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Google Doodle Celebrates Child Star Shirley Temple

Google Doodle Celebrates Child Star Shirley Temple

5 facts about Shirley Temple and how to make a Shirley Temple mocktail

Laura Sanders

Laura Sanders

Today's Google Doodle is dedicated to child actress, dancer and singer, Shirley Temple.

Born on 23rd April 1928 in California, Temple began dazzling the nation from a young age.

Here are a few things we know about Shirley Temple.

Shirley Temple was the first child to receive an Academy Award

At age three, she started dance lessons, which is when it was made clear she would be a star - with her strong work ethic, signature dimples and blonde ringlet curls. In 1934, she landed a role in the toe-tapping musical "Stand Up And Cheer."

Temple starred in a dozen films in 1934 alone, including "Bright Eyes," where she performed what became one of her most famous routines "On the Good Ship Lollipop."

Shirley Temple (
PA)

Temple was one of the most popular actresses in American cinema before she even reached her teens. She was the first child to be given an Academy Award - at just six years old.

When she reached her teens, Temple moved to the airwaves and starred in a radio sitcom "Junior Miss," which was about a teenage girl growing up in New York City.

Did Shirley Temple have naturally curly hair?

This may come as a bit of a surprise, but Shirley Temple's hair was actually very straight. To achieve her famous pin-curl look, her mother, Gertrude Temple, would put 56 curlers in her hair before each film.

According to the LA Times, "Every hairdo had exactly 56 curls, no more, no less. Temple told The Times in 1989 that her 'super mother ... kept my head on straight.'"

She retired from the movie industry at 22, when most people are just starting out

Temple continued to star in films throughout her teenage years, and at 22, she retired from the movie industry as a Hollywood icon.

In 1958, Temple narrated the eponymous "Shirley Temple's Storybook," a children's television series which adapted family-friendly stories-sometimes even filmed live. This short-lived anthology marked her final foray in American entertainment before her graceful transition into full-time public service.

Shirley Temple's diplomatic career

"Not only did Temple help millions of Americans through the hardships of the Great Depression as Hollywood's top box office draw, she also later shared her charisma with the world through her work in international relations," says Google Culture.

Temple was appointed as a representative of the U.S. to the United Nations in 1969. And in 1972, she represented her nation in the 1972 UN Conference on the Human Environment.

Shirley Temple landing in London, fulfilling her diplomatic duties on a European tour in 1968 (
PA)

Some of the highlights of her diplomatic career include an ambassadorship to Ghana and being the first female Chief of Protocol to the State Department. In 1988, she was also appointed as an Honorary Foreign Service Officer.

How old was Shirley Temple when she died?

Temple died on 10th February 2014, at the age of 86. She was married to Actor Charles Aldon Black from 1950 until his death in 2005.

Shirley Temple with husband Charles Alden Black in London, 1968 (
PA)

Temple and Black left behind three children: Lori Black, Linda Susan Agar and Charles Alden Black Jr.

How to make a Shirley Temple drink

Did you know there's a drink named after the child star? The Shirley Temple is one of the most famous mocktails around. It's a sweet and summery drink, which can be made into a Dirty Shirley Temple by adding some vodka.

Shirley Temple drink (
The Spruce Eats)

To make a traditional Shirley Temple, you will need:

  • 3 tsp grenadine syrup
  • 1.5 tspns lime juice, freshly squeezed
  • 200 ml ginger ale (or lemonade)
  • Ice
  • Maraschino cherries to garnish
  • A tall glass to serve

How to make:

  1. Half-fill a glass with crushed ice
  2. Mix in all of the ingredients and garnish with a maraschino cherry - enjoy!
Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: Google, Celebirty, Google Doodle