Marilyn Monroe Famously Sings 'Happy Birthday' To JFK; Jackie O Dies At Age 64: Today In History

May 19, 2017, is the 139th day of the year, with 226 days remaining. The moon is in a last-quarter phase, with illumination at 45 percent.

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Happy birthday, Mr. President

It became one of the most famous and suggestive songs ever publicly sung. When blond bombshell Marilyn Monroe took to the stage in 1962 at a Democratic Party fundraiser and crooned “Happy Birthday” to President John F. Kennedy, it was a singular historic moment in which Washington and Hollywood collided.

Following Monroe’s breathy performance, which stirred rumors of an affair between the actress and Kennedy, a giant cake was brought out, and Kennedy emerged to the podium. He thanked all of the celebrities who had performed, including Ella Fitzgerald, Jack Benny, Peggy Lee, Maria Callas — and especially Monroe.

“I can now retire from politics after having had ‘Happy Birthday’ sung to me in such a sweet, wholesome way,” the president joked.

Columnist Dorothy Killgallen subsequently wrote that it was as if Monroe were “making love to the president in direct view of 40 million Americans.”

The death of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis

Jacqueline Lee Bouvier was a journalist, a socialite and a philanthropist, but she will, perhaps, forever be most known for being the wife of President John F. Kennedy.

As first lady, Jackie Kennedy became an icon of style and sophistication, dedicating her efforts toward restoring the White House with historic furnishings and art. When her husband was assassinated in 1963, the grieving public admired the first lady for her poise and grace as well as for her devotion to her two children, Caroline and John Jr.

In 1968, she remarried to Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis, who was one of the wealthiest men in the world. After his death in 1975, she began a career in publishing in New York City, which she continued until her death in 1994 at the age of 64.

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Photo credit: “Gentlemen Prefer Bondes” trailer screenshot via Wikimedia Commons