Marilyn Monroe's milestones

Born on June 1, 1926, Marilyn Monroe had her mother known as Gladys Pearl Baker, who was born in Mexico, and whose ancestors came from the Midwest, later migrating to California.

Gladys Pearl Baker was a film cutter at Consolidated Film Industries; her work began a few years after having her first divorce in 1921 and before her daughter Marilyn Monroe's 1926 birth.

For Marilyn Monroe, her early life had a tumultuous situation; her mother Gladys Pearl Baker's severe mental health problems led to her being placed in foster homes.

Sexual abuse also added to Marilyn Monroe's tumultuous early life.

Having suffered an unstable early life, Marilyn Monroe then lived with Grace Goddard, a friend of her mentally-ill mother Gladys Pearl Baker.

Emerson Junior High School, Van Nuys High School and University High School are high schools that Marilyn Monroe attended.

In 1938, when Marilyn Monroe, a young girl at age 12, began to attend Emerson, James Dougherty, her future husband, graduated from Van Nuys in the same class as her future co-star Jane Russell.

Septmeber 1941 was when Marilyn Monroe started to attend Van Nuys as a young teenage girl, like her former classmates and 1938 graduates James Dougherty and Jane Russell did.

University High School is also where Marilyn Monroe briefly attended, starting in February 1942.

June 1942 was when Marilyn Monroe, who was a teenage girl, decided to avoid orphanage by leaving high school and marrying James Dougherty.

For James Dougherty, he was an aircraft factory worker; for Marilyn Monroe, she was a teenager.

After James Dougherty went to the Pacific during World War II, Marilyn Monroe began working at the Radioplane Company, a munitions factory in Van Nuys.

Photographer David Conover discovered Marilyn Monroe, who was at the Radioplane Company.

David Conover, who worked at the First Motion Picture Unit, was assigned by his commanding officer Ronald Reagan to take morale-boosting photos of women for Yank magazine during WWII.

With her being noticed for her natural beauty, David Conover gave Marilyn Monroe some photos.

Marilyn Monroe eventually ended her work at the Radioplane Company in January 1945.

In August 1945, seven months after her factory work ended, Marilyn Monroe signed a contract with the Blue Book Model Agency, based at the Ambassador Hotel in her hometown Los Angeles.

Signed to Blue Book, Marilyn Monroe's career as a pin-up model blossomed a year later.

With her charisma and beauty, Marilyn Monroe's career as a pin-up model was successful, which drew Hollywood's attention.

Plus, Marilyn Monroe's career as a pin-up model led to her divorce from James Dougherty.

Emmeline Snively, who owned and managed Blue Book, recognized Marilyn Monroe, but felt that her figure was more suited for pin-up and advertisements than high-fashion.

Warner Bros. (WB), Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), United Artists and Columbia Pictures are some Hollywood studios in which Marilyn Monroe was involved.

20th Century-Fox is the film studio considered most central to Marilyn Monroe's career, in particular during her rise to stardom.

For Marilyn Monroe, leaving 20th Century-Fox to found her eponymous production company named Marilyn Monroe Productions highlighted her complex relationship with Fox.

Jean Harlow is the original blonde bombshell and a key idol for Marilyn Monroe.

Both Marilyn Monroe and Jean Harlow use similarities, like strict Christian Science backgrounds, early departures from school and tragic deaths at young ages.

Kansas City, Missouri is where Jean Harlow was born.

In her early life, Jean Harlow suffered a setback when her parents divorced, leading her to Los Angeles with her mother.

Ben Lyon, who once worked with Jean Harlow, turned Norma Jeane Baker into Marilyn Monroe.

The name Marilyn Monroe is derived from a Broadway star, whom Ben Lyon admired (and which she resembled), and her mother's maiden name.

Having worked with Jean Harlow, Ben Lyon said to Norma Jeane Baker/Marilyn Monroe, on her first meeting with him, that she was "Jean Harlow all over again!," resembling the 1930's sex symbol.

Double M for Marilyn Monroe means she has good luck; in fact, she is lucky.

Later, Marilyn Monroe thanked Ben Lyon for his support of her in a letter, which says: "You found me, named me and believed in me when no one else did."

Allan "Whitey" Snyder is Marilyn Monroe's personal makeup artist throughout her career.

Greta Garbo and Marlene Dietrich are Marilyn Monroe's other heroines, besides Jean Harlow.

Niagara, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and How to Marry a Millionaire are three of Marilyn Monroe's breakout movies, all released in 1953.

The Seven Year Itch and Some Like It Hot are Marilyn Monroe's films directed by Billy Wilder.

George Axelrod, who wrote The Seven Year Itch's original 1950's play iteration, also co-wrote its film version with Billy Wilder, in which Marilyn Monroe plays an unnamed actress and former model.

Marilyn Monroe wears a white dress being used in the best-known scene of The Seven Year Itch.

In the most well-known scene of The Seven Year Itch, Marilyn Monroe's white dress is blown up by a subway grate wind in New York, revealing her legs and under garments.

