Herbie Murray
On August 5, 1962, Marilyn Monroe, one of the most famous stars in Hollywood, was found dead in her Brentwood home in Los Angeles. The cause of death was an apparent overdose of sleeping pills. Monroe had suffered from insomnia and was dependent on prescription drugs, including barbiturates, amphetamines, and alcohol, to manage her mental health issues. While the circumstances of her death remain a subject of speculation, with some suggesting accidental overdose or suicide, the presence of an empty bottle of sleeping pills near her body indicated a possible role of these drugs in her tragic demise.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of sleeping pills Marilyn Monroe took | It is unclear exactly how many sleeping pills Marilyn Monroe took, but she died from an overdose of sleeping pills (barbiturates) |
| Type of sleeping pills | Nembutal, a barbiturate |
| Other drugs involved | Chloral hydrate, a sedative; amphetamines; and alcohol |
| Circumstances | Monroe was found dead in her Brentwood, Los Angeles home on August 5, 1962, at the age of 36 |
| Cause of death | Apparent or accidental suicide, overdose |
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What You'll Learn
Marilyn Monroe's cause of death
On the evening of August 4, 1962, Marilyn Monroe died at the age of 36 in her Brentwood home in Los Angeles, California. Her body was discovered on August 5, 1962, by her housekeeper and companion, Eunice Murray, who had lived with her. Murray noticed a light under Monroe's bedroom door at around 3:25 a.m. and, upon receiving no answer after knocking and shouting, called Monroe's psychiatrist, Dr. Greenson. Dr. Greenson broke into the room through the window and found Monroe dead, with a telephone receiver in her hand. Monroe's personal physician, Hyman Engelberg, was called and pronounced her dead on his arrival.
The cause of Monroe's death was ruled as an apparent suicide by the Los Angeles police and a coroner's autopsy. Monroe died from an overdose of sleeping pills, specifically barbiturates known as Nembutal. An empty vial of Nembutal was found on her bedside table, along with fourteen other bottles of medicines and tablets. Monroe had a history of substance abuse and had become dependent on amphetamines, barbiturates, and alcohol. She also suffered from various mental health issues, including depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, and chronic insomnia.
In the years following Monroe's death, there has been speculation and controversy surrounding the exact cause. Some have alleged that Monroe was murdered, while others, including biographer Donald Spoto, have suggested that her death was an accidental overdose staged as a suicide. Spoto claimed that Monroe's doctors, Greenson and Engelberg, were aware of her Nembutal abuse and had agreed to monitor her drug use by consulting each other before prescribing any medication. Additionally, there have been discrepancies noted in the autopsy report, including claims that Monroe's stomach was empty, which would indicate that she could not have ingested the pills, and that Nembutal capsules should leave a yellow residue. However, pathologist Dr. Tsunetomi Noguchi, who performed the autopsy, explained that the hemorrhaging of Monroe's stomach lining indicated oral administration of the medication and that Nembutal does not leave a dye residue.
Monroe's death highlighted the darker side of prescription drug abuse, which has claimed the lives of many other celebrities and individuals. The lethal combination of drugs and the potential for individuals to forget how much they have consumed can lead to accidental overdoses. Additionally, the powerful vocalist Whitney Houston died of a cocaine overdose in 2012, and prolific actor Philip Seymour Hoffman died of an overdose involving multiple illegal drugs.
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The number of pills Marilyn Monroe took
Marilyn Monroe died at the age of 36 on August 5, 1962, in her Brentwood home in Los Angeles. The cause of her death was ruled as an overdose of sleeping pills, also known as barbiturates, specifically a type called Nembutal. Monroe had a history of substance abuse and mental health issues, including depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, and chronic insomnia. She was found dead in her bedroom, with an empty bottle of sleeping pills on her bedside table. It is unclear exactly how many sleeping pills Monroe took, but it was enough to cause a fatal overdose.
The empty bottle of Nembutal found near Monroe suggested that she had consumed a significant number of sleeping pills. Nembutal is a barbiturate, a type of drug that can be highly addictive and dangerous when not used as directed. Barbiturates were commonly prescribed in the past as sedatives or sleeping pills, but they have a narrow therapeutic index, meaning that a relatively small increase in dosage can lead to dangerous side effects, including death.
In addition to the sleeping pills, Monroe was also taking other medications, including opiates, "speed pills," tranquilizers, and possibly chloral hydrate, an old-fashioned sedative. This combination of drugs can be lethal, as each drug can increase the potency of the others. It is possible that Monroe took more than the recommended dose of sleeping pills, or that the interaction with other medications contributed to the fatal outcome.
While the exact number of sleeping pills Monroe took may never be known, it is clear that her death was a tragic consequence of substance abuse and the interaction of multiple medications. Her case highlights the dangers of prescription drug abuse and the potentially fatal consequences of mixing certain drugs.
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Marilyn Monroe's history of insomnia
Marilyn Monroe was a troubled beauty who failed to find happiness despite being Hollywood's brightest star. Monroe's body was discovered on the morning of August 5, 1962, at her home in Brentwood, Los Angeles. She was 36 years old. The actress had died of an apparent, or accidental, suicide. An autopsy later revealed that she had died of a barbiturate overdose. An empty bottle of sleeping pills was found by her bedside, along with 14 other bottles of medicines and tablets.
