"I want to grow old without a facelift; I want to have the courage to be faithful to the face I have made. Sometimes I think it would be easier to avoid old age, to die young, but then you would never complete your whole life, would you? Marilyn Monroe said in the younger days of her life. Although this statement did not come true, Marilyn Monroe had a memorable life full of ups and downs such a successful woman had such an unstable life? Whether you know her as "The Blonde Bombshell", Norma or Marilyn Monroe, she had a great impact on the way people see women of the past. From her childhood, to her successes , to her downfalls and even her death, Marilyn Monroe had a huge impact on people around the world. Norma Jeane Mortenson, more famous as Marilyn Monroe, was born on June 1, 1926 in Los Angeles, California. In her youth she was known also as Norma Jeane Baker. His mother, Gladys Monroe Baker Mortensen, was an editor at RKO Studios. Norma's biological father has never been identified. Her mother told her that her father looked like a movie star, Clark Gable. Throughout Norma's childhood, she imagined that Clark was her father. Almost immediately after birth, Norma's mother became mentally ill and abandoned her, forcing her into a series of foster homes. Norma's adoptive parents, Ida and Albert Bolender, were very strict and religious. Gladys paid $25 a month for Norma's custody. Despite her mother's frequent visits, Norma did not see Gladys as her mother, but rather as "the red-haired woman." Despite having a difficult childhood where she was nearly smothered to death at age two and raped at age six, Norma's life went on to become just a life almost... middle of paper. ..again with Grace Mckee Goddard .By the next year, Norma began to take the next steps to break into film. Norma signed up with a talent agency, the National Concert Artists Corporation, and soon met Ben Lyon, an executive at Twentieth Century-Fox. Ben organized an audition for Norma, which is a short film to see how a person looks and acts in front of a camera. According to Leon Shamroy, the director of photography, Norma's brief performance gave him chills. Ben Lyon was so impressed with her performance that he cast her shortly after the audition. In August 1946 he signed a six-month contract. Her contract paid her $75 a week for six months. Since Norma was only twenty years old at the time, Grace had to sign the contract. Once the contract was signed there was only one thing left to take care of: choosing the nickname.