Overview
- The centenary, which falls on Monday, June 1, 2026, has prompted exhibitions, tributes and Julien's Auctions' '100 Years of Marilyn' sale that assembles hundreds of her personal belongings.
- Several ordinary objects in the sale—used lipsticks, a 1950s bra and worn blouses—have fetched thousands of dollars, with specific lots reported at about $4,000, $7,000 and more than $5,000 respectively.
- Recent coverage uses everyday artifacts to humanize Monroe by spotlighting routine items that show her lived habits rather than only her public image.
- Reporting for the centenary revisits her traumatic childhood, long struggles with depression and substance use, and a 2023 Clinical Neuropsychiatry study that characterizes her with mood and anxiety symptoms; early forensic reports still attribute her 1962 death to an accidental overdose or possible suicide.
- Monroe's concentrated 16-year film career remains central to her legacy, with critics and historians stressing notable performances in films such as Some Like It Hot and The Misfits while collectors and scholars now place growing market and cultural value on ordinary personal items as a means to connect with the person behind the icon.