Marilyn Monroe
Even before she became Marilyn Monroe, Norma Jeane Mortenson was a natural in front of the camera.Antonio Marín Segovia/Flickr Monroe started out like any pinup girl who wanted to make it big in Hollywood.antoniomarinsegovia/Flickr She divorced her first husband, dyed her brown hair blonde, and changed her name in order to become a star. Antonio Marín Segovia/Flickr Early on in her career, Monroe posed for some nude photos. Though she initially didn't want to do it, she felt desperate for money at the time.colorizedimages/Flickr Of course, her nude photos came to light later on. While she was criticized for her decision at first, she responded by saying that she was "hungry." Ultimately, the public forgave her.Antonio Marín Segovia/Flickr Even after she became famous as an actress, Monroe remained legendary as a pinup girl as well.Jack Samuels/Flickr There's no question that her experience as a pinup model helped her later on in her career when she posed for publicity shots.Carbonated/Flickr Like many pinup girls, Monroe was passionate about supporting the American army. Here, she arrives in Korea to visit troops in 1954. USMC Archives/Wikimedia Commons Marilyn Monroe serves up lunch in a mess line. 1954.Bettmann/Getty Images As one of the most popular stars of the 1950s and early 1960s, Monroe symbolized the era's changing attitudes about sexuality.colorizedimages/Flickr Decades after her tragic death in 1962, she remains one of the most recognizable American stars of all time.agirregabiria/Flickr To this day, it's still debated whether her death at age 36 was an accidental overdose, a suicide, or a murder.aclbraga/Flickr Monroe was once quoted saying, "I never wanted to be Marilyn — it just happened. Marilyn is like a veil I wear over Norma Jean."antoniomarinsegovia/Flickr
Marilyn Monroe View GalleryMarilyn Monroe was born Norma Jeane Mortenson on June 1, 1926. Though she would go on to become one of the most iconic stars of all time, she had a tumultuous childhood.
Born to a schizophrenic mother in Los Angeles, Monroe spent a lot of time in foster homes and orphanages. She didn't have a relationship with her birth father.
In 1942, she married Merchant Marine James Dougherty, but the marriage didn't last long, as Monroe was only 16 years old at the time. The marriage was largely a matter of keeping her out of the orphanage, as her caretakers had planned to move away.
When the Merchant Marines sent Dougherty to the South Pacific during World War II, a photographer discovered Monroe at the munitions factory where she worked. By 1946, she had already divorced Dougherty and signed a film contract with 20th Century Fox.
The hourglass-shaped pinup model dyed her brown hair blonde and began calling herself Marilyn Monroe — taking her grandmother's last name.
ludiecochrane/Flickr
The Seven Year Itch remains one of Monroe's most iconic films, thanks to her famous "skirt scene."
A couple years and a few small roles later, she was unemployed again, and shot some nude photos for a calendar. Initially, she didn't want to do it, claiming, "Nice girls did not pose in the nude." However, she felt desperate for money.
Of course, the photos did come to light later on. And Monroe did face criticism for her decision. But she simply replied that she "was hungry." Ultimately, the public forgave her.
Monroe went from one of the premier pinup models to one of the brightest stars the world had ever seen. Unfortunately, her star burned out fast. The trauma of her youth remained with her throughout her life, and she turned to drugs and alcohol in an attempt to escape the agonizing emotional pain.
History Uncovered Podcast Episode 46: The Death Of Marilyn Monroe Go inside the story of Marilyn Monroe's sudden death, from her bizarre final hours to the mystery of what caused her demise that's lingered ever since.Marilyn Monroe died in 1962 at the age of 36 from an overdose of barbiturates. To this day, it's still debated whether she really died by suicide or if she was murdered.
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