Marilyn Monroe was before my time but for the generation before me, she captured a nation’s attention, even garnering the attention of a former U.S. President.
Monroe, born Norma Jean Baker, led a remarkable but short life. Although the circumstances of her death are open to debate, she committed “probable suicide” on August 5, 1962, ending a 36-year roller coaster ride.
Monroe was married briefly to Joe DiMaggio, a baseball Hall of Famer that played for the New York Yankees. She was also chosen to appear on the December 1953 inaugural issue of Playboy magazine and was the publication’s first Playmate of the Month.
Rumors have existed since the 1960s that Monroe had affairs with Robert Kennedy or John F. Kennedy, or both.
While allegations of an affair with President Kennedy did not make it into the mainstream press until the 1970s, a pamphlet in 1964, published after Monroe’s death entitled The Strange Death of Marilyn Monroe, by investigator Frank Cappell, alleged a relationship between Monroe and Bobby Kennedy.
JFK’s reputed mistress Judith Exner, in her 1977 autobiography, also wrote about an affair that she says the president and Monroe had.
The photos appearing below originated in 1949 although the actual source is unknown. While not seen in the gallery, we’ve also captured all of Monroe’s known Playboy photos which can be downloaded here.
Enjoy these photos of Marilyn Monroe from 1949.
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