Marilyn Monroe ( /mɒnˈroʊ/ or /mənˈroʊ/; born Norma Jeane Mortenson but baptized and raised as Norma Jeane Baker; June 1, 1926 – August 5, 1962)[1] was an American actress, singer, model and showgirl who became a major sex symbol, starring in a number of commercially successful motion pictures during the 1950s.[2]

After spending much of her childhood in foster homes, Monroe began a career as a model, which led to a film contract in 1946. Her early film appearances were minor, but her performances in The Asphalt Jungle and All About Eve (both 1950) drew attention to her—by now her hair was dyed blonde. By 1953, Monroe had progressed to a leading role in Niagara (1953), a melodramatic film noir that dwelled on her seductiveness. Her "dumb blonde" persona was used to comic effect in subsequent films such as Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953), How to Marry a Millionaire (1953) and The Seven Year Itch (1955). Limited by typecasting, Monroe studied at the Actors Studio to broaden her range. Her dramatic performance in Bus Stop (1956) was hailed by critics, and she received a Golden Globe nomination. Her production company, Marilyn Monroe Productions, released The Prince and the Showgirl (1957), for which she received a BAFTA Award nomination and won a David di Donatello award. She received a Golden Globe Award for her performance in Some Like It Hot (1959). Monroe's final completed film was The Misfits, co-starring Clark Gable with the screenplay written by her then-husband, Arthur Miller.

The final years of Monroe'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 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, Monroe was ranked as the sixth greatest female star of all time by the American Film Institute. In the years and decades following her death, Monroe has often been cited as both a pop and a cultural icon as well as the quintessential American female sex symbol

Born Norma Jeane Mortenson

June 1, 1926

Los Angeles

Died August 5, 1962 (aged 36)

Brentwood, Los Angeles

Cause of death Barbiturate overdose

Resting place Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery, Westwood, Los Angeles

Other names Norma Jeane Baker

Norma Jeane Dougherty

Norma Jeane DiMaggio

Occupation Actress, model, film producer, singer, showgirl

Years active 1947–1962

Religion Christian (1926–1956),

Jewish (1956–1962)

Spouse James Dougherty (m. 1942–1946) (divorced)

Joe DiMaggio (m. 1954–1954) (divorced)

Arthur Miller (m. 1956–1961) (divorced)

Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy (1950–1960)

Judy Holliday (1950) June Allyson (1951) Susan Hayward (1952) Ethel Merman (1953) Judy Garland (1954) Jean Simmons (1955) Deborah Kerr (1956) Kay Kendall (1957) Rosalind Russell (1958) Marilyn Monroe (1959) Shirley MacLaine (1960)

Complete List · (1950–1960) · (1961–1980) · (1981–2000) · (2001–2020)

[hide] v d e

AFI's 100 Years...100 Stars

Male Legends

Humphrey Bogart Cary Grant James Stewart Marlon Brando Fred Astaire Henry Fonda Clark Gable James Cagney Spencer Tracy Charlie Chaplin Gary Cooper Gregory Peck John Wayne Laurence Olivier Gene Kelly Orson Welles Kirk Douglas James Dean Burt Lancaster The Marx Brothers Buster Keaton Sidney Poitier Robert Mitchum Edward G. Robinson William Holden

Female Legends

Katharine Hepburn Bette Davis Audrey Hepburn Ingrid Bergman Greta Garbo Marilyn Monroe Elizabeth Taylor Judy Garland Marlene Dietrich Joan Crawford Barbara Stanwyck Claudette Colbert Grace Kelly Ginger Rogers Mae West Vivien Leigh Lillian Gish Shirley Temple Rita Hayworth Lauren Bacall Sophia Loren Jean Harlow Carole Lombard Mary Pickford Ava Gardner

AFI 100 Years...

[hide] v d e

Rat Pack

Members

Frank Sinatra Dean Martin Sammy Davis, Jr. Peter Lawford Joey Bishop Humphrey Bogart

Associates

Shirley MacLaine Lauren Bacall Angie Dickinson Marilyn Monroe Judy Garland Norman Fell

Films

4 for Texas Marriage on the Rocks Ocean's 11 Robin and the 7 Hoods Sergeants 3 Some Came Running Texas Across the River

Filmography

Film title Year Role Co-actors Director Producer Notes

The Shocking Miss Pilgrim 1947 Telephone Operator Betty Grable and Dick Haymes George Seaton 20th Century Fox Uncredited

Dangerous Years 1947 Evie Billy Halop and Ann E. Todd Arthur Pierson 20th Century Fox

Green Grass of Wyoming 1948 Square Dance extra Peggy Cummins and Charles Coburn Louis King 20th Century Fox Uncredited

You Were Meant for Me 1948 Lady in Waiting Dan Dailey and Jeanne Crain Lloyd Bacon 20th Century Fox Uncredited

Scudda Hoo! Scudda Hay! 1948 Betty June Haver and Natalie Wood Hugh Herbert 20th Century Fox Uncredited

Ladies of the Chorus 1948 Peggy Martin Adele Jergens and Rand Brooks Phil Karlson Columbia Pictures First major film appearance

Love Happy 1949 Grunion's Client Harpo Marx, Chico Marx, and Groucho Marx David Miller United Artists

A Ticket to Tomahawk 1950 Clara Dan Dailey, Anne Baxter, and Rory Calhoun Richard Sale 20th Century Fox Uncredited

Right Cross 1950 Dusky Ledoux June Allyson and Dick Powell John Sturges Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Uncredited

