The 40 Most Stunningly Beautiful Actresses Before 1960

22. Marilyn Monroe

Marilyn Monroe needs little introduction, as she remains one of the most iconic figures of her time, her name still widely recognized thanks to her acting career and the intrigue surrounding her personal life and untimely death.

Best known for her roles as the comedic "blonde bombshell," Monroe became a sex symbol of the 1950s and early 1960s, embodying the era's sexual revolution.

For a decade, she was a top-billed actress, starring in films that grossed over $200 million—equivalent to roughly $2 billion today.

Monroe continues to hold a lasting place in pop culture, with the American Film Institute ranking her sixth on its list of the greatest female screen legends of the Golden Age of Hollywood.

Despite her fame and influence, critics and media outlets have often noted that she is one of the greatest actresses to never receive an Academy Award nomination.