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Birth of Marilyn
Marilyn Monroe (born Norma Jeane Mortenson) was born on June 1, 1926. She was an American actress, model, and singer, who became a major sex symbol, starring in a number of commercially successful motion pictures during the 1950s and early 1960s. -
Foster parents
Marilyn's mother Gladys was mentally unstable and financially unable to care for the young Norma Jeane, so she placed her with foster parents Albert and Ida Bolender of Hawthorne, California, where she lived until she was seven. -
Again with her mom
Gladys bought a house and brought Norma Jeane to live with her. -
Again foster homes
Gladys began a series of mental episodes that would plague her for the rest of her life. And Marilyn was forcibly removed to the State Hospital in Norwalk. -
Life in California
Marilyn was sent to live with her great-aunt, Olive Brunings, in Compton, California; this was also a brief stint ended by an assault when one of Olive's sons had attacked the now middle-school-aged girl. -
James Dougherty
Monroe moved back to Grace and Doc Goddard's house (her mother's friends). While attending Van Nuys High School, she met a neighbor's son, James Dougherty (more commonly referred to as simply "Jim"), and began a relationship with him. -
First marriage
Marilyn Monroe married James Dougherty. -
Marylin began working
Marilyn began working in the Radioplane Munitions Factory, mainly spraying airplane parts with fire retardant and inspecting parachutes. -
Contract with Twentieth Century-Fox
She signed a film contract with Twentieth Century-Fox -
Model career
She began working at The Blue Book Modeling Agency. -
Contract with Columbia Pictures
Monroe signed a six-month contract with Columbia Pictures and was introduced to the studio's head drama coach Natasha Lytess, who became her acting coach for several years -
Her first role
Monroe was soon cast in a major role in the low-budget musical Ladies of the Chorus (1948). Monroe was capitalized as one of the film's bright spots, and the film enjoyed only moderate success. During her short stint at Columbia, studio head Harry Cohn softened her appearance somewhat by correcting a slight overbite she had.