Elizabeth Taylor Dies At 79

Hollywood legend Elizabeth Taylor, known for her memorable film roles and tumultuous personal life, died Wednesday at the age of 79. Taylor suffered congestive heart failure, and died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, her publicist Sally Morrison said. The actress had suffered from congestive heart failure since 2004 and had been admitted to the hospital on February 11.

The recipient of three Academy Awards, including two Best Actress awards for her roles in Butterfield 8 and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? as well the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award in 1993. In a career that spanned 60 years, Taylor was known for her iconic roles in Father of the Bride (1950) with Spencer Tracy, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958) with Paul Newman and Cleopatra (1963) with Richard Burton. Later in life she became known as a humanitarian, working tirelessly for amFar, the American Foundation for AIDS research.

But her personal life was often more dramatic than her roles on the big screen. Taylor was married eight times, to a list of men that included Eddie Fisher and Richard Burton. She is survived by her four children, 10 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. —EMILY EXTON