Born: June 1, 1926

Died: August 5, 1962 (age 36)

High(s) of Her Life: Marilyn Monroe (born Norma Jeane Mortenson) became renowned for playing ditzy blondes and marrying famous men Joe DiMaggio and Arthur Miller. What people probably do not know about her is that her book collection included works by Tolstoy, Whitman, and Milton; she enjoyed Beethoven records, took literature courses at UCLA, and studied acting at The Actors Lab and the New York Actors’ Studio. In short, she was not a dumb blonde. She had bit parts in “All About Eve” and starred in “Gentleman Prefer Blondes”, “The Seven Year Itch” (which yielded the famous photo of her  laughing and pushing down her dress while standing on a vent), and “Some Like It Hot” (my personal favorite). She famously serenaded John F. Kennedy for his birthday; she had to be sewn into that dress. 

Low(s) of her Life: Her childhood was atrocious. Her mother was mentally unstable and in and out of mental institutions. Marilyn Monroe was nearly smothered when she was two and nearly raped when she was six. She suffered from depression and struggled with self-destruction throughout her life. Marilyn spent most of her childhood in foster homes and orphanages; at age 16, she married first husband James Dougherty, apparently to avoid returning to the orphanage.  Her death was ruled an “accidental overdose”.

Who Sees Her as a Heroine: Lindsay Lohan cites her as a personal idol and Megan Fox is also a fan. Other admirers include smart ditzy blondes everywhere.

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