Geography 3 - Marilyn Monroe

Norma Jeane Baker aka Marilyn Monroe, was an American actress, singer and model, born in 1929, in California. Marilyn spent most of her childhood in foster homes. Soon she bagan a career as a model, which led to a film contract in 1946.
Her appearances in films were minor roles, but her performances certainly got her noticed. Her performances in "The Asphalt Jungle" and "All About Eve" were the turning point in her acting career, landing her lead roles. Her dramatic performance in "Bus Stop", was one of her finest performances as an actress, and she received a Golden Globe nomination.
Marilyn set up her own production company, "Marilyn Monroe Productions". They released their own production in 1957 "The Prince and the Showgirl", which she received a BAFTA Award nomination and won a David di Donatello award. She also received a Golden Globe Award for her performance in "Some Like It Hot" in 1959.
Marilyn's modelling career started, when she was working in Radioplane Munitions Factory. She sprayed plane parts and inspected parachutes. While she was working here, an Army photographer David Conover took a photo of her for a "Yank magazine" article. He encouraged her to apply to The Blue Book Modeling Agency. Marilyn became one of Blue Book's most successful models.
In 1942, Marilyn Monroe was found dead in her home. An autopsy was held and they found a number of drugs in her system. Even though they found the drugs in her system, no one is sure if she died due to suicide or murder.

Geography: California, nicknamed "The Golden State", is known for its plant life. It has the largest, tallest and oldest trees. California is home to the Sequoiadendron giganteum trees, also known as "Giant Redwood". They are the worlds largest trees. They grow to an average height of 50–85 metres (160–279 ft. The tallest Giant Redwood tree recoreded was 94.8 metres in height (311 ft). The oldest Giant Redwood recorded, by counting its rings, was 3,500 years old. They are an evergreen tree and produce the biggest pinecones. Wood from the mature Sequoia trees are highly resistant to decay but due to being fibrous and brittle, it is generally unsuitable for construction. Whereas the wood on the immature Sequoia trees are less brittle and this resulting in some interest in cultivating Giant Sequoia as a very high-yielding timber crop tree. These world famous trees have brought tourism and horticulture to California.