Nearly six decades have passed since Marilyn Monroe died but her memory will not slip away as streams of information about the blonde bombshell continue to emerge. Here are nine fascinating facts about Monroe listed by TheThings.
Monroe's childhood was anything but happy. She grew up without a father and her mother, who she was living with, was sent to a mental institution. Monroe was in and out of at least 11 foster homes.
2. Her secret intelligence
Intelligence is not something Monroe is remembered for. The actress was often portrayed as a ditzy blonde in her films but off-screen she was reportedly intelligent. There are rumors that her IQ was higher than Albert Einstein.
Monroe was born Norma Jeane Mortenson but decided to change her name for Hollywood. It was Ben Lyon who came up with Marylin after a color screen test. Monroe was her mother's maiden name.
Monroe divorced three times. One of her marriages was to Joe DiMaggio, but despite their stormy nine-month marriage, the couple reportedly thought about giving it a second go. Monroe died before DiMaggio had the chance to propose again.
Monroe loved dogs and Frank Sinatra knew this, so he gifted her with a Maltese Terrier named Maf. Sinatra was swept into a whirlwind romance with the iconic actress and was considering proposing to her but logic overruled his heart when his lawyer warned him it would only end in tragedy.
Fueled by stories from her aunt, Monroe often wondered if she were related to President James Monroe. Driving her belief was that they shared the same surname.
Monroe struggled to accept that her mother was admitted into a mental institution and it often came back to haunt her. Her agent suggested she pretend her mother was dead in order to remain focused on her work.
Monroe was a book collector. Her impressive collection was made up of 400 books that included the works of F. Scott Fitzgerald and Tennessee Williams.
Like many emerging stars, Monroe posed for a series of nude photos which ended up published in the first edition of Playboy without her permission.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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