The Death of Marilyn Monroe: The Woman America Loved

Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell at the
Chinese Theater

Marilyn Monroe is an American icon who was known for her movies, modeling, dubious love life and frequently imitated good looks. She is perhaps the most famous Hollywood sex symbol of all time. Adding to her allure in another way is the manner of her death. It is steeped in drug addiction, depression, suicide attempts, high profile affairs and obvious cover-ups.

To delve into the particulars of Marilyn Monroe's life, we would need to pen a book. Even her death is book-worthy, as evidenced by the slew of books on the topic. Here, we will try to focus on key details, particularly those that made her death something of a mystery. There will be some conjecture from contemporaries, but later conjecture will be left out, given that many modern accounts and theories are sensationalized or based purely on circumstance. In other words, just because she might have slept with someone, according to gossip columns, does not mean that someone killed her. More on that later.

The death of Marilyn Monroe occurred some time in the late night of August 4 or the early morning of August 5, 1962. The cause of death was "acute barbiturate poisoning" (overdose) and was ruled a "possible suicide." Accidental suicide cannot be ruled out, given the reason for her death and the fact that she had overdosed numerous times before. In fact, she had been resuscitated after overdosing on several occasions. There is much debate over the time of death.

We know that Marilyn was on the phone at least from 7:00 p.m. to about 7:45 p.m. on the night of August 4, with an interval of 15 minutes between two phone calls. She spoke with her stepson, Joe DiMaggio, Jr. and with actor Peter Lawford. Several people claim to have spoken with her, but Peter was adamant that she ended the phone call on a weird note and that her phone was busy from then on that night. Joe said she sounded chipper. Peter said the opposite.

After Lawford spoke to Monroe, he made a few phone calls to establish whether she was okay. Her lawyer–Mickey Rudin–instructed him to stay away from the house in case she was using drugs. Lawford contacted the maid on another line and asked her to check on Marilyn. She said that she did and Marilyn was fine. At around 12:00 a.m., by the maid's initial testimony, she finally became worried, and the bedroom door was locked (there was no working lock on the door), so she called Marilyn's psychiatrist Ralph Greenson. Again, according to their initial testimony, he found her body by breaking in through her outside doors a little later.

Worth noting is that Marilyn Monroe's agent Arthur P. Jacobs got a phone call from Rudin around 10:00 p.m., according to Jacobs' future wife. She said that he was informed by Rudin that Marilyn died of an overdose. This is long before the maid and the psychiatrist claim she died, even according to their later testimony and that of doctors.

The police were not called until 4:30 a.m. Some witnesses say Marilyn left in an ambulance earlier and came back. Other witnesses, including neighbors, say none other than Bobby Kennedy arrived at her house in the evening with two unidentified men. The only thing we know for sure is that police were not called to the scene until early morning. Once there, they say they found several strange details. Firstly, the bed was clean, which does not line up with overdose. The maid was washing laundry. There was no cup in the room, despite the fact that Marilyn was known to have difficulty swallowing pills. A cup showed up later on the floor, but police insist it was not there when they first arrived.

Police initially put the time of death at around 12:30 a.m. The coroner initially put the time of death as between 9:30 and 11:30 p.m. In the morning, the maid began saying that she did not call Marilyn's psychiatrist until 3:00 a.m. and then the doctors put the time of death at 3:50 a.m. to suit. However, time of death was ascertained by the onset of rigor mortis. If the police arrived mere minutes after the time of death, it would be unusual for rigor mortis to have set in by then.

The pathology findings indicated that Marilyn Monroe had not orally taken the medicine that killed her and that it was not injected, either. There is a possibility that she took the medication orally throughout the day, which would have made the intestinal evidence hard to read. However, she took enough to kill 10 people. She would have been dead long before that time if she had ingested it slowly. That leaves us with an enema of one or both of the medications that killed her. It seems doubtful that she would have administered it herself. Therefore, if that was the case, someone helped her with her medication. It is entirely plausible that whoever did it kept quiet about it for fear of murder charges. Of course, there is also the possibility that it was murder, as conspiracy theorists would have you believe.

