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Marilyn Monroe: Life and Times

Marilyn Monroe and Her First Husband in 1943

Marilyn Monroe and Her First Husband in 1943

At age 16, to avoid becoming a ward of the state when her foster parents leave California, Norma Jeane married neighbor Jimmy Dougherty, 21, in 1942. They'd divorce in 1946. (See more photos of a pre-fame Monroe, in our "Before She Was Marilyn" gallery)

In this photo: Marilyn Monroe, Jim Dougherty

Photo: Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images

Jan 01, 1943