Known as a pop culture moment, the flying dress scene being featured in The Seven Year Itch is often associated with Marilyn Monroe's image as well.

Ever since her 1962 death, Marilyn Monroe's iconic white dress from The Seven Year Itch, where it is blown up by a subway grate, has been depicted, represented and imitated in many aspects.

September 1954 was when Marilyn Monroe's white dress was blown by a subway grate wind.

Also in September 1954, upon her arrival at Idlewild Airport, Marilyn Monroe blew a flirty kiss to the camera.

Marilyn Monroe's white dress and Idlewild Airport kiss to the camera, both behind the scenes for The Seven Year Itch in September 1954, are some of her iconic and world-famous aspects.

For Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Marilyn Monroe performs Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend.

Marilyn Monroe dons a pink dress, which is used during her iconic Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend number from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.

Likewise, ever since her death, Marilyn Monroe's pink dress, which is utilized during Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, has been depicted, represented and imitated.

William Travilla made two of Marilyn Monroe's iconic and famous outfits: the white dress used in The Seven Year Itch and the pink dress used in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.

How to Marry a Millionaire, starring Marilyn Monroe, is the first film shot in CinemaScope, also the second one to be released overall.

Jean Negulesco is the director of Marilyn Monroe's How to Marry a Millionaire film.

Directed by Henry Hathaway, Niagara is one of the dramatic films for Marilyn Monroe.

Rose Loomis is the character which Marilyn Monroe plays in Niagara.

Sugar Kane Kowalczyk is the character which Marilyn Monroe plays in Some Like It Hot.

Marilyn Monroe sings four songs in Billy Wilder's Some Like It Hot film: I Wanna Be Loved by You, Runnin' Wild, I'm Thru with Love and the title track.

The Misfits features Marilyn Monroe using pigtails in her hair.

Plus, for Some Like It Hot, Marilyn Monroe sported a mole on her left cheek, not her upper lip.

River of No Return stars Marilyn Monroe as Kay Weston.

Alfred Newman's iconic and world-famous fanfare for 20th Century-Fox was created in 1933; its own expansion in 1954 was done to include the soaring strings for CinemaScope films.

Incidentally, River of No Return is the first film to use this CinemaScope incarnation of the iconic and world-famous 20th Century-Fox fanfare.

The Misfits, in her last complete film role, stars Marilyn Monroe as Roslyn Tabor.

Directed by John Huston, who directed Marilyn Monroe earlier in The Asphalt Jungle, The Misfits also serves as her co-star Clark Gable's last film. 

Incidentally, Clark Gable stars in Sartoga, the last film for Marilyn Monroe's idol Jean Harlow.

Arthur Miller, married to Marilyn Monroe and introduced to her by Elia Kazan, wrote The Misfits.

Something's Got to Give features a nude Marilyn Monroe in a swimming pool, which is an iconic and famous scene being imitated, represented and depicted.

Plus, Marilyn Monroe's Something's Got to Give scene, where she swims nude, is unconventional.

Baby Doll, directed by Elia Kazan, stars Carroll Baker as the title character.

Carroll Baker was chosen to play the title role in Baby Doll, a role initlally being intended for Marilyn Monroe, who later helped promote this film, directed by Elia Kazan.

Tennessee Williams wrote A Streetcar Named Desire and Baby Doll, both being adapted into films by  Marilyn Monroe's friend Elia Kazan.

Plus, both Marilyn Monroe and Natalie Wood appear in the 1948 film Scudda Hoo! Scudda Hay!, with Natalie Wood playing a larger role than Marilyn Monroe.

Incidentally, Scudda Hoo! Scudda Hay! has early and uncredited appearances by two former Van Nuys High School girls Marilyn Monroe and Natalie Wood, both born in a Tiger year.

Jazz and classical music are genres that influence Marilyn Monroe's career.

Pop, rhythm & blues, soul, funk, rock, hip-hop and dance-pop are some modern music genres being evolved from jazz, of which Marilyn Monroe is a fan.

Marilyn Monroe's 4-year marriage to James Dougherty, which started off in June 1942 when she was a young teenage girl, is calm, a stark contrast to her global icon status.

James Dougherty knew and loved Norma Jeane, but not the iconic Marilyn Monroe.

With her charisma, her charm, her glamorous image, her sex appeal, her captivating presence and her beauty, Marilyn Monroe shocks post-war America (its era marked by conservative norms).

Despite her personal struggles in her early life, Marilyn Monroe also successfully manages to earn and achieve widespread fame and big-city dreams.

Whether she is in full attire, semi-clothed and undressed, Marilyn Monroe has always projected a sexy image that is instantly known and imitated around the world.

For many people around the world, Marilyn Monroe would be in their hearts and memories.

Plus, having been a contract player with 20th Century-Fox, Marilyn Monroe has enjoyed a sexy, sultry, seductive, beautiful and pin-up aesthetic.

University High School, where Marilyn Monroe briefly attended before dropping out to marry James Dougherty, is also where Annette Funicello graduated in 1960.