Few names from Hollywood are as recognizable and iconic as that of Marilyn Monroe. The original blonde bombshell was a staple actress of the 1950s and early 1960s, and was the top billed actress for more than a decade. Ranked number six by AFI as one of the “Legends from the Golden Age of Hollywood,” Marilyn Monroe would have turned 100 years old on June 1st, 2026.
Marilyn Monroe was born Norma Jeane Mortenson in Los Angeles, California to Gladys Pearl Baker. Despite Gladys listing her husband Martin Edward Mortensen on Marilyn’s birth certificate as her father, most historians agree this is unlikely as Gladys had separated from Mortensen before her pregnancy with Norma/Marilyn. Gladys placed Marilyn in foster care for most of her early childhood. Despite gaining some financial stability and even a home when Marilyn was around nine, Gladys fully succumbed to her paranoid schizophrenia and was committed to a state hospital. Marilyn subsequently became a ward of the state and bounced between families and orphanages until she was 16.
At 16 being faced with returning to an orphanage, Marilyn instead opted to marry her neighbor, James Dougherty, to avoid such a fate. Dougherty (who was five years her senior) was a Marine and often deployed. While living with his parents, Marilyn began modeling despite her husband’s disapproval. It was at this point that she straightened her curly hair and dyed it bleach blonde. By 1946, she had appeared on over 33 magazine covers and had begun screen testing for film. She adopted the stage name “Marilyn Monroe” that same year and divorced Dougherty, ready for what was next.
Marilyn gained attention as an actress in 1950 in the The Asphalt Jungle, where she had a small part. That same year she negotiated a seven-year contract with Fox which helped lift her ability to secure roles as she continued to gain popularity with audiences. By 1952, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association was calling her the “best young box office personality” and her life and films were becoming a magnet for public interest.
In September 1954, Marilyn began filming the comedy film, The Seven Year Itch. Despite being filmed in Hollywood and not New York, the studio decided they wanted to generate publicity by pretending to film a scene of Marilyn standing over a subway grate on Lexington Avenue in New York City. They staged this for several hours and attracted over 2,000 onlookers. The “subway grate scene” became one of the most iconic and memorable of Marilyn’s career, and it resulted in the film being one of the biggest commercial successes for a movie at the time.
While Marilyn was indisputably a talented performer, the public was deeply fascinated with her relationships and her personal life. In 1952 she began dating retired baseball star Joe DiMaggio, one of the most celebrated athletes of the time. The pair married in 1954, but DiMaggio was allegedly extremely controlling and abusive and they divorced after only nine months of marriage. In 1955, she started seeing playwright Arthur Miller, who she married the following year and converted to Judaism for, but the couple would divorce in 1961. Marilyn was also linked to Marlon Brando, Frank Sinatra, and John F. Kennedy.
Over the course of her life, Marilyn struggled with endometriosis, alcohol abuse, mental illness, and an addiction to barbiturates. On August 4th, 1962, some time between 8:30 and 10:30 PM, Marilyn Monroe overdosed on barbiturates. Her death was ruled a suicide by the LAPD.
Marilyn Monroe is arguably one of the most famous faces from Hollywood, and one of the most significant public figures of our time. The Smithsonian Institution named her as “100 Most Significant Americans of All Time” and both Varietyand VH1 have placed her in the top ten for rankings of the greatest popular culture icons of the 20th century. While she may not be around to celebrate 100 years of her legacy, it clearly will continue on for decades to come.
🎬SIGN UP for Parade’s Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox🎬
Related: Fashion Icon Marilyn Monroe Refused To Wear This One Popular Clothing Item
