- After spending much of her childhood in foster homes, Marilyn began a career as a model, which led to a film contract in 1946.
- Marilyn's early roles were minor, but her performances in The Asphalt Jungle and All About Eve (both 1950) were well received.
- Marilyn was praised for her comedic ability in such films as Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, How to Marry a Millionaire, Some Like It Hot and The Seven Year Itch, and became one of Hollywood's most popular and glamorous performers.
- Marilyn studied at the Actors Studio and formed Marilyn Monroe Productions.
- Marilyn's dramatic performance in William Inge's Bus Stop was hailed by critics, and she won a Golden Globe Award for her performance in Some Like it Hot.
- The final years of Marilyn's life were marked by illness, personal problems, and a reputation for being unreliable and difficult to work with.
- The circumstances of her death, from an overdose of barbiturates, have been the subject of much conjecture. Though officially classified as a "probable suicide," the possibility of an accidental overdose, as well as the possibility of homicide, have not been ruled out.
- In 1999, Marilyn was ranked as the sixth greatest female star of all time by the American Film Institute.
- Marilyn's birth certificate names the father as Edward Mortenson (Norwegian), with his residence stated as "unknown".
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