On June 1, 1926, Norma Jeane Mortenson, better known as Marilyn Monroe, was born. Monroe. Although wildly successful later in life, did not have a nourished childhood. Her father, Charles Gifford, never had a relationship with Monroe despite her attempts to connect. And her mother, Gladys Baker, was a schizophrenic and in and out of asylums most of Monroe’s childhood. Monroe was placed in a foster home just months after birth. By the time she turned 18, Monroe had been reared in 12 foster homes and an orphanage. Despite her unfortunate childhood, Monroe ended up with an incredibly accomplished, although short, life. The young woman took up modeling, acting, and singing, and soon became one of the world’s most popular sex icons thanks to her “blond bombshell” roles.
Modeling
Monroe began modeling at the age of 18 when David Conover discovered her, which led to a successful modeling career. One year later, in 1945, Monroe signed with the Blue Book Modeling Agency. The owner of the agency, Emmeline Snively, encouraged Monroe to change her hair from brown to platinum blonde, a look in which she is immediately recognized. Monroe became known for her pin-up modeling, a type of modeling that featured photos used in men’s magazines and calendars. By the next year, Monroe was on over 33 magazine covers, including Pageant, U.S. Camera, Peek, and Laff. In 1949, Monroe modeled for Tom Kelley. During the photoshoot, Monroe posed for nudes, which were later published in the first edition of Playboy magazine. This led to a lot of controversy, but added to her popularity.
Acting
Thanks to her modeling career, Monroe caught the attention of Hollywood. Monroe received a film contract in 1946 and was first introduced to stardom in her appearances in The Asphalt Jungle and All About Eve in 1950. By 1953, Monroe had progressed to leading roles. In the years following, Monroe played roles in a variety of movies, including Love Nest, Clash By Night, How to Marry a Millionaire, There’s No Business Like Show Business, Bus Stop, and The Prince and the Showgirl. However, Monroe found more popularity in Some Like It Hot, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Niagara, The Misfits, and The Seven Year Itch, which led to Monroe’s most famous photo, “The flying skirt,” a picture taken while filming The Seven Year Itch.
Death
Although Monroe had a successful life, there were many things she kept under the surface. During the last few years of her life, Monroe suffered from mental illnesses, including severe anxiety and depression. She stopped working to deal with personal problems and was also said to have been difficult to work with. Marilyn Monroe died on August 5th, 1962. She was found lying naked on her bed with a telephone in one of her hands. After the investigation, authorities came to the conclusion that her death was a probable suicide, an overdose of sleeping pills. However, some suspect that she could have been killed due to her relationship with the Kennedy brothers.
Many years have passed since Marilyn Monroe lived, but she remains an icon to this day. Although life may be temporary, and Monroe’s was surely short, she made a permanent impact on the world and will be remembered. Through her work as a model and actress, people felt connected to her. She helped with body image and mental health awareness and will forever be iconic.