Marilyn Monroe's Biography
Marilyn Monroe personified Hollywood glamour with an
unparalleled glow and energy that enamored the world. Although she was an
alluring beauty with voluptuous curves and a generous pout, Marilyn was more
than a '50s sex goddess. Her apparent vulnerability and innocence, in
combination with an innate sensuality, has endeared her to the global
consciousness. She dominated the age of movie stars to become, without question,
the most famous woman of the 20th Century.
She was born Norma Jeane Mortenson on June 1, 1926 in Los Angeles, California,
to Gladys Baker. As the identity of her father is undetermined, she was later
baptized Norma Jeane Baker. Gladys had been a film cutter at RKO studios, but
psychological problems prevented her from keeping the job and she was eventually
committed to a mental institution.
Norma Jeane spent most of her childhood in foster homes and orphanages until
1937, when she moved in with family friend Grace McKee Goddard. Unfortunately,
when Grace's husband was transferred to the East Coast in 1942, the couple
couldn't afford to take 16-year-old Norma Jeane with them. Norma Jeane had two
options: return to the orphanage or get married.
On June 19, 1942 she wed her 21-year-old neighbor Jimmy Dougherty, whom she had
been dating for six months. "She was a sweet, generous and religious girl,"
Jimmy said. "She liked to be cuddled." By all accounts Norma Jeane loved Jimmy,
and they were happy together until he joined the Merchant Marines and was sent
to the South Pacific in 1944.