Monroe had a long history of insomnia and mental health issues, including depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem. She had also become dependent on amphetamines, barbiturates, and alcohol. The actress had acquired a reputation for being difficult to work with, frequently delaying productions by being late to film sets and having trouble remembering her lines. She had not completed a film since "The Misfits", released in February 1961, and had been fired from her latest project, "Something's Got to Give", by 20th Century Fox, in early June 1962.
Monroe's psychiatrists had treated her with Freudian psychoanalysis and an intensive use of drugs. She had also sought self-knowledge and acting improvement through psychoanalysis. In the last two years of her life, Monroe had become the subject of considerable controversy in Hollywood, with some people mocking her aspirations to be a serious actress. Her defenders, however, asserted that her talents had been underestimated by those who thought her appeal to moviegoers was solely sexual.
In the months leading up to her death, Monroe had been trying to repair her public image, which had been damaged by her delayed productions and firing. She had also been dealing with health problems and attempting to settle her differences with 20th Century Fox. On the evening of her death, Monroe had a quiet dinner with a friend and retired to her bedroom around 8 pm. She was found dead in her bed a few hours later.
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The cocktail of drugs Marilyn Monroe took
Marilyn Monroe, one of the most famous stars in Hollywood's history, died at the age of 36 in her Brentwood home in Los Angeles, California. Her death on August 5, 1962, was ruled as an apparent, or accidental, suicide. Monroe's body was discovered by her housekeeper, Eunice Murray, at around 3:25 a.m. in her bedroom, where she was found dead on her bed with an empty bottle of sleeping pills on her bedside table.
Monroe had a history of substance abuse and mental health issues, including depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, and chronic insomnia. She was known to be dependent on amphetamines, barbiturates, and alcohol. On the night of her death, it is believed that she took a lethal cocktail of drugs, including:
- Nembutal (barbiturate): A barbiturate is a type of sleeping pill that was prescribed to Monroe by her personal physician, Dr. Hyman Engelberg. Nembutal was found in an empty vial on her bedside table.
- Chloral Hydrate: An old-fashioned sedative, often referred to as "knockout drops," which Monroe is believed to have taken along with Nembutal.
- Champagne: Monroe is said to have washed down the combination of Nembutal and chloral hydrate with a glass of champagne, further potentiating the effects of the drugs.
This combination of drugs likely contributed to Monroe's death, as each of these substances can increase the potency of the others. Additionally, people who take this combination may lose track of their consumption, leading to an accidental overdose. While the exact number of sleeping pills Monroe took is not known, the empty vial of Nembutal and the presence of other drugs suggest a lethal cocktail that ultimately ended her life.
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The discovery of Marilyn Monroe's body
On the evening of August 4, 1962, Marilyn Monroe, one of the most popular Hollywood stars of the 1950s and 1960s, died at the age of 36 from a barbiturate overdose. Her death was ruled as an apparent suicide.
Monroe's body was discovered in the early hours of August 5, 1962, in her home in Brentwood, Los Angeles. Eunice Murray, Monroe's housekeeper, was the last person to see her alive and the first to discover her body. Murray recalled that Monroe retired to her bedroom at around 8 p.m. on August 4. At around 3:25 a.m. on August 5, Murray noticed that Monroe's bedroom door was locked, and she did not respond to calls. Peering through the bedroom's French windows, Murray saw Monroe lying on the bed, looking "peculiar." Murray called Dr. Greenson, who broke into the bedroom through the window door with a fireplace poker. He quickly examined Monroe and called her personal physician, Dr. Hyman Engelberg, at around 4:20 a.m. The police were called soon after, and Inspector Edward Walker of the Los Angeles Police arrived at the scene.
Following the discovery of Monroe's body, rumours circulated that her body had gone missing for several hours before being prepared for autopsy. It was reported that it took six hours for her corpse to arrive at the morgue, a journey that typically takes 45 minutes. There were also allegations of tampering with her body and the autopsy reports, suggesting that her death may not have been an accidental overdose. However, these rumours have never been publicly investigated or proven.
Monroe's autopsy was conducted by Deputy Coroner Thomas Noguchi, assisted by psychiatrists from the Los Angeles Suicide Prevention Center. The toxicological analysis concluded that the cause of death was acute barbiturate poisoning, with high levels of chloral hydrate and pentobarbital (Nembutal) in her blood and liver. Empty bottles of these medications were found next to her bed, along with several other prescription drugs. Monroe had a history of substance abuse, mental health issues, and insomnia, for which she often self-medicated with a lethal combination of drugs.
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Frequently asked questions
It is unclear exactly how many sleeping pills Marilyn Monroe took, but it was enough to cause an overdose.
The sleeping pills were a barbiturate known as Nembutal.
Yes, Monroe also took a chloral hydrate tablet, which is a sedative, and washed it down with champagne.
Marilyn Monroe suffered from insomnia and had been dependent on barbiturates and alcohol for several years.
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