What you might not know about the American author
When you think of Marilyn Monroe, you probably imagine short blonde curls, full red lips, that dazzling smile, one of her many iconic outfits, and a sultry look in her eyes. But not many can imagine the Norma Jeane Mortenson she was born as, or the hard-working actress behind the bombshell she became.
From her complicated relationship with her mother, to working in a munitions factory and getting her start modeling, to her explosive career in Hollywood, several famous marriages, and her gentle yet unsettled demeanor, click through to see the legendary star like you've never seen her before.
Gladys Baker holds her daughter, Norma, who she took to her first foster home (of many) when she was just two weeks old. Baker struggled with paranoid schizophrenia, and was in and out of hospitals.
At six months old, Norma has her first formal portrait session, and little did she know she was starting early.
Here she is back in the studio at two years old, at this point living with her first set of foster parents.
Her mother Gladys visited her regularly during the early years.
Here she is at five years old, already demonstrating her wealth of charm.
Norma often had dogs throughout her life, and her love for them was apparent early on.
From this portrait it's clear that she never had that "awkward" teen phase. After a childhood spent in a series of foster homes, Norma dropped out of high school at 15.
Norma worked in a munitions factory during WWII, where she would eventually be discovered and start a career as a pin-up model.
She occasionally got to see her extended family members. Here they're pictured at a restaurant, with Norma sandwiched on the right.
Norma married merchant marine Jimmy Dougherty when she was just 16 years old. It lasted until 1946, as Dougherty was against her having a career. We all know who won that fight!
She's pictured here at the end of her teens, modeling for a hair product advertisement.
This photo shoot in Los Angeles was one of the last in which Norma sported brunette locks, as it was the year she signed her first movie contract.
Newly signed with 20th Century Fox, she ditched the name Norma and adopted her stage name, using a popular first name of the time and her mother's maiden name, Monroe.
While it's true that her looks initially helped her get noticed, Monroe also invested long hours learning her craft.
She learned how to apply her own makeup, mixing several shades of red on her lips, winging her eyeliner, and adding that famed beauty mark, eventually creating her unique screen persona.
Monroe was actually an early avid practitioner of yoga, pulling poses in various photo shoots and keeping her body fit.
All her loveliness is on display in this portrait, taken around the pivotal time where she started to get bigger roles in film.
Photoplay, one of the first American film fan magazines, asked Monroe to present their "Dream House" contest winner, Virginia McAllister, with the key to a new house.
From the beginning of her acting career, Monroe always wanted to be taken seriously. Here she fills out forms at an audition for a play.
In 1950, people started paying attention after she appeared in John Huston's crime drama, 'The Asphalt Jungle,' as well as in 'All About Eve,' with Bette Davis.
She put in the work, and it paid off in the '50s with roles in 'Niagara' (1953), 'Gentlemen Prefer Blondes' (1953), 'How to Marry a Millionaire' (1953), and 'There's No Business Like Show Business' (1954).
The burgeoning household name is pictured in her iconic fur shawl with Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall at the premiere of 'How to Marry a Millionaire.'
Monroe and 'Gentlemen Prefer Blondes' co-star Jane Russell leave their hand and footprints in the cement at Grauman's Chinese Theater in Los Angeles.
Monroe as she signs an autograph for one lucky young boy.
At the comedic entertainer Bob Hope's (left) holiday party, Monroe's attention is captured by baseball star Joe DiMaggio.
Monroe married Joe DiMaggio in January 1954. They're pictured here leaving the courthouse where the ceremony was held.
Monroe performed a quickly assembled show to thousands of troops in Korea over four days during the Korean War. She later said it was one of the first times she felt like a star.
Monroe actually ended her honeymoon with DiMaggio in Japan early to go to Korea. The baseball star was reportedly annoyed that more fans turned out to see her in Japan than him, and he refused to go to Korea with her.
Later that year, Monroe appeared outside her home with her lawyer, who would announce that Monroe's marriage to Joe DiMaggio was ending.
Tired of being typecast as a dumb blonde, Monroe moved to NYC to study at the Actor's Studio. Pictured, she reads 'To the Actor: On the Technique of Acting,' by Michael Chekhov.
To prepare for a circus charity event in Madison Square Garden, Monroe gets fitted for a costume meant for her to wear atop a pink elephant.
Monroe cuts a rare silhouette in baggy clothes, standing barefoot by a window.
In a rare shot, Monroe is turned away from the camera, having an introspective moment.
The actress accepts flowers from Jack Warner, president of Warner Brothers, after he announced that she would star in a new film.
In the backseat of a car, Monroe blows out a single candle on her cake, looking much more calm than most people do as she hits this milestone birthday.
By this time, Monroe grew infatuated with Arthur Miller, the famous playwright best known for his Pulitzer-award-winning play, 'Death of a Salesman.'
She looks just as in love on her third wedding day as she did in the first two.
It must be interesting when you have to introduce an international bombshell to your parents.
Monroe was reportedly shaken and took off running after witnessing a car, which was carrying press correspondents and racing after her own car, get into an accident.
The newlyweds traveled together to London, where Monroe was to start filming 'The Prince and the Showgirl.'
Monroe's most successful genre was certainly romantic comedy, as in the huge hit 'Some Like it Hot.' She's pictured with director Billy Wilder, and she would later win a Best Actress in a Comedy Golden Globe for her role.
Monroe, pictured lighting a giant firecracker with a giant match, was the guest of honor at a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Time-Life Building in New York City.
Pictured are the cast and crew of John Huston's 'The Misfits,' including writer Arthur Miller, actor Eli Wallach, director John Huston, actor Montgomery Clift, actor Clark Gable, and Monroe, of course. This would be her last completed film. This time also marked the beginning of the end of her marriage to Miller. Their divorce was finalized in early 1961.
Monroe struggled with depression and prescription medicine addiction, and in February 1961 she was forcibly admitted to a psychiatric hospital in New York for "exhaustion." Her ex-husband DiMaggio helped get her released.
On August 4, 1962, just months after turning 36, Monroe died in her Los Angeles home, a tragic truth only to be discovered the next morning. Empty bottles of prescription medications were found in the room, and it was ruled that she likely tried to kill herself.
Despite her obstacles, Marilyn Monroe treaded lightly through the world and still left an indelible mark on it. She remains an internationally beloved icon of beauty, style, and appeal, and she won't soon be forgotten.
Rare photos of Marilyn Monroe reveal an unseen side of the star
Explore candid moments that showcase the private life of Hollywood's iconic blonde bombshell
CELEBRITY Classic hollywood
When you think of Marilyn Monroe, you probably imagine short blonde curls, full red lips, that dazzling smile, one of her many iconic outfits, and a sultry look in her eyes. But not many can imagine the Norma Jeane Mortenson she was born as, or the hard-working actress behind the bombshell she became.
From her complicated relationship with her mother, to working in a munitions factory and getting her start modeling, to her explosive career in Hollywood, several famous marriages, and her gentle yet unsettled demeanor, click through to see the legendary star like you've never seen her before.