Marilyn Monroe is a Hollywood icon who needs little introduction. Born on June 1, 1926, in Los Angeles, California, Monroe had a turbulent childhood, bouncing around from orphanages to foster families, and being sexually assaulted multiple times. When she became an adult, she cultivated a career as a model, which led to her landing parts in several motion pictures. Her roles capitalized on her seductive demeanor, which established her as a bona fide sex symbol of the 1950s. However, she became disenchanted with always playing the flirtatious blonde, so she decided to develop her acting under the tutelage of Lee Strasberg at the Actors' Studio in New York City.
Unfortunately, before Monroe could fulfill her dream of becoming a serious actress, she died on August 5, 1962, at the age of 36. The cause of her death was the ingestion of a lethal mix of Nembutal and chloral hydrate. These drugs — which were prescribed for her anxiety and insomnia, respectively — highlight just how bad her mental health was during her final years, which included a stay at a psychiatric clinic. Monroe's alleged connections to the Kennedy family have sparked innumerable conspiracy theories about how her seemingly accidental overdose may not have been accidental at all. We may never fully know what she was going through or what she was involved in during her last days, but there's no doubt that her passing left a huge hole in Hollywood that no actress has filled since.
If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
