22 Stunning Photos Of Marilyn Monroe In Honor Of Her Birthday

A.k.a. Christmas for Marilyn fans.

1. The future icon with her mother, Gladys Monroe; Los Angeles, 1927.

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Born Norma Jeane Mortenson on June 1, 1926 in Los Angeles. The superstar would have been 89 today.

2. Raised as a ward of the state, the future superstar was in and out of foster homes and even an orphanage.

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Due to her mother's schizophrenia and subsequent hospitalization, the future Marilyn Monroe had a very unstable start in life.

3. Taken in a photo booth, 1940.

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The OG selfie.

4. Photographed with first husband James Dougherty; Catalina Island, 1943.

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The young couple lived on Avalon for a brief time before Dougherty shipped off to war.

5. Norma Jeane Dougherty; Radioplane Munitions Factory, 1945.

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Photographer David Conover snapped this pic to boost wartime morale for Yank magazine. He encouraged the young beauty to apply to a modeling agency, which she quickly did.

6. On a modeling assignment for Andre De Dienes, 1945.

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7. Modeling for Richard Miller, 1946.

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Around 1946, Norma Jeane began using the name Marilyn Monroe. It has been suggested that the name Marilyn was offered by studio head Ben Lyons, and Monroe was in reference to her mother's maiden name. It would be ten years before she legally changed it.

8. Santa Monica, 1949.

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9. Publicity shot for The Asphalt Jungle, 1950.

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10. Publicity still, 1951.

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11. Banff, Canada, 1953.

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12. Long Island, 1954.

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13. Signing an autograph while entertaining the troops in Korea, 1954.

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Marilyn and husband Joe DiMaggio made a detour on their honeymoon so she could sing to the troops.

14. "Ballerina" by Milton H. Greene, 1954.

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Frustrated by the lack of control she had over picking her film roles through the studio system, Marilyn became one of the first female movie stars to start her own production company. She formed Marilyn Monroe Productions in December 1954 with her business partner and photographer friend, Milton Greene.

15. Ella Fitzgerald and Marilyn, Los Angeles, 1955.

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“I owe Marilyn Monroe a real debt…it was because of her that I played the Mocambo, a very popular nightclub in the ’50s. She personally called the owner of the Mocambo, and told him she wanted me booked immediately, and if he would do it, she would take a front table every night. The owner said yes, and Marilyn was there, front table, every night. The press went overboard. After that, I never had to play a small jazz club again. She was an unusual woman – a little ahead of her times. And she didn’t know it.” - Ella Fitzgerald

16. Connecticut, 1957.

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17. Central Park, NYC, 1957.

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18. Golden Globe Awards; Los Angeles, 1959.

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Winner for Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical for Some Like It Hot.

19. Marilyn Monroe and Arthur Miller, Nevada, 1960.

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Taken in their hotel between filming of The Misfits which Monroe's third husband, playwright Arthur Miller, wrote for her. It would be the final completed film for both Marilyn and Clark Gable.

20. By Bert Stern, 1962.

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The unretouched photos show Marilyn's scar from having her appendix removed several years earlier.

21. The Last Sitting, 1962.

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22. Santa Monica, 1962.

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Marilyn Monroe died August 5, 1962, weeks after this photo shoot. At the time of her death, she was collaborating with photographer George Barris on an autobiography. She was 36.