It is very possible that Marilyn's friends waited until she was cleaned up before calling the police to spare their deceased friend's dignity. Public relations were a major deal in Hollywood in those days and Marilyn was a public relations sideshow. She was sleeping with everyone and their brother, according to gossips. They liked to think she was chasing the president–the Happy Birthday, Mr. President performance only months earlier had not helped. Is it possible she died far earlier than the maid and the psychiatrist would admit? That would explain how Rudin seemed to know before anyone else. This brings us back to Rudin. He called Lawford at 1:00 in the morning to tell him Monroe was dead. Why did he wait so long if he knew at 10:00 when he called her agent? The real mystery here seems to be Rudin's apparent psychic abilities and the pick-a-number act doctors, the maid and the psychiatrist played with the timeline. These mysteries cannot be solved with the available evidence.

Much of the evidence, including phone records and police reports, has been lost or stolen. Some say the FBI files in the vault on the actress indicated that the FBI encouraged her to kill herself to stop her from speaking about her affair with Robert Kennedy, though it is a rough interpretation of the somewhat illegible files. Witness testimony changed and "expert" opinion changed throughout the years following her death and even until now.

Sources

Bell, Rachael, Marilyn Monroe, retrieved 12/23/11, trutv.com/library/crime/notorious_murders/celebrity/marilyn_monroe

Peress, Robin, What causes rigor mortis?, retrieved 12/23/11, http://health.howstuffworks.com/diseases-conditions/death-dying/rigor-mortis-cause.htm

FBI Vault, Marilyn Monroe, retrieved 12/23/11, http://vault.fbi.gov/Marilyn%20Monroe

Marie Curie: One of History's Most Important Scientists

Marie Curie

Marie Curie was a brilliant scientist and a Nobel Prize laureate. She relied on her curiosity and intellect to advance scientific knowledge by leaps and bounds during her lifetime. With the help of her husband Pierre Curie, Marie helped to lay the foundations for the future of physics and helped the scientific community as a whole with her monetary and physical contributions. In a time when female scientists were a rarity and a female scientist of her caliber was unheard of, Marie proved that she was something of a cut above her contemporaries.

Marie Curie was born on November 7, 1867 in Warsaw, Poland. Both of Marie’s parents were teachers; her father, Vladislav Sklodowska was a teacher of mathematics and her mother, Bronislawa Sklodowska was a music teacher. When Marie was about eleven years old, her mother passed away. Her father made sure that she had a decent education, but when she was fifteen years old, it was no longer possible for her to attend a school in Poland. At the time, it was unlawful for a woman to attend college and Vladislav could not afford to send Marie to another country to attend school. This did not stop Marie from seeking an education.

When Marie was sixteen, she joined a group of students who, like her wished for a good education. This group was called the “Floating University.” The students would get together and read books that were illegal and talk about their thoughts, among other academic activities. In 1891 Marie enrolled in Sorbonne or the University of Paris, where she studied mathematics and physics. She left the school with a degree in both subjects in 1894.

Eighteen-ninety-four was also the year that Marie met her future husband, Pierre Curie. Pierre and Marie Curie married in July of 1895. The couple shared many of the same vocational interests and would go on to make major discoveries in physics and chemistry together. Marie and Pierre would eventually have two daughters together, Irene, who was born in 1897 and Eve, who was born in 1904. Irene would go on to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Eve would go on to write a famous biography about her mother.

Marie Curie first became involved in the study of radioactivity when she was searching for a subject for her doctoral thesis. She began testing various materials for radioactivity with an invention of Pierre’s. While doing those tests, she noticed that pitchblende was more radioactive than uranium. There was only one explanation for this; there must be an element in pitchblende that is more radioactive than uranium. The interesting thing was that no such element had been discovered, thusfar.

