Born Farrah Leni Fawcett on February 2, 1947, in Corpus Christi, Texas, Farrah Fawcett took the television world by storm in 1976 with her breakout role as private investigator, Jill Munroe, on Charlie’s Angels.

Her hairstyle was mimicked by millions of young women, her famous pin-up poster broke sales records, and until her death on June 25, 2009 from cancer, Fawcett remained a sex symbol all over the world. She was more than just a buxom beauty though, and her talents stretched much further than a television sidekick.

In 1983 Farrah appeared off-Broadway in the play Extremities, about a would-be rape victim that turns the tables on her attacker.

The role won her critical acclaim, and she followed that up by starring in the made-for-TV-movie The Burning Bed, which would earn her the first of four Emmy nods. She then appeared in the film version of her off-Broadway play, and received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress.

No matter where she went though, Fawcett seemed unable to shake off her sex-symbol moniker. She finally gave in to the pressure, and appeared nude in the December 1995 issue of Playboy magazine, and it quickly became the best-selling issue of the 1990s.

As for her personal life, Farrah was only married once. In 1973, her and actor Lee Majors (The Six Million Dollar Man) tied the knot. They ended up separated in 1979, although did not seek a divorce until 1982. She moved on, and from 1982 until 1997, and then again from 2001 until her death in 2009, she was linked with actor Ryan O’Neal. Together they had one son, Redmond James O’Neal, although the couple were never married.

In 2006, Farrah was diagnosed with anal cancer. Though she was declared free of the disease just four months after the initial diagnosis, the cancer returned in 2007. Farrah traveled the globe seeking holistic and alternative medicines to help fight her battle, but with Ryan and her best friend Alana Stewart by her side, she succumbed to the disease after a more than 3-year battle.

As part of the original girl-power movement on the small screen, she was seen as strong, confident, and yes, sexy. More than just a pretty face though, Farrah will always be remembered for giving girls everywhere the courage to do the things they really wanted to do, and to not give in to the ‘it’s a man’s world mentality.’ For that, and so much more, we say kudos to you, Farrah Fawcett, for truly being a television icon.