The Fireball 1950 Polly Mickey Rooney and Pat O'Brien Tay Garnett 20th Century Fox Aka: The Challenge

The Asphalt Jungle 1950 Angela Phinlay Sterling Hayden, Louis Calhern, and Jean Hagen John Huston Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

All About Eve 1950 Miss Claudia Caswell Bette Davis, Anne Baxter, and George Sanders Joseph L. Mankiewicz 20th Century Fox

Home Town Story 1951 Iris Martin Jeffrey Lynn, Alan Hale, Jr., and Donald Crisp Arthur Pierson Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

As Young as You Feel 1951 Hariett Monty Woolley, Thelma Ritter, and Jean Peters Harmen Jones 20th Century Fox

Love Nest 1951 Roberta "Bobbie" Stevens June Haver, William Lundigan, and Frank Fay Joseph M. Newman 20th Century Fox

Let's Make It Legal 1951 Joyce Mannering Claudette Colbert, Macdonald Carey, and Barbara Bates Richard Sale 20th Century Fox

O. Henry's Full House 1952 Streetwalker Fred Allen, Anne Baxter, and Richard Widmark Henry Koster 20th Century Fox Cameo appearance

Monkey Business 1952 Lois Laurel Cary Grant, Ginger Rogers, and Charles Coburn Howard Hawks 20th Century Fox

Clash by Night 1952 Peggy Barbara Stanwyck, Keith Andes, and Paul Douglas Fritz Lang RKO Radio Pictures

We're Not Married! 1952 Anabel Norris Ginger Rogers, Fred Allen, Victor Moore, David Wayne, and Zsa Zsa Gabor Edmund Goulding 20th Century Fox

Don't Bother to Knock 1952 Nell Forbes Richard Widmark and Anne Bancroft Roy Ward Baker 20th Century Fox First starring role

Niagara 1953 Rose Loomis Joseph Cotten and Jean Peters Henry Hathaway 20th Century Fox

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes 1953 Lorelei Lee Jane Russell, Charles Coburn, and Elliot Reid Howard Hawks 20th Century Fox Nominated for Best Motion Picture Actress in Comedy or Musical

How to Marry a Millionaire 1953 Pola Debevoise Betty Grable, Lauren Bacall, and William Powell Jean Negulesco 20th Century Fox

River of No Return 1954 Kay Weston Robert Mitchum, Tommy Rettig, and Rory Calhoun Otto Preminger 20th Century Fox

There's No Business Like Show Business 1954 Victoria "Vicky" Hoffman Ethel Merman, Dan Dailey, Donald O'Connor, and Mitzi Gaynor Walter Lang 20th Century Fox

The Seven Year Itch 1955 The Girl Tom Ewell and Evelyn Keyes Billy Wilder 20th Century Fox Contains the famous scene of Monroe's skirt being blown up by a subway grating.

Bus Stop 1956 Chérie Don Murray and Arthur O'Connell Joshua Logan 20th Century Fox Aka: The Wrong Kind of Girl

The Prince and the Showgirl 1957 Elsie Marina Laurence Olivier Laurence Olivier Warner Brothers The only film released under Marilyn Monroe Productions.

Some Like It Hot 1959 Sugar Kane Kowalczyk Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon Billy Wilder Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Monroe's most successful film. Known as a comedy film classic.

Let's Make Love 1960 Amanda Dell Yves Montand, Frankie Vaughan, and Tony Randall George Cukor 20th Century Fox

The Misfits 1961 Roslyn Taber Clark Gable, Eli Wallach, Montgomery Clift John Huston United Artists Final film appearance

Marilyn 1963 Herself (archive footage) 20th Century Fox Documentary film

Elvis Aaron Presleya (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King".

Born in Tupelo, Mississippi, Presley moved to Memphis, Tennessee, with his family at the age of 13. He began his career there in 1953 when Sun Records owner Sam Phillips, eager to bring the sound of African-American music to a wider audience, saw in Presley the means to realize his ambition. Accompanied by guitarist Scotty Moore and bassist Bill Black, Presley was one of the originators of rockabilly, an uptempo, backbeat-driven fusion of country and rhythm and blues. RCA Victor acquired his contract in a deal arranged by Colonel Tom Parker, who would manage the singer for over two decades. Presley's first RCA single, "Heartbreak Hotel", released in January 1956, was a number one hit. He became the leading figure of the newly popular sound of rock and roll with a series of network television appearances and chart-topping records. His energized interpretations of songs, many from African American sources, and his uninhibited performance style made him enormously popular—and controversial. In November 1956, he made his film debut in Love Me Tender.

Conscripted into military service in 1958, Presley relaunched his recording career two years later with some of his most commercially successful work. He staged few concerts, however, and, guided by Parker, proceeded to devote much of the 1960s to making Hollywood movies and soundtrack albums, most of them critically derided. In 1968, after seven years away from the stage, he returned to live performance in a celebrated comeback television special that led to an extended Las Vegas concert residency and a string of profitable tours. In 1973, Presley staged the first concert broadcast globally via satellite, Aloha from Hawaii, seen by approximately 1.5 billion viewers. Prescription drug abuse severely compromised his health, and he died suddenly in 1977 at the age of 42.

Presley is regarded as one of the most important figures of 20th-century popular culture. He had a versatile voice and unusually wide success encompassing many genres, including country, pop ballads, gospel, and blues. He is the best-selling solo artist in the history of popular music. Nominated for 14 competitive Grammys, he won three, and received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award at age 36. He has been inducted into four music halls of fame.