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"Come on down!"

Few phrases are as iconic as the one coined by longtime Price Is Right host and television icon Bob Barker, known for his lengthy MC career in addition to his animal activism.

The star died in August 2023 at 99 years old. Here, a look back on his life in photos.

Bob Barker's Early Years

Robert William Barker was born on Dec. 12, 1923, in Washington, growing up on the Rosebud Reservation in Mission, South Dakota. "Cowboys tied up their horses at hitching rails," he told PEOPLE in 1999. "It was like I was growing up in the Old West."

Bob Barker's Military Service

Barker attended Drury College in Missouri before joining the Navy in 1943.

Bob Barker's Wife Dorothy Jo Gideon

Barker married high school sweetheart Dorothy Jo Gideon when he was on leave as a Navy pilot. In 1999 he told PEOPLE: "We fell in love as kids. And we stayed in love."

After her death in 1981, he said he'd "never marry again," adding, "Dorothy Jo was the love of my life."

Bob Barker's Early Radio and TV Work

Barker's first post-college media jobs included a radio hosting gig in Palm Beach, Florida; he later scored an eponymous radio show out of Burbank, California, in 1950. His wife cowrote and coproduced much of his early work.

In 1956 his television career began with Truth or Consequences on ABC. That opened the door for emcee opportunities with fan favorites like the Pillsbury Bake Off, the Tournament of Roses Parade and the Miss Universe pageant (pictured) beginning in the late 1960s.

Bob Barker Joins 'The Price Is Right'

While still hosting Truth, Barker picked up as the host of The Price Is Right in 1972, coining his iconic phrase, "Come on down!" In 1975, it became TV's first hour-long game show. It's now the longest-running game show on television.

Bob Barker's Sexual Harassment Allegations

Scandal rocked the show and its host in 1994, when model Dian Parkinson (left) accused Barker of sexual harassment. Barker denied the allegations and said their two-year relationship was consensual. In 1995, she withdrew her suit and he told PEOPLE, "The only regret I have about the whole affair is that I ever met her."

Bob Barker's Animal Activism

Barker famously ended every episode of The Price Is Right with a reminder to "help control the pet population," and took his mission off-screen, launching the DJ&T Foundation to support low-cost spay/neuter clinics for dogs and cats in hope of curbing overpopulation. He even campaigned to get his own show to stop giving away products made of fur or leather, and worked to correct animal rights abuses elsewhere in Hollywood.

In 2013, he gave nearly $1 million to transport three elephants from a zoo in Canada to a sanctuary in San Andreas, California, and continued to fund animal rescues and animal law courses at various universities through the years.

Bob Barker in 'Happy Gilmore'

In 1996, the TV icon made his big-screen debut in Happy Gilmore, starring in a memorable scene in which he punches Adam Sandler. The moment won the pair best fight sequence at the MTV Movie Awards that year.

Bob Barker's Emmys

In 1998, stage 33 at CBS Television City in L.A. was renamed Bob Barker Studio following the 5,000th episode taping of The Price Is Right.

One year later, Barker won the Lifetime Achievement Emmy Award for Daytime Television. In total, he earned 19 Daytime Emmys for his work on TV.

Bob Barker Retires

In June of 2007, Barker retired from The Price Is Right, passing the mic to Drew Carey.

"It's a lot more fun to do than a person might realize," Barker told Entertainment Weekly before signing off that year. "Each audience has its own personality. It's like mining for gold. I'm looking for little gems with whom I can create spontaneous entertainment. It's great satisfaction."

Bob Barker Dies

Barker died of natural causes in his longtime Hollywood Hills home in August 2023, Roger Neal — who served as his publicist from 1987 through 1994, and again beginning in 2020 — announced on behalf of Barker's girlfriend, Nancy Burnet.

“It is with profound sadness that we announce that the World’s Greatest MC who ever lived, Bob Barker, has left us," Neal said in a statement.

Celebrities and colleagues remembered the TV icon on social media, with Adam Sandler writing, "The man. The myth. The best. Such a sweet funny guy to hang out with. Loved talking to him. Loved laughing with him. Loved him kicking the crap out of me. He will be missed by everyone I know! Heartbreaking day. Love to Bob always and his family! Thanks for all you gave us!"

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