Mouseketeer Annette Funicello Dead at 70

When it comes to child stars, Annette Funicell0, born in 1942, was the OG: She started working for Disney as a Mouseketeer on Mickey Mouse Club at the age of 12 — after being personally selected by Walt Disney himself. While there were many shows for kids with adults on them, Funicello and her costars really cemented the whole “kids on TV are your BFFs” thing. In her teens, Funicello became a “beach icon,” acting and dancing while wearing a swimsuit in a series of Beach Party movies with titles like Muscle Beach Party, Pajama Party and Beach Blanket Bingo.

In 1992, Funicello revealed that she suffered from multiple sclerosis; by 2012 it had severely damaged her nervous system.