Marilyn Monroe - That Dress!

Marilyn Monroe was born Norma Jean Mortenson on June 1st 1926, she would now be 85 if still alive.

Her famous white dress goes under the hammer later this month and is expected to sell for 2 million dollars, but first a little bio of her life.

Her mother Gladys Baker, (She was raised as Norma Jean Baker) was an unmarried movie technician with mental health problems which resulted in Marilyn being raised in foster homes where abuse and neglect were rife.

At 16 years, she married a defense worker named James E. Dougherty and during the Second World War she became a pin-up model and was soon signed to a modeling agency.

She divorced Dougherty in 1946, and signed a contract with 20th Century-Fox and legally became Marilyn Monroe complete with her trademark bleached blonde hair.

"Don't Bother to Knock" in 1952 was her first starring role. The following year in 1953 Monroe was immortalized on Hollywood's Walk of Fame when she gained her pavement star.

Baseball legend Joe DiMaggio became husband number 2 in 1954 and number 3 came along in 1956 when she tied the knot with Arthur Miller after legally becoming Marilyn Monroe.

Miller wrote her last movie "The Misfits" released in 1960 and two years later on August 4th 1962 she died somewhat mysteriously and even to this day her death is debated.

Never far from rumours of affairs with the two Kennedy brothers and investigated by the FBI and CIA it is inevitable that a conspiracy theory has surrounded her passing.

But back to that dress which is part of a collection owned by actress Debbie Reynolds and was worn by Monroe in "The Seven Year Itch" when she memorably stood over a subway vent and it blew up around her thus cementing her status as a Hollywood icon forever. See movie clip below.

The Reynolds Collection auction happens June 18th in Seattle.