Marilyn Monroe’s real name was Norma Jeane Mortenson. Thought of initially as the “dumb blonde,” she became a very important actor and model. She was born on June 1, 1926 in Los Angeles. She had a lot of issues growing up with her family and had a major speech problem with stuttering. However, she didn’t let that stop her from doing what she wanted. She had a brother named Robert Baker and a sister named Berniece Baker. Her mother, who was a film-cutter at RKO Studios, widowed and mentally ill, abandoned her to a sequence of foster homes. Marilyn was in and out of foster care until the age of four.

She took up modeling in 1944 and continued with it from then on. Later she met a photographer and began a successful pin-up modeling career. In 1947, she was Miss California Queen. The work led to short-lived film contracts with Twentieth Century-Foxand Columbia Pictures. She rose to be a top-billed actress for a decade with her films grossing $200 million.

On August 5, 1962, Marilyn Monroe was found dead in her home in Los Angeles. She was discovered lying nude on her bed, face down, with a telephone in one hand. Empty bottles of pills prescribed to treat her depression were littered around the room. After an investigation, Los Angeles Police said that her death was “caused by an overdose of drugs” and that the type of death was labeled a suicide. Forty-three years later, fans from around the world will gather near Monroe's tomb at Westwood Village Memorial Park to celebrate her life and mourn her death. There are over 200 books written about her, from her personal life to her being a sex symbol and model. She still continues to be considered a popular cultural icon. Monroe was voted “Sexiest Woman of the Century” in 1999. She was a major beauty icon and didn’t let anyone bring her down. She was first seen as the “dumb blonde,” but she proved she was intelligent, talented and unstoppable. She wouldn’t let anyone see her at her best if they couldn’t accept her at her worst, and she didn’t care what anyone said about her.