Marilyn Monroe was born as Norma Jeane Mortenson on June 1, 1926, in Los Angeles, California. She later took her mother's name, Baker. Her early life was marked by instability, as her mother was frequently confined in an asylum, and she was raised by a series of foster parents and in an orphanage.

In 1942, she married a fellow worker in an aircraft factory, but they divorced soon after World War II. Monroe began her career as a model and signed a short-term contract with Twentieth Century-Fox in 1946, taking the screen name Marilyn Monroe.

After a few brief appearances in movies, she returned to modeling for photographers. Her nude photograph on a calendar brought her a role in the film Scudda-Hoo! Scudda-Hay! in 1948, followed by other minor roles.

In 1950, she played a small uncredited role in The Asphalt Jungle, which reaped a mountain of fan mail. An appearance in All About Eve in 1950 won her another contract from Fox and much recognition.

Marilyn Monroe advanced to star billing in movies like Let's Make It Legal in 1951, Love Nest in 1951, Clash by Night in 1952, and Niagara in 1953. She became a major sex symbol and pop culture icon, starring in a number of commercially successful films during the 1950s.

Her notable films include Gentlemen Prefer Blondes in 1953, How to Marry a Millionaire in 1953, The Seven Year Itch in 1955, Bus Stop in 1956, The Prince and the Showgirl in 1957, Some Like It Hot in 1959, and The Misfits in 1961.

She won several awards during her career, including the Henrietta Award for Best Young Box Office Personality in 1951 and World Film Favorite in 1953. She also received a Crystal Star Award and David di Donatello Award for The Prince and the Showgirl in 1958.

She was inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960 and a Golden Palm Star was dedicated to her at the Palm Springs Walk of Stars in 1995. Despite her success, Marilyn Monroe faced personal struggles and was often typecast as a "dumb blonde."

She was briefly suspended in early 1954 for refusing a film project but returned to star in The Seven Year Itch, one of the biggest box office successes of her career.

Marilyn Monroe founded her own film production company in 1954. Her personal life included marriages to Joe DiMaggio and Arthur Miller. She died on August 5, 1962, in Los Angeles at the age of 36 from a barbiturate overdose.

Long after her death, Monroe remains a pop culture icon and is considered one of the greatest female screen legends from the Golden Age of Hollywood.