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Childhood
Monroe was born, Norma Jeane Mortenson, in June 1926 Los Angeles, California, U.S. For the first six years, Marilyn was brought up by foster parents, Albert and Ida Bolender in the town of Hawthorne, California. Her mother then tried to take back Marilyn, but she suffered a mental breakdown and Marilyn was moved between different orphanages and foster homes. The traumatic childhood made her shy and reserved. -
First marriage
Just after her 16th birthday, in 1942, Monroe married her 21-year-old, next-door neighbour Jimmy Dougherty. In 1943, her husband left to join the Merchant Marines to participate in America’s War effort. They split up shortly after. -
Monroe career
1946 was a pivotal year for Marilyn, she divorced her young husband and changed her name from, the boring, Norma Baker to the more glamorous Marilyn Monroe (after her grandma). She took drama lessons and got her first movie contract with Twentieth Century Fox. -
1954
In September 1954, she starred in The Seven Year Itch, which was released to widespread media interest – after a successful media stunt on Lexington Avenue, New York. -
New marriage
In 1954, she married baseball star Joe DiMaggio, a friend of over two years. Monroe was now one of the biggest box-office draws of Hollywood, but her contract, negotiated in 1950, left her paid less than other stars. -
1955
In 1955, she sought greater independence from Fox, and began her own movie production and began studying method acting. Despite the media often being dismissive of Monroe’s potential, her efforts to improve acting paid off, and later films received critical acclaim for her wider scope of acting. -
Golden Globe
In 1959, she won a Golden Globe for her role in ‘Some Like It Hot‘. -
Health
In the late 1950s, and early 1960s, her health began to deteriorate. She suffered from a Barbiturate addiction and experienced periods of depression. -
Death
Tragically, she died early from an overdose of barbiturates in 1962 aged just 36.
