A young Burnett is seen in an undated portrait. Burnett was born in San Antonio in 1933, and she later moved to Los Angeles, where she attended UCLA and took theater-arts classes.
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Burnett, left, and Mary Rodgers move a prop mattress through the stage door of the Alvin Theatre in New York in 1959. Burnett's first Broadway play was the musical "Once Upon a Mattress," and Rodgers wrote the score. Burnett earned a Tony Award nomination for her work on the play.
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In the late 1950s, Burnett became a regular on "The Garry Moore Show." It was her television debut.
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Burnett and her sister, Chrissie, listen to records on the floor of Burnett's apartment in 1959.
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Garry Moore kisses Burnett in 1962 after they both received Emmy Awards for their work on "The Garry Moore Show."
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Burnett guest-stars on a "Twilight Zone" episode in 1962.
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Julie Andrews, left, and Burnett drink tea while reviewing the musical score for their 1962 TV special "Julie and Carol at Carnegie Hall."
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Burnett peeks at a portrait of herself that was being painted by artist Dmitri Vails in 1963.
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Burnett made her film debut in 1963's "Who's Been Sleeping in My Bed?"
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Burnett laughs while appearing with Lucille Ball, center, and Mary Jane Croft on a 1966 episode of "The Lucy Show."
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Burnett interacts with the audience of her new variety show, "The Carol Burnett Show," in 1967. The show aired for 11 years and brought together Burnett's gifts for comedy, acting and song.
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Burnett, left, and Cher perform a skit on "The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour" in 1972.
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Burnett — flanked by Jean Stapleton and Phil Silvers — tugs on her ear during an episode of "The Carol Burnett Show" in 1975. Burnett's signature ear tug came at the end of each episode and was her way of saying hello to her grandmother who raised her.
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Burnett wears a dress made from a window curtain as she parodies "Gone With the Wind" during a "Carol Burnett Show" episode in 1976.
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Burnett performs a Tarzan yell, which she would often do during her show's question-and-answer sessions.
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In 1979, Burnett poses with her second husband, Joseph Hamilton, and their daughters Erin, Carrie and Jody. Burnett and Hamilton divorced in 1984. She married her third husband, Brian Miller, in 2001.
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Burnett takes the stand in 1981 after suing the National Enquirer for libel. She said the tabloid, in one of its gossip columns, incorrectly implied that she was drunk and had an argument with US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger at a Washington restaurant in 1976. The court ruled in Burnett's favor.
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Burnett co-stars in the 1982 musical film "Annie."
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Burnett reacts to a wax figure of herself as it is unveiled in Buena Park, California, in 1984.
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Burnett and Charles Grodin film a scene for the miniseries "Fresno" in 1986.
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Burnett poses with her memoir "One More Time" at a book signing in Beverly Hills, California, in 1986.
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In the late 1990s, Burnett had a recurring role playing Helen Hunt's mother in the TV series "Mad About You."
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From left, Burnett, Julie Andrews, Judi Dench and Isabelle Stevenson pose for a photo at the Tony Awards in 1999.
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Burnett, center, poses with other Kennedy Center honorees in 2003. Joining her, from left, are singer James Brown, singer Loretta Lynn, film director Mike Nichols and violinist Itzhak Perlman.
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President George W. Bush awards Burnett the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005. Burnett was honored "for enhancing the lives of millions of Americans and for her extraordinary contributions to American entertainment."
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Burnett appears in a 2009 episode of "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit."
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Carol Burnett Square was unveiled in Los Angeles in front of her alma mater, Hollywood High School, in 2013.
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Burnett is honored with the Kennedy Center's Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 2013. Joining her in the front row is her husband, Brian Miller.
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Burnett performs a skit with "Tonight Show" host Jimmy Fallon in 2014.
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In 2017, CBS put together a two-hour special episode of "The Carol Burnett Show" to celebrate its 50th anniversary.
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Burnett appears on stage during the Creative Arts Emmy Awards in 2018.
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From left, Cher, Burnett and Andrews appear in the television special "Carol Burnett: 90 Years of Laughter + Love" in 2023. The show paid tribute to Burnett on her 90th birthday.
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