BEAUTY, SENSUALITY, AND
EFFERVESCENCE
A global sensation in her lifetime, Marilyn Monroe's popularity has since been extended beyond star status to icon. Born June 1, 1926, in Los Angeles, California, Monroe endured a difficult childhood and a brief teenage marriage before working as a photographer's model. She made her screen debut in 1948.

During her career, Monroe was featured in 30 films, including early roles in The Asphalt Jungle (1950) and All About Eve (1950). She achieved stardom as a blonde sex symbol in the comedies Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953), How to Marry a Millionaire (1953), and The Seven Year Itch (1955). After studying at the Actors Studio she starred in more ambitious films, including Bus Stop (1956), Some Like It Hot (1959), and The Misfits (1961).

Monroe's private life, which included marriages to Joe DiMaggio and Arthur Miller, was widely publicized. She died at age 36 of an apparently self-administered barbiturate overdose. Her vulnerability and sensuousness, combined with her death, raised her from a glamorous movie star to an American cultural icon.