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Hoda Kotb's new role on 'Today' just made history for the morning news show.

'It could not happen to a sweeter, better, more beloved person.'

It's official: Hoda Kotb is the new permanent co-host of "Today" on NBC.

Photo by Matthew Eisman/Getty Images.

Kotb had been the temporary replacement for Matt Lauer since November.

But, throughout the past month, she seemed to impress all the right people.

Her earnest, delicate on-air handling of Lauer's dismissal was widely praised, CNN noted, after the former "Today" co-host was fired for mounting allegations of sexual harassment.

"This is a very tough morning for both of us," Kotb said on the day of Lauer's firing, sitting alongside co-host Savannah Guthrie. "It's hard to reconcile what we are hearing with the man who we know, who walks in this building every single day."

Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images.

Kotb's promotion to co-host is a big deal, and fans and celebrities were quick to celebrate the occasion.

It's the first time "Today" as been anchored by two women, bucking tradition that typically places a man and woman in co-host roles.

Fellow NBC stars Kathie Lee Gifford, Al Roker, and Lester Holt sang Kotb's praises.

Actor and producer Mindy Kaling said she was "looking forward to [Kotb] lighting up [her] morning in a brand new way."

Singer-songwriter Darius Rucker chimed in, "You go girl."

Chelsea Clinton sent warm congratulations.

The fact that Kotb is a woman of color also shouldn't be overlooked, some pointed out.

Of course, Kotb seemed over the moon about her new role.

"Whaaaaaatttttttt!" she captioned on Twitter with a photo of her and Guthrie.

"It could not happen to a sweeter, better, more beloved person," Gifford said on-air Tuesday morning.

While Lauer's absence may have initially shaken the "Today" team, it hasn't shaken the morning show's ratings.

In fact, in the weeks that followed his dismissal, "Today's" viewership actually increased as Kotb sat in as co-host, besting rival "Good Morning America" for the first time in over a year, according to The New York Times.

Photo by Jason Carter Rinaldi/Getty Images.

Over on CBS' "This Morning," Charlie Rose's departure didn't spark a ratings downturn either; viewership has held steady after the iconic journalist was fired for sexual misconduct just days before Lauer's dismissal.

Maybe morning newsmen aren't so vital in 2018 after all?

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ACUVUE launches a new campaign to inspire Gen Z to put down their phones and follow their vision

What will you create on your social media break? Share it at #MyVisionMySight.

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If you’ve always lived in a world with social media, it can be tough to truly understand how it affects your life. One of the best ways to grasp its impact is to take a break to see what life is like without being tethered to your phone and distracted by a constant stream of notifications.

Knowing when to disconnect is becoming increasingly important as younger people are becoming aware of the adverse effects screen time can have on their eyes. According to Eyesafe Nielsen, adults are now spending 13-plus hours a day on their digital devices, a 35% increase from 2019.1. Many of us now spend more time staring at screens on a given day than we do sleeping which can impact our eye health.

Normally, you blink around 15 times per minute, however, focusing your eyes on computer screens or other digital displays have been shown to reduce your blink rate by up to 60%.2 Reduced blinking can destabilize your eyes’ tear film, causing dry, tired eyes and blurred vision.3

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Man's 'Who Wants to Be a Millionaire' lifeline call to dad is still thrilling 24 years later

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