Marilyn Monroe (June 1, 1926 – August 5, 1962) was a twentieth-century movie star, sex symbol and pop icon. Known for her comedic skills and remarkable screen presence, many now consider her a legendary screen actress. Marilyn Monroe was born on June 1, 1926 in the charity ward of the Los Angeles County Hospital. Her registered name was Norma Jeane Mortenson, but her grandmother, Della Monroe Grainger, later had her baptized as Norma Jeane Baker. For a while most biographers believed her biological father was very likely to be Charles Stanley Gifford, a salesman for the studio where Monroe's mother, the late Gladys Pearl Monroe Baker Eley, worked as a film-cutter. However her birth certificate lists Norwegian Martin Edward Mortenson as her biological father, and in later years some biographers have leaned towards believing that the birth certificate is telling the truth. |