50 Plus Hub
Engraved portrait of Marilyn Monroe
Film & Screen · 1950s

Marilyn Monroe

In memoriam 1926–1962

“The luminous comedienne whose vulnerability made her the century's enduring icon.”

Norma Jeane MortensonReal Name
June 1, 1926, Los Angeles, CaliforniaBorn
August 5, 1962, Los Angeles, CaliforniaDied
Twentieth Century-FoxStudio
Joe DiMaggio and Arthur MillerSpouses
The Turning Point

After signing with Twentieth Century-Fox and adopting the name Marilyn Monroe in 1946, she rocketed to stardom in 1953 with "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" and "How to Marry a Millionaire." The blonde-bombshell image made her the era's defining sex symbol.

Marilyn Monroe in a 1953 publicity photo by Frank Powolny
Marilyn Monroe in a 1953 publicity photo by Frank Powolny

Norma Jeane

Born in Los Angeles in 1926, Norma Jeane Mortenson spent a difficult childhood in foster homes and an orphanage. Discovered as a wartime factory worker, she began modeling before signing with Fox in 1946.

Marilyn Monroe in a publicity still for "Niagara" (1953)
Marilyn Monroe in a publicity still for "Niagara" (1953)

Blonde Bombshell

A string of 1953 hits made Monroe Hollywood's leading sex symbol. Films like "The Seven Year Itch" and "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" sealed an image she both embodied and quietly resisted.

Marilyn Monroe in a 1953 Photoplay magazine portrait
Marilyn Monroe in a 1953 Photoplay magazine portrait

Serious Actress

Determined to be taken seriously, she studied with the Actors Studio and earned praise for "Bus Stop" and "Some Like It Hot." Her death at 36 in 1962 turned her into an enduring cultural legend.

Career Timeline

  1. 1926Born Norma Jeane Mortenson in Los Angeles
  2. 1944Discovered while working in a wartime factory
  3. 1946Signs with Fox and takes the name Marilyn Monroe
  4. 1953Stars in "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes"
  5. 1954Marries baseball star Joe DiMaggio
  6. 1955"The Seven Year Itch" subway scene becomes iconic
  7. 1956Marries playwright Arthur Miller
  8. 1959Wins acclaim for "Some Like It Hot"
  9. 1961Stars in her last completed film, "The Misfits"
  10. 1962Dies in Los Angeles, aged 36

Biggest Hits

1953
Gentlemen Prefer BlondesMusical that crowned her a top star
1953
How to Marry a MillionaireHit comedy in widescreen CinemaScope
1955
The Seven Year ItchSource of her famous subway-grate scene
1959
Some Like It HotAcclaimed comedy, often called her finest
1956
Bus StopDramatic role praised by critics
1961
The MisfitsHer final completed film, written by Arthur Miller
Did You Know
  • She legally changed her name to Marilyn Monroe in 1956, a decade after adopting it.
  • Her 1962 "Happy Birthday" to President Kennedy became one of her most famous moments.

The Moment You Remember

Standing over a subway grate, her white dress billows upward as she laughs in the summer night. The image, snapped and filmed amid a crowd of onlookers, became instantly iconic, the single frame the world reaches for when it pictures her.

Portrait: Bert Parry · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons

← All star bios