Marilyn Monroe (1926-1962), born Norma Jeane Mortenson, was an American actress, model, and singer. Famous for playing "dumb blonde" characters, she became one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1950s and was emblematic of the era's sexual revolution. Despite her public image, she was a shrewd businesswoman and an intelligent individual. Monroe's career saw her star in a string of successful films, including Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953), How to Marry a Millionaire (1953), The Seven Year Itch (1955), and Some Like It Hot (1959), for which she won a Golden Globe Award. Her personal life was often tumultuous and highly publicized, marked by three marriages, including to baseball star Joe DiMaggio and playwright Arthur Miller. Her untimely death at age 36 from a barbiturate overdose remains a subject of speculation, but was officially ruled a probable suicide. Monroe's enduring legacy as a cultural and pop icon, symbolizing glamour, sensuality, and vulnerability, continues to fascinate and influence.