Happy Birthday Mister President
On May 19, 1962 (49 years ago today), actress Marilyn Monroe sang her famous rendition of "Happy Birthday Mister President" to President John F. Kennedy at a celebration held at Madison Square Garden in New York 10 days before JFK's actual 45th birthday.
She sung the song in a very sultry voice with "Mr. President" inserted as Kennedy's name. She continued the song with a reworking of the lyrics to the song "Thanks for the Memory" in which she sung the following:
Thanks, Mr. President
For all the things you've done
The battles that you've won
The way you deal with U.S. Steel
And our problems by the ton
We thank you so much
Later, Kennedy came on stage and joked about the song, saying, "I can now retire from politics after having had Happy Birthday sung to me in such a sweet, wholesome way." Monroe's dress was noted for being sheer and flesh colored with 2500 rhinestones sewn into it. The dress was so tight-fitting that Monroe had to be literally sewn into it. She wore nothing under it. The dress was designed by Jean Louis. In 1999 the dress was sold at auction and fetched over $1.26 million.
This was one of Monroe's last major public appearances. She died on August 5, 1962. There were rumors that she and President Kennedy had an affair. More than 15,000 people attended the event. Jacqueline Kennedy was not in attendance.
Following is a youtube video of the event:
It was also on May 19th (in 1994, 17 years ago today) that Jacqueline Kennedy, then Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, passed away in New York at the age of 64, of Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma.
She sung the song in a very sultry voice with "Mr. President" inserted as Kennedy's name. She continued the song with a reworking of the lyrics to the song "Thanks for the Memory" in which she sung the following:
Thanks, Mr. President
For all the things you've done
The battles that you've won
The way you deal with U.S. Steel
And our problems by the ton
We thank you so much
Later, Kennedy came on stage and joked about the song, saying, "I can now retire from politics after having had Happy Birthday sung to me in such a sweet, wholesome way." Monroe's dress was noted for being sheer and flesh colored with 2500 rhinestones sewn into it. The dress was so tight-fitting that Monroe had to be literally sewn into it. She wore nothing under it. The dress was designed by Jean Louis. In 1999 the dress was sold at auction and fetched over $1.26 million.
This was one of Monroe's last major public appearances. She died on August 5, 1962. There were rumors that she and President Kennedy had an affair. More than 15,000 people attended the event. Jacqueline Kennedy was not in attendance.
Following is a youtube video of the event:
It was also on May 19th (in 1994, 17 years ago today) that Jacqueline Kennedy, then Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, passed away in New York at the age of 64, of Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma.