Marilyn Monroe
Fast Facts
Birth Name: Norma Jeane Mortenson / Norma Jeane Baker
Birth date: June 1, 1926
Birth place: Los Angeles, CA
Death date: August 5, 1962
Death place: Brentwood, CA
Burial location: Corridor of Memories, Westwood Memorial Park in Los Angeles
Height: 167,5 cm
Hair color: Blond
Eyes: Blue
High schools: Van Nuys High School; University High School
Occupations: Model, Actress, Singer
Marriages: Jimmy Dougherty (1942-1946); Joe DiMaggio (1954); Arthur Miller (1956-1961)
Lifeline
She was born in Los Angeles, to Gladys Baker. The identity of her father is undetermined. Gladys had been a film cutter, but psychological problems prevented her from keeping the job and she was eventually committed to a mental institution.
Norma Jeane spent most of her childhood in foster homes and orphanages.
In 1942 she wed her 21-year-old neighbor Jimmy Dougherty, whom she had been dating for six months.They were happy together until he joined the Merchant 1944. Several months later, photographer David Conover saw her while taking pictures of women contributing to the war effort. He used her for the shoot and then began sending modeling jobs her way. The camera loved Norma Jeane, and within two years she was a reputable model with many popular magazine covers to her credit. However, Jimmy's return in 1946 meant Norma Jeane had to make choice- between her marriage and her career.
Norma Jeane divorced Jimmy in 1946, and signed her first studio contract with Twentieth Century Fox and soon after dyed her hair blonde and changed her name to Marilyn Monroe (borrowing her grandmother's last name).
On January 14, 1954, Marilyn married baseball superstar Joe DiMaggio at San Francisco's City Hall. Unfortunately, Marilyn's haunted their marriage. On October 27, 1954, Marilyn and Joe divorced.
In 1956, Marilyn started her own motion picture company, Marilyn Monroe Productions
In June 1956, Marilyn wed playwright Arthur Miller. While they were married, Arthur wrote the The Misfits especially for Marilyn. Sadly, the marriage ended in January 1961.
In a shocking turn of events on the early morning of August 5, 1962, 36-year-old Marilyn died in her sleep at her home. On August 8, 1962, Marilyn's body was laid to rest in the Corridor of Memories, at Westwood Memorial Park in Los Angeles, California.
The Kennedys
On May 19, 1962, Monroe made her last significant public appearance, singing "Happy Birthday, Mr. President” at a birthday party for President John F. Kennedy at Madison Square Garden.
Monroe had affairs with Robert Kennedy or John Kennedy, or both. In 1964, after Monroe's death was published The Strange Death of Marilyn Monroe, by investigator Frank Cappell. It alleged a relationship between Monroe and Bobby Kennedy.
Author Anthony Summers examines Monroe's relationships with the Kennedy brothers in his biography of Monroe, entitled Goddess.
Summers concludes that Monroe was in love with President Kennedy and wanted to marry him. When the married President had to break off their affair, Monroe became depressed, and then turned to Robert Kennedy, who may have visited Monroe in Los Angeles about the time that she died.
