Andy Griffith, the iconic actor best known for The Andy Griffith Show, passed away at 86 years old on July 3, 2012. Throughout his career, Griffith won numerous awards, including three Emmys, two Golden Globes, a Grammy, and a Screen Actors Guild Lifetime Achievement Award. He also received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005. Born the youngest of 8 children in Mount Airy, North Carolina in 1926, Griffith resided most of his life in North Carolina. He graduated from the University of North Carolina in 1949 with a degree and became one of America's most beloved actors. Griffith is remembered for his role as Sheriff Andy Taylor in The Andy Griffith Show and for creating the legal drama Matlock, which ran from 1986 to 1995. He also appeared in numerous TV shows, movies, stage productions, and records. Griffith is preceded in death by his beloved son, Andy Griffith, Jr., who died in 1996. He is survived by two children, Kathleen and Cindi Griffith and long-time friend and former assistant, Jan Jackson.