Pierre Curie became very interested in his wife’s work and so the two of them teamed up and began searching for the element that was causing this high radioactivity in pitchblende. What they discovered was not one, but two unknown radioactive elements. They named these elements polonium and radium. In 1903 Marie got her Doctor of Science degree and that same year, she and her husbanded were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for their discovery of spontaneous radioactivity.

In 1906 Pierre Curie was struck by a horse and carriage on the streets of Paris and was killed. At the time of his death, Pierre was the Professor of General Physics in the Faculty of Science. Marie took his place after he died and she became the first female professor at the University of Paris. In 1911 Marie was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the discovery of polonium and radium. She was the first person to ever be awarded the Nobel Prize twice.

In 1914 Marie became the Director of the Curie Laboratory in the Radium Institute of the University of Paris. She continued to contribute to the school and to scientific study until her health would no longer allow it. Marie Curie suffered from leukemia later in her life that we now know was caused by her near constant exposure to radiation. She died in France in 1934 at the age of sixty-seven.

Sources:

Marie Curie: First Lady of Science, retrieved 9/11/09, emporia.edu/earthsci/student/vaught1/index.htm

Marie Sklodowska Curie, retrieved 9/11/09, genchem.chem.wise.edu/lab/PTL/pll/B105/curie.htm

Marie Curie: The Nobel Prize in Physics 1903, nobelprize.org/nobel.prizes/physics/laureates/1903/marie-curie-bio.html

Julia Child: Author, Chef and All Around Cool Chick

Something inside me hopes she's cooking a buttery sauce

Julia Child was one of the most famous American chefs of all time. She found her love for cooking somewhat late in life, but her ambition drove her to become the best at what she did. She was a teacher, a cookbook author and a television chef. She was the hero of housewives during her long career. She made difficult recipes simple and taught her fans to have a sense of humor about mistakes in the kitchen. Her cheery personality and her amazing skill made her America’s most beloved television chef. 

Julia Child was born Julia McWilliams on August 15, 1912, in Pasadena, California. She was the eldest of three children born to John and Julia McWilliams. She went to school in San Francisco at the Katherine Branson school for girls and later enrolled at Smith College in Northampton Massachusetts in 1930, where she majored in history. She moved to New York after her graduation.

In 1941, Julia Child moved to Washington, D.C., where she worked on a volunteer basis as a research assistant for the Office of Strategic Services. Four years later, in 1945, she was sent to China, where she met and fell in love with her future husband, Paul Child, who also worked for the Office of Strategic Services. It has recently been revealed that during her time with the Office of Strategic Services, Julia Child acted as a spy and handled top-secret documents for the American government.

In 1948, the couple moved to Paris, France. While Julia and Paul Child were in Paris, Julia discovered that she had a passion for cooking. She enrolled in the world famous Le Cordon Bleu cooking school. When she finished her training, she joined up with two other female chefs, Simone Beck and Louisette Berthole and opened a small cooking school called L’Ecole des Trois Gourmandes. The trio then began work on their now famous cookbook entitled “Mastering the Art of French Cooking.”

In 1961, Julia and Paul moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts. Soon after, Julia Child got word that the 800-page cookbook, that she had been working on for years with her friends, was finally going to be published. While Julia was promoting her new book, she did a television show that showed her cooking an omelet. Of course, people loved her and she was offered her own show on WGBH in Boston.

Starting in 1962, Julia’s hit show, The French Chef was broadcast locally. It wasn’t long before her show was being broadcast nationwide. She went on to star on several cooking shows and she authored several more cookbooks. The kitchen where many of her shows were filmed is now on display at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C.

Julia Child’s beloved husband, Paul died in a nursing home in Massachusetts in 1994. Julia continued making appearances on cooking shows, despite her loss. She died at the age of 91 of kidney failure. She is now a legend among television chefs.

