Profile of the Day: Marilyn Monroe

Today we celebrate what would have been Marilyn Monroe’s 95th birthday.

Image: Marilyn Monroe / Wikimedia Commons

She was born Norma Jean Mortensen on June 1, 1926 in Los Angeles, California to Gladys Pearl Monroe. Her father’s identity remains unknown, though she used the surnames of her mother’s ex-husbands, Mortensen and Baker, growing up. Her mother struggled with mental illness and was unable to care for her daughter, so Monroe spent most of her childhood in foster homes. At 16, she married her first husband James “Jim” Dougherty, who enlisted in the Merchant Marine. After he was shipped to the Pacific in 1944, Monroe began working at a munitions factory as part of the war effort. It was there that she was first discovered by a photographer, who had come to the factory to shoot photographs of female factory workers for the U.S. Army.

After divorcing her husband, she found success as a model and began using her mother’s maiden name “Monroe” as her surname. She successfully transitioned to film and was soon one of the biggest stars in Hollywood. Some of her most famous films include The Seven Year Itch, Some Like It Hot, and All About Eve.

Sadly, Monroe died on August 4, 1962 at the age of 36. For 20 years after her death, her ex-husband, Joe DiMaggio, arranged to have a bouquet of roses delivered to her crypt.

Today, she is remembered as one of the most popular and influential cultural icons in the world.

Explore Marilyn Monroe’s family tree on Geni and share how you’re connected to the film legend. 

View Marilyn Monroe’s Geni Profile