The Tragic Night We Lost Marilyn Monroe

1962 was an awful year for Marilyn Monroe. She passed away in the same month that the Cuban Missile Crisis happened, but her death was overshadowed by JFK’s assassination (which occurred a year later). The release of “The Misfits” also did not help her stardom. At the time of her death, she was married to playwright Arthur Miller and had recently lost custody of their son. There are plenty more reasons why 1962 wasn’t Marilyn Monroe’s year.

At 3 AM, on August 5th, 1962, the actress swallowed a large quantity of pills that would end her very public life. On that morning, Monroe was discovered by her housekeeper and part-time nanny, Eunice Murray. We did not know the reason why Monroe had been taking pills right away. One theory is that she was having a challenging time with Arthur Miller and wanted to depart from him. Others say that she didn’t realize the medication was toxic and thought it was something else. It’s even possible that Marilyn wanted to exit this world so she could begin a new chapter in heaven (which she believed in).

The cause of her death was first listed as “probable suicide,” but the Los Angeles Coroner’s Office suspected that it wasn’t an accident. Monroe had made many enemies over the years, but there were two people in particular that could have been responsible for her demise.

When Marilyn was young, she fell into depression because of her failed relationship with her father. Her father was a musician that married three times. He didn’t always live with his children and was unable to support them financially, which led to his daughter having suicidal thoughts. Marilyn also felt betrayed by her own body. She grew to hate being so short and getting heavier as she aged.

At the time, Monroe was the object of many men’s adoration and attention. Her sex appeal and gorgeous face attracted many men. Some of her admirers included Frank Sinatra, Yves Montand, and President John F. Kennedy.
After her death, Eunice Murray said that Marilyn had been taking Nembutal daily even though she wasn’t in extreme pain. Nembutal was a drug Monroe used to help her sleep and relax (she was given the medication after a car accident). She wasn’t addicted or depressed, but she needed it to fall asleep almost every night. She also was taking Librium and Dexedrine, which were intended to control anxiety and boost energy levels (Dexedrine can give you an invigorating feeling, but if you abuse it, you can get physically sick).