child actor to becoming a very successful director, but it is a rarity. He played Opie on the Andy Griffith show.