The most famous ‘Happy Birthday’ in history that sparked all the rumors between Marilyn and JFK: “Now, I can retire”
The night when Hollywood glamour and Washington politics merged in an unforgettable whisper at New York’s Madison Square Garden.
On May 19, 1962, shortly before 10 p.m., the world witnessed a magical and unrepeatable moment. It happened at Madison Square Garden in New York and lasted less than a minute. Almost an instant. Marilyn, clad in a flesh-colored chiffon dress, nearly transparent, covered with more than 2,500 hand-sewn crystals, took the breath away from the more than 15,000 attendees as she sang the sweetest and most memorable “Happy Birthday” of all time. The honoree’s response was also legendary: “Now I can retire.”
The most curious part is that it wasn’t actually the honoree’s birthday. John F. Kennedy, President of the United States, had been born on May 29, 45 years earlier. But the event had to be moved up ten days due to scheduling conflicts with Madison Square Garden and the presidential agenda. The gala wasn’t just a birthday celebration. It was also a fundraising event for the president’s re-election campaign.
The romance between Marilyn and JFK
It was surprising that Jacqueline Kennedy, the First Lady, chose to spend the day at an equestrian event with her children instead of attending her husband’s public birthday celebration. Possibly, she made that decision after learning that on April 11, Kenneth O’Donnell, a close advisor to the president, had invited Marilyn Monroe to the event—who, according to rumors, was having an affair with JFK.
Although there are conflicting accounts, it seems that Marilyn and JFK met at a dinner organized by the president’s sister, Patricia Kennedy, and her husband, actor Peter Lawford, in 1961. It is believed that their only intimate encounter took place on March 24, 1962, at the home of singer Bing Crosby in Palm Springs, two months before the birthday party.
For JFK, it was just another conquest, but Marilyn thought the relationship might evolve, and the invitation to the event became a decisive moment for her. She was in the middle of filmingSomething’s Got to Giveand left the set to prepare for the event, which later led to her being fired from the movie.
A dress for the ages
She wanted to dazzle like never before and commissioned the design of her dress from French designer Jean-Louis Berthault, who regularly dressed Marlene Dietrich. He created a gown made of very fine, flesh-colored, transparent silk chiffon, adorned with more than 2,500 hand-sewn crystals and designed to fit like a second skin. Marilyn chose not to wear any underwear to enhance the illusion of nudity. The dress was so tight that it had to be sewn onto her body just before the performance.
To heighten the effect, her appearance was carefully choreographed to maximize visual impact. She arrived late on stage wrapped in a white ermine coat. When she took it off, a gasp of astonishment swept through the crowd, a near-reverent silence fell, she sighed… the entire Madison Square Garden erupted in applause, and she began to sing.
An iconic “Happy Birthday”
Marilyn had spent the previous two days secretly rehearsing her performance. She didn’t just sing the legendary “Happy Birthday, Mr. President”; she followed it with an adapted version of “Thanks for the Memory”: “Thank you, Mr. President / for all the things you’ve done / The battles that you’ve won / The way you deal with U.S. Steel / and all our problems / We thank you so much.” She ended by getting the entire stadium to sing “Happy Birthday” as a giant birthday cake appeared.
Marilyn’s intimate and suggestive tone, her whispering voice, turned her performance into a sensual spectacle where everyone else faded into the background. Everyone except JFK and her. A sexual tension that was palpable in front of 15,000 witnesses. Jacqueline was wise to choose the horse show.
That night was the last time Marilyn and JFK were seen together, and, interestingly, the only photo that exists of the two was taken at the after-party by the official White House photographer, Cecil Stoughton. The video of Marilyn’s performance is one of the most replayed in history and a 20th-century icon.
Just a few weeks later, on August 4, 1962, Marilyn Monroe died of a barbiturate overdose. She was 36 years old. A year and a half later, on November 22, 1963, JFK was assassinated in Dallas. He was 46. Since then, every time someone sings “Happy Birthday” somewhere in the world—and that happens thousands of times every day—they are together again. Just as Marilyn wanted.
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