MARILYN MONROE

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Marilyn Monroe, born Norma Jeane Mortenson, was an American actress and model, becoming a 1950s sex symbol known for her "blonde bombshell" persona. Her early life was spent in foster homes and an orphanage. She began a successful modeling career before transitioning into acting, landing roles in comedies and dramas. Monroe's personal life, including marriages to Joe DiMaggio and Arthur Miller, was heavily publicized. She struggled with the studio system, seeking roles that showcased more than her sex appeal. Her death at 36 from a barbiturate overdose was ruled a probable suicide. Monroe remains a pop culture icon, though her acting abilities are debated.

CURIOUS FACT SAMPLES:

Marilyn Monroe's birth name was Norma Jeane Mortenson, and she was born on June 1, 1926, in Los Angeles, California. She spent much of her childhood in foster homes and an orphanage.

Monroe's mother, Gladys Pearl Baker, had a history of mental health issues and was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, which resulted in Monroe becoming a ward of the state. Monroe was not told that she had a sister until she was 12 years old.

At the age of 16, Monroe married James Dougherty to avoid returning to an orphanage, and she dropped out of high school to become a housewife. Though the marriage was initially described as happy, Monroe later said she was "dying of boredom".

During World War II, Monroe worked in a factory and began a successful pin-up modeling career, which led to film contracts. A photographer from the First Motion Picture Unit is who she met at the factory.