Born Norma Jeane Mortenson on June 1, 1926 in Los Angeles, California

Marilyn Monroe came into the world under very harsh circumstances. Her mother Gladys had divorced her first husband Jack Baker and was estranged from her second, Martin Mortenson, when she gave birth to Norma Jeane. The father was Stanley Gifford, a co-worker of Gladys’ from the film studio but he wanted nothing to do with either mother or child. Later baptized as Norma Jeane Baker, she spent the first seven years of her life in the foster home of Albert and Ida Bolender. Gladys had little money, was mentally unstable and unfit to mother. In 1933 however, Norma Jeane did spend some time living with her in Hollywood. But mental depression forced Gladys to be institutionalized in 1935 and Norma Jeane was placed in the care of a close family friend, Grace McKee.

Grace was a movie fanatic and adored Jean Harlow. She introduced Norma Jeane to the movies and told her she would become “an important woman, a movie star.” Grace’s care for her was initially short lived as she became married to Erwin Goddard and sent Norma Jeane to an orphanage where she stayed for almost two years. During that time, Grace visited her often and in 1941 Norma Jeane came back to live with the Goddards and also spent some time with Grace’s aunt Ana Lower. Norma Jeane loved “Aunt Ana” and this was a happy time for her.

In an attempt to marry her off, Grace introduced sixteen year old Norma Jeane to a neighbor’s son, Jim Dougherty, who was twenty. On June 19, 1942 they became husband and wife. Jim joined the Merchant Marines and in 1944 was sent overseas. During this time, Norma Jeane worked at Radio Plane Munitions Factory inspecting parachutes. She caught the eye of photographer David Conover when he came to take pictures of women working in the defense plants. By 1945, she had appeared in thirty-three magazine covers and had become known as “a photographer’s dream”. Her natural modeling and photogenic abilities soon made her the most popular model at the Blue Book agency. Norma Jeane’s relationship with the still camera would become her ultimate medium. But her success as a model would spell the end of her marriage to Jim and in the autumn of 1946, she was granted a divorce.

In July, 1946, Norma Jeane signed a contract with 20th Century Fox and in collaboration with studio talent scout Ben Lyons, Marilyn Monroe was born (Monroe was her mother’s maiden name and Marilyn came from actress Marilyn Miller). She had inconsequential bit parts until 1950 when she was given a small but crucial role in John Huston’s The Asphalt Jungle. Later that year, her performance in All About Eve garnered her even more notoriety. Marilyn’s first leading part came in 1952′s Don’t Bother To Knock. That same year, she met baseball great Joe DiMaggio after he had expressed a desire to meet her and a romance was born.

1953 saw Marilyn establish herself as a real star with acclaimed roles in
Niagara, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and How To Marry A Millionaire. On January 14, 1954, Marilyn married Joe DiMaggio in San Francisco with worldwide interest. The marriage seemed doomed from the start, however, as Joe was the jealous type and really wanted a housewife, not a movie star.

In February of 1954, Marilyn performed what she regarded as the most satisfying role of her career. She entertained 60,000 troops in Korea in a four day tour. Also this year came There’s No Business Like Show Business and
The Seven Year Itch, the latter featuring her most enduring image, the air grate skirt blowing scene. This however, was the last straw for DiMaggio and in the fall of 1954, Marilyn and Joe separated and later divorced after only nine months of marriage.

Her desire to become a serious actress finds Marilyn in New York City in 1955 with Lee Strasberg’s Actors Studio. During this time, she has an affair with playwright Arthur Miller, whom she is attracted to because of his intellect and connection with serious theatre.

Marilyn returned to Hollywood in 1956 to film Bus Stop with Don Murray.
This was produced by Marilyn Monroe Productions, a company formed by Marilyn and photographer and friend Milton Greene. After completion of the film, she returned to New York and married Arthur Miller on June 29, 1956. Shortly after, the Millers leave for London to start work on The Prince And The Showgirl with Lawrence Olivier. This film was also produced by Marilyn Monroe Productions.

In 1958, Marilyn came back to Hollywood to make Some Like It Hot with Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon. By now her health had deteriorated due to years of prescription drugs and alcohol abuse. She often came to the set late and unprepared. Her performance was heralded, though and she received a Golden Globe Award in 1960 for “Best Comedy Actress”.

July of 1960 marked the start of filming for The Misfits with Clark Gable, a screenplay written especially for Marilyn by Arthur Miller. The production was troubled due in part to Marilyn’s dependancy on drugs and director John Huston’s gambling. The day after production was completed, Clark Gable dies of a heart attack and Marilyn is riddled with guilt. She divorces Arthur in 1961 and moves into a house she purchased in the Brentwood suburb of Los Angeles.

A supposed affair with President John F. Kennedy began in 1961 after they met through actor Peter Lawford. It was reported also that Marilyn may have had an affair with then Attorney General Bobby Kennedy in 1962.

Marilyn received another Golden Globe Award on March of 1962 for “World’s Film Favorite”. Filming of Something’s Got To Give with Dean Martin began in April 1962. Again her tardiness, absenteeism and inability to remember lines threatened the production and she was fired for breach of contract. During this time, Marilyn had been seeing Joe DiMaggio again and it was rumored the two had agreed to remarry on August 8, 1962. After renegotiations with Fox, she is rehired (at double the salary) to finish
Something’s Got To Give but this would never come to pass as Marilyn is found dead in her home from an overdose of sleeping pills on August 5, 1962. She was thirty-six years old. It was the death of a movie star and the birth of a 20th century icon.

There has been much speculation about the cause of her death: suicide, accidental overdose, someone else’s involvement, even murder. The truth may never be known. During her short life, Marilyn Monroe was many things: model, wife, actress, star, sex symbol…to name a few. But her ultimate legacy is one of hope and inspiration. She has shown us the road to success through her spirit and determination to overcome life’s hardships and obstacles. For this she will forever be revered and remembered.