The Birth Of The Iconic Actress Marilyn Monroe In History Today June 1, 1926

Marilyn Monroe posing in the film Manhattan for The Seven Year Itch (doc. Wikimedia commons)

JAKARTA - Exactly today June 1, the glamorous actress Marilyn Monroe was born in the world. The actress, whose real name is Norma Jeane Mortenson, was born in Los Angeles, California in 1926. She was later given her mother's name and christened Norma Jeane Baker.

Marlyn Monroe's childhood was arguably bitter. Monroe's grandparents and mother have to be in a mental hospital while Monroe doesn't know who her father is.

This resulted in Monroe having to live with a series of host families. Monroe then married one of her neighbors, James Dougherty, when she was 16 years old.

Citing the History page, Marilyn Monroe had joined the Merchant Marines and was sent to the South Pacific during World War II. At that time a photographer "discovered" the photogenic Marilyn Monroe while she was working at a California ammunition factory.

This led Monroe immediately to a successful modeling career. He divorced Dougherty in June 1946 and soon after signed a film contract with 20th Century Fox.

Sexy Icons in Movies

Early in her acting career, Marilyn Monroe dyed her natural brown hair blonde and introduced her stage name, Marilyn Monroe more widely. After a minor role in The Shocking Miss Pilgrim in 1947, she managed to land a number of minor roles before finally landing a place in John Huston's thriller The Asphalt Jungle (1950).

That same year, she also caught the eye in All About Eve, which also starred Bette Davis. Her true appearance, however, was in Niagara (1953), a thriller in which Monroe played an unfaithful young wife who conspired with her lover to kill her husband.

After starring in the films Gentleman Prefer Blondes and How to Marry a Millionaire, Monroe topped Hollywood's A list. In January 1954, she married baseball great Joe DiMaggio in San Francisco after a two-year romance.

Although the press praised their relationship as a quintessential love affair, problems began to surface soon. DiMaggio was uncomfortable with Marlyn Monroe's sexy public image and wild popularity.

This is evidenced by near-miss riots among US servicemen stationed in Korea during a show Monroe gave in the middle of the couple's honeymoon. The two divorced in October 1954, only nine months married, but remained good friends.

Monroe attempted to move into more serious acting roles, studying at a prestigious actor studio in New York. He received positive reviews for his acting in Bus Stop (1956), The Prince and the Showgirl (1957) and in particular Some Like It Hot (1959).

However, in 1961, problems in Monroe's personal life caused her emotional vulnerability to increase. In that year, he was twice hospitalized for psychiatric observation and rest.

His last film was The Misfits (1961), written by Miller and co-starring Montgomery Clift and Clark Gable. In June 1962, Fox fired the actress after repeated absences.

Monroe's Death

Monroe died at her Los Angeles home on August 5, 1962, at the age of 36. An empty bottle of sleeping pills was found near his bed. There has been some speculation over the years that he may have been murdered, but the cause of death is officially declared to be an overdose.

Monroe was buried in her favorite Emilio Pucci gown. He was also laid in the most luxurious "Cadillac casket". The chest was made of bronze and lined with champagne-colored silk. Hugh Hefner bought the cellar right next to Marlyn Monroe's resting place.