Marilyn Monroe's father abandoned her after his divorce from her mother. After her mother was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and was institutionalized, Monroe became a ward of the state. She was brought up at different homes of people known to her.
The deceased President of South Africa and one of the leaders of the anti-apartheid movement, Nelson Mandela, was adopted by his father's friend at the age of 9 after his father died.
J.R.R. Tolkien lost his mother in 1904 after his father had passed away a few years ago. He was brought up by a catholic priest.
4. Steve Jobs
5. Ray Charles
Ray Charles' father abandoned his family when Ray was a toddler. At the age of 14, he lost his mother, and he went and stayed with his mom's friend Charles Wayne Powell.