Marilyn Monroe dies of overdose

Aug. 5, 1962: Marilyn Monroe was found dead in the bedroom of her Brentwood home.

The “troubled beauty who failed to find happiness as Hollywood’s brightest star” had died of an apparent overdose of sleeping pills, The Times reported on the front page.

“The blond, 36-year-old actress was nude, lying face down on her bed and clutching a telephone receiver in her hand when a psychiatrist broke into her room at 3:30 a.m.,” the newspaper said. Authorities guessed she had been dead six to eight hours.

When Monroe had called the psychiatrist at 5:15 p.m. the day before, complaining that she could not sleep, he told her to go for a ride, police told the newspaper.

“It was learned that medical authorities believed Miss Monroe had been in a depressed mood recently,” The Times said. “She was unkempt and in need of a manicure and pedicure, indicating listlessness and a lack of interest in maintaining her usually glamorous appearance, the authorities added.”

A story about Monroe’s life ran on the front page under the headline, “Sad Child, Unhappy Star.”

“When they found Marilyn Monroe, one of her hands grasped a telephone. Perhaps she had called for help,” it said. “She had been calling for help all her life.”