Marilyn Monroe for TIME Magazine, an “Icon for the Ages” (1954)

Marilyn Monroe was selected by TIME Magazine as one of its “100 Women of the Year” to represent the year 1954, cementing her legacy as an “Icon for the Ages.” This historic retrospective project redesigns covers from TIME’s past to recognize influential women who were often overlooked for the traditional “Man of the Year” title during the 20th century.

While she didn’t actually appear on the cover of TIME in 1954, her standalone cover story didn’t happen until May 14, 1956, the year 1954 was a monumental, career-defining turning point for her. Coming directly off the massive success of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and How to Marry a Millionaire in late 1953, she entered 1954 as Hollywood’s top-billed star. In late 1954, she filmed the iconic subway grate scene for The Seven Year Itch. The image of her billowing white dress became one of the most famous visual moments in cinema history.
The TIME “100 Women of the Year Profile” honors Monroe not just as a comedic genius and sex symbol, but as a sharp professional who fought a studio system heavily rigged against women. By late 1954, she boldly walked away from her 20th Century Fox contract to co-found her own independent production company.
In February 1954, she took a famous detour from her honeymoon with baseball star Joe DiMaggio to perform for over 100,000 U.S. troops in South Korea, an experience she later stated made her feel genuinely respected as a performer for the first time.
Her inclusion in the project highlights how Monroe shifted from a Hollywood starlet into a timeless, global symbol of beauty, subversion, and enduring star power.

Photos From the Wedding of Anna Nicole Smith and Billionaire Oil Tycoon J. Howard Marshall II in 1994

On June 27, 1994, 26-year-old model and actress Anna Nicole Smith married 89-year-old billionaire oil tycoon J. Howard Marshall II at the White Dove Wedding Chapel in Houston, Texas. The ceremony became one of the most heavily scrutinized and iconic media spectacles of the 1990s due to their 63-year age difference and Marshall’s vast fortune.

The wedding took place in an intimate setting with only eleven guests in attendance. Both the bride and groom dressed in all white. Smith wore a traditional cleaving white lace gown and veil while showcasing a 22-carat diamond ring. The elderly groom, who was in frail health, was wheeled up the aisle in a wheelchair to the song “Tonight I Celebrate My Love For You.” The couple sealed their vows with a kiss, and white doves were released inside the chapel.
The couple originally met three years prior in 1991 at a Houston strip club where Smith was working as a dancer before she found mainstream fame as a Playboy Playmate and Guess fashion model. Marshall was captivated by her and proposed multiple times while showering her with millions of dollars in lavish gifts, including homes, luxury cars, and diamond jewelry.
The union immediately sparked widespread public debate. Critics and tabloids widely labeled Smith a “gold-digger” targeting Marshall’s estimated $1.6 billion estate. Conversely, Smith always maintained that she genuinely loved Marshall, noting that he accepted her and brought stability to her and her young son.
Immediately following the ceremony, Smith famously left her new husband at the chapel to jet off for a scheduled photo shoot. The marriage was short-lived, lasting only 14 months before Marshall passed away from pneumonia at age 90 in August 1995.
Because Marshall excluded Smith from his official final will, his death sparked a grueling, multi-decade legal battle over the inheritance between Smith and Marshall’s son, E. Pierce Marshall. The case famously went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court twice. Ultimately, the legal system ground down both sides, and Smith passed away in 2007 without ever receiving any part of the billionaire’s fortune.

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Days of our Lives Couples Shake-Ups: Which Pairs Are Heating Up & Which Are Ending?

Days of Our Lives delivers couples updates in Salem. And we’re going to talk about who is getting together and who is walking away from each other because there are big shifts coming soon. We just saw EJ DiMera kissing Cat Greene, but she’s got an agenda. We’re also going to talk about Brady Black’s relationship. What’s going on with his ex Kristen DiMera plus Chad DiMera and his new love interest.

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Young and Restless Next Week: Kyle’s Savage Revenge – Adam Rebels Against Victor

Young and the Restless fans. We have got exciting new spoilers for next week. We’re going to talk about Kyle Abbott’s secret plan to get revenge for the attacks on both of his parents. Plus, we’ll have Adam Newman defying his dad, Victor Newman, and refusing to follow orders for a very understandable reason.

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