Marilyn Monroe was an American actress and model, born Norma Jeane Mortenson on June 1, 1926, in Los Angeles. She became one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1950s and early 1960s. Her films grossed $200 million by her death in 1962.
๐ถ Early Life
Monroe spent most of her childhood in foster homes and an orphanage. She married James Dougherty at age 16. She was working in a factory during World War II when she met a photographer and began a pin-up modeling career.
๐ฌ Rise to Fame
Monroe signed a contract with 20th Century Fox in 1951, becoming a popular actress in comedies and dramas. She became one of the most marketable Hollywood stars in 1953. Her nude images were used as the centerfold of the first issue of Playboy that same year.
๐ Career Achievements
Monroe founded her own film production company in 1954. She won a Golden Globe for her role in Some Like It Hot (1959). Her last completed film was the drama The Misfits (1961).
๐ Personal Life and Death
Monroe’s marriages to Joe DiMaggio and Arthur Miller were highly publicized and ended in divorce. She died at age 36 on August 4, 1962, from a barbiturate overdose at her Los Angeles home. Her death was ruled a probable suicide.
| Category | Detail | Year | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birth | Norma Jeane Mortenson | 1926 | Born in Los Angeles |
| First Marriage | James Dougherty | 1942 | Married at age 16 |
| First Film Contract | 20th Century Fox | 1946 | Stage name “Marilyn Monroe” chosen |
| Death | Barbiturate overdose | 1962 | Ruled a probable suicide |