Notable Awards and Honors Given to Julia Child

First Woman Elected Into the Culinary Institute Hall of Fame (1993)

Legion d’Honneur (2000)

George Foster Peabody Award (1964)

Emmy Award (1966)

Sources

Julia Child Biography, retrieved 8/15/09, biography.com/articles/Julia-Child-9246767?part=0

Julia Child Biography, retrieved 8/15/09, notablebiographies.com/Ch-Co/Child-julia.html

Joshua Norton: Self-Proclaimed Emperor of the World

Joshua Abraham Norton

Joshua Abraham Norton was an unfortunate, insane man who became famous for his claims of sovereignty over the United States. For years, he believed he was the Emperor of the United States and told anyone who would listen as much. He also attempted to create laws and exercise authority over the government. Oddly, instead of being committed, he became something of a sideshow in San Francisco. People were so enamored with his act, that some even referred to him as "His Majesty." Of course, this only fed into the poor man's delusion, with which he died.

Joshua Abraham Norton was born in London, England around 1818. Soon after he was born, his parents moved the family to South Africa. Joshua grew up in South Africa and tried to seek his fortunes there, but he met with little success. In 1849, when he was about 20-years-old, Joshua Abraham Norton moved from Africa to the United States, where he settled in San Francisco.

When Joshua Abraham Norton moved to San Francisco, he began work as a commodities merchant. He met with a measure of success, but his mental health was declining all the while. In 1958, he reached the end of his rope when he went bankrupt. His mental situation continued to get worse until he succumbed to his life's greatest delusion in 1858. That year, he stated that, "At the preemptory request and desire of the citizens of the United States, I, Joshua Norton, declare and proclaim myself Emperor of these United States." His self-appointed official title was Norton I, Emperor of the United States and Protector of Mexico.

For more than twenty years, Joshua Norton harbored the delusion that he was Emperor of the United States. He even issued "decrees," obviously to no effect. Making light of Norton's condition, several newspapers editors published fake decrees, but there are several that are likely to have been Norton's handiwork. One of his decrees in 1860 ordered the dissolution of the United States.

Joshua Abraham Norton was a beloved, if neglected, character. He was allowed to wander the streets in his military regalia, complete with a silly feathered hat and a sword, largely unimpeded. In fact, when a policeman tried to step in and get "The Emperor" medical help, people complained. He was released and rumor has it that police began saluting him after this event. Writer Samuel Clemens (a.k.a. Mark Twain) met Norton while he was working in San Francisco. Years later, he based the Huckleberry Finn character King off Joshua.

On January 8, 1880, Joshua Abraham Norton died on the streets of San Francisco. Two days later, his funeral was attended by 10,000 people. Unfortunately, he was not cured of his insanity before his death. However, apart from the obvious financial problems his insanity caused him, he seemed to be harmless and unharmed by his illness.

Sources

Joshua A. Norton, retrieved 3/20/11, sfmuseum.org/hist!/norton.html

Joshua Abraham Norton, retrieved 3/20/11, pbs.org/weta/thewest/people/i_r/norton.htm

Mad Jack Churchill: The Man Who Fought the Nazis with Bow, Sword and Arrows

Jack Churchill carries a sword on the far right.

Jack Churchill was a British officer who served during the Burma conflict, World War II and the Palestine conflict. He was given two monikers during his service. “Mad Jack Churchill” was most likely given to him because he was insane enough, or brave enough, to fight during WWII with a bow and arrow against men who were armed with modern weapons. “Fighting Jack Churchill” was probably given to him because of his fighting spirit. The man apparently loved to be involved in war and seemed to get bored if he wasn’t.

Jack Churchill’s given name was John Malcolm Thorpe Fleming Churchill. He was born in Hong Kong to parents of English descent on September 16, 1906. He went on to attend the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst and graduated in 1926. He became an officer in the Manchester regiment, following his graduation. He had two younger brothers who also served in the British military. One was also an officer in the Manchester regiment, the other served with the Royal Navy and was killed in action.

