She was born
Norma Jeane Mortenson but baptized Norma Jeane Baker (her mother's maiden
name) since her
mentally unstable
mother Grace
had
separated from Martin Mortenson before her pregnancy. The future Marilyn Monroe began life not
knowing who her father was and the search for a father underscored much of her
life.
Norma Jeane met and married Jim Dougherty
when she was a teenager The marriage lasted until 1946 when Monroe decided to pursue
a modeling
career. After bleacher her hair blonde, Norma Jeane Dougherty became a
successful model , appearing on dozens of magazine covers. In
1946, she came to the attention of a 20th Century Fox executive,
who arranged a screen test for her. Lyon was impressed and commented, "It's
Jean Harlow all over again". She was offered a standard six-month
contract at $125 per week and changed her name to.s Marilyn Monroe.
Soon she would make Hollywood history with
several classic performances and quickly become one of the greatest
celebrities of all time. Her marriage Joe DiMaggio
captivated the world. Her affair with President John F. Kennedy has become
part of history and led to rumors that believe that she was murdered. No
murder charges were ever filed and her death has since become one of the
most debated conspiracy theories, even though it was ruled to be "acute
barbiturate poisoning."
So to celebrate Marilyn's birthday, we have a recipe based on a little known
fact that Marilyn
was crowned the first Queen of the Artichokes in Castroville, California and
her quote "My breasts are beginning to sag, my waist isn't
bad, my ass is what it should be — the best." So today, rent out a copy
of "Gentlemen Prefer Blonds (1953) and whip up a dish of Artichoke
Bottoms Stuffed with Spinach while you watch the former Artichoke Queen's
delicious bottom.
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