Marilyn Monroe was an American actress, model, and singer who became a major sex symbol and pop culture icon in the 1950s. She began her career as a model, and later became a film actress, starring in a number of successful films during the 1950s. Monroe died on August 4, 1962, at the age of 36, from an overdose of sleeping pills. Her death was ruled a “probable suicide.” Despite her tragic end, Monroe’s legacy as a Hollywood icon and sex symbol has endured, and she remains one of the most recognizable and beloved celebrities of all time.