Jack Churchill quickly became known for being a little odd, while serving with the Manchester regiment. One story about his odd behavior goes that he showed up to formation one day with an umbrella. When his commanding officer asked him why he had an umbrella, “Mad Jack” told him that he had the umbrella because it was raining. Sure, that’s a normal enough thing for a civilian to do, but for a military officer it’s nearly unforgivably insubordinate. Nonetheless, Jack fought in the Burma conflict bravely and successfully without getting himself into too much trouble.

In 1936, after ten years of service, Jack Churchill decided to leave the military. He turned to perfecting a few of his hobbies. He spent a great deal of time playing the bagpipes and practicing with his bow and arrow. He apparently became very good at both. He also began working as an extra in films. However, in 1939, Germany invaded Poland and Jack Churchill decided to get in on the action. He reenlisted with the Manchester regiment, but he had an odd request. He wished to be allowed to carry a bow, arrows and a sword into combat. This was apparently allowed.

Not long after Jack Churchill reenlisted, he decided to volunteer to become a commando. He had no idea what this was, at the time, but it turned out to be perfect for him. Commandos were responsible for conducting raids in various areas and the action was just the way Churchill liked it-intense.  He participated in commando training in Scotland. While there, he met and fell in love with Rosamund Denny. The couple married in Scotland in 1941. They remained married until Jack’s death.

On December 27, 1941, after the completion of his commando training, Jack Churchill led two companies in an attack off of Nord Fjord in Norway. Reportedly, as the men made their way to conduct this ultimately successful mission, “Mad Jack” stood in the foremost landing craft and played “The March of the Cameron Men” on his bagpipes. Jack was a part of numerous raids, and yes, he used his sword and his bow and arrows as weapons. When the situation warranted the use of firearms, he used them, but there were many times when a German soldier was surprised to find himself being captured by a man with a sword, or to see that one of his downed comrades had an arrow sticking out of him.

In 1944, “Mad Jack” and his men were charged with taking three German held hills in Brac. Most of the men were killed. In fact, Jack Churchill was reportedly the only one left unharmed. When he realized that they had been defeated, Jack stood and played his bagpipes until he was knocked out by a blast and subsequently captured. Jack was moved around a little bit before being taken to Sachsenhausen (a German concentration camp). He escaped for a brief period, but was recaptured within hours. He was taken to another camp in Niederdorf, Austria in April of 1945. He escaped in September of the same year.

Jack Churchill walked south 150 miles, for eight days after leaving Niederdorf. He survived by staying off of the road and eating pilfered vegetables cooked in a pilfered, rusty tin can. He was rescued on the eighth day, when he spotted a group of U.S. Army tanks. The war had ended in the European theater, by the time Jack returned, but he requested to be deployed to the Pacific theater so he may continue fighting. His request was granted, but World War II ended shortly thereafter. Jack Churchill earned the Distinguished Service Order and two Military Crosses for his service during World War II.

In 1946, at the age of 40, Jack Churchill qualified as a paratrooper and was an extra in another film. In 1948 he served in the Palestine conflict and maintained his usual level of bravery and eccentricity throughout. He retired from the military in 1959. He died in March of 1959. There are two quotes by this man that seem to sum up his attitude as a career soldier. They are as follows “People are less likely to shoot at you if you smile at them.” and “In my opinion, sir, any officer who goes into action without his sword is improperly dressed.”

Sources

Bellows, Jason, Any officer who goes into action without his sword is improperly dressed, retrieved 2/15/10, damninteresting.com/any-officer-who-goes-into-action-without-his-sword-is-improperly-dressed

Barr Smith, Robert, Jack Churchill survived a wartime odyssey beyond compare, retrieved 2/15/10, wwiihistorymagazine.com/2005/july/col-profiles.html