"Happy Birthday, Mr. President" was a song sung by Marilyn Monroe on Saturday, May 19, 1962, President John F. Kennedy, at a celebration for his forty-fifth birthday, Sung in a sultry voice, Monroe sang the traditional "Happy Birthday to You" lyrics, with "Mr. President" inserted as Kennedy's name.
Monroe continued the song with a snippet from the classic song "Thanks for the Memory", for which she had written new lyrics specifically aimed at Kennedy.
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
Afterwards, JFK 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," alluding to Monroe's delivery, her racy dress, and her general image as a sex symbol.
The song and Monroe's performance have been remembered for numerous reasons. First, it was one of her last major public appearances (Monroe died August 5, 1962). In addition, there are persistent rumors that President Kennedy and Marilyn Monroe had had an affair, giving Monroe's performance another layer of meaning.
Vintage original TYPE I photo.
marilynJFKbirthday.jpg