good evening. as we begin tonight, the last of the legendary superstars has died. a superstar from an era where american movies were so powerful, the whole globe feasted on our dreams. and her face. elizabeth taylor died of heart failure today at 79. and every generation of americans knew her and followed her turbulent life. the girl with the violet eyes, the woman who broke the rules and the pay bayiers for women in film. and in some ways, she created the frenzy of tabloid celebrity we all live amidst still today. but she was also a woman who was never tougher than when looking at her own choices. and here s abc s barbara walters. i ve had a lot of tragedy in my life. i ve had the lowest valleys, the highest highs. i ve had extreme happiness. i ve had addictions. i m like a living example of what people can go through and survive. reporter: have you ever thought of what you wanted on your tombstone? here lies elizabeth. she hated being called liz. but she lived. repo