Happy 90th Birthday Marilyn!

90 years ago today, Norma Jean Baker was born. 90 years after that baby was born, and Marilyn Monroe, as she was later renamed, has gone on to become the greatest popular culture figure in the world, instantly recognizable and copied all over the globe.

Since her tragic death in 1963, Monroe has become a cult movie icon in her own right, with her famous white dress scene in 'The Seven Year Itch' widely referenced and her truly iconic performance of 'Diamonds are a Girls Best Friend' in Gentleman prefer Blondes' copied by everyone from Madonna and Kim Kardashian to Beyonce and Christina Aguilera. She is my favourite actress from the golden era of Hollywood and will go down in history as one of the single most powerful women in the world, with her status as a movie superstar.

Most people know the sad story of Marilyn, thanks to Elton John's classic song 'Candle in the Wind.' Norma Jean was forced to change her name and image to survive in Hollywood. Gone was her luscious brown hair and in came the peroxide blonde we know her for. Norma Jean Baker lost her identity when she changed her name. But, it was the right move in some sense, as her career took off soon after. 'Some Like it Hot,' 'River of no Return,' 'The Prince and the Showgirl' and 'The Misfits' are some of Marilyn's most iconic films - not that she was the greatest actress. It's a widely known fact that Monroe was a terrible actress (so many of her co-stars couldn't bear to work with her), but the screen just seemed to light up whenever she appeared. Perhaps that's the reason we are so obsessed with her - you can't help but fall under Marilyn's charm. She had her controversies. From singing Happy Birthday to President Kennedy, supporting her communist husband Arthur Miller during his trial and having an affair with her co-star in 'Lets make Love,' Yves Montand, she certainly wasn't one to shy away from the limelight.

The reason why I personally admire Marilyn Monroe so much, is not because of her films necessarily, but her more personal life and the demons she faced everyday. Her mother walked out on her when she was very young and she was passed between foster families for most of her childhood until her Aunt took her in. Forced into a marriage at 16 because her Aunt didn't want to take care of her, Marilyn's first marriage was a shambles. Her second to Joe DiMaggio wasn't great either with the sports star jealous of the constant attention his wife received, while her third and final marriage to Arthur Miller was never set to last. Her whole life she felt unloved and alone, which was the main reason why she became so dependent on pills and alcohol. Forgetting her lines on set, irritable behavior and bouts of depression all clouded Marilyn's so called happy life, not to mention the miscarriage which left her absolutely heartbroken. Above all she wanted to be taken seriously and hated the dumb blonde stereotype she came to embody. I believe she was a very intelligent woman who knew what she had to do to get to the top, and part of that was to play to the stereotypes.

So Happy 90th Birthday Marilyn!! If she were alive today, would she still be as iconic? Who knows. She will be remembered tenderly by thousands, even millions of people who never even met her but yet care about her as the woman who lived her life flickering, like a candle in the wind.