Dr. Ruth Westheimer, the Jewish sexologist who broke cultural taboos about open and public discussions on sex and sexuality, passed away in New York at the age of 96.

Westheimer was known due to her 1980 radio show where she answered listeners' questions on sexual issues, later becoming becoming a cultural icon.
"Dr. Ruth," as she became known over the years, was already in her fifties when she started broadcasting on a New York radio station in 1980, answering listeners' questions about sex. The show, called "Sexually Speaking," initially began as a 15-minute segment aired after midnight on Sundays, but it became a phenomenal radio hit, turning Westheimer into a celebrity and cultural icon.