--- title: Marilyn Monroe's Obituary: Read What TIME Wrote in 1962 description: The actress died on Aug. 5, 1962 canonical: https://time.com/3984289/marilyn-monroe-obituary/ author: Lily Rothman article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-08-05T11:00:30.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:41:27.368Z article:section: History og:title: Marilyn Monroe's Obituary: Read What TIME Wrote in 1962 og:description: The actress, who died on Aug. 5, 1962, was "the only blonde in the world" og:url: https://time.com/3984289/marilyn-monroe-obituary/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt1c190206e9c70e8b/69885ddc2dce0123309e4eb5/monroe.jpeg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: Marilyn Monroe On 'The Misfits' Set og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Marilyn Monroe's Obituary: Read What TIME Wrote in 1962 twitter:description: The actress, who died on Aug. 5, 1962, was "the only blonde in the world" twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt1c190206e9c70e8b/69885ddc2dce0123309e4eb5/monroe.jpeg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Read Marilyn Monroe's Obituary From 1962 > Sponsored content. 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They are at time.com/newsletters and are separate from a paid subscription. ## Video: Marilyn Sings to JFK: The 50th Anniversary of an Iconic Photo [Watch (HLS stream): Marilyn Sings to JFK: The 50th Anniversary of an Iconic Photo](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/Rrnhu3Eg.m3u8) (4:05)  _Published 2012-05-15. Photographer Bill Ray shares the behind-the-scenes story of his classic picture of Marilyn Monroe_  by [Lily Rothman](https://time.com/author/lily-rothman/)  ## Lily Rothman Rothman is managing editor at TIME. Aug 5, 2015 11:00 AM UTC  Marilyn Monroe leans over the back of the front seat of a car on the set of 'The Misfits,' directed by John Huston, Nevada, 1960. Marilyn Monroe leans over the back of the front seat of a car on the set of 'The Misfits,' directed by John Huston, Nevada, 1960. Ernst Haas—Getty Images  by [Lily Rothman](https://time.com/author/lily-rothman/)  ## Lily Rothman Rothman is managing editor at TIME. Aug 5, 2015 11:00 AM UTC When Marilyn Monroe died on Aug. 5, 1962, she left behind a series of contradictions. The actress panicked easily, but basked in public attention. She was sometimes troubled by her status as a sex symbol, yet she was willing to profit from it. It was a see-saw life, as TIME’s obituary for the Hollywood icon made clear: --- > “” --- **_Read the full remembrance from 1962, here in the TIME Vault:_** [The Only Blonde in the World](http://time.com/vault/issue/1962-08-10/page/47/) ### Marilyn Monroe: A Life in Photos  Marilyn Monroe on the patio outside of her home, 1953. Alfred Eisenstaedt—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Marilyn Monroe posing in a studio, 1949. J.R. Eyerman—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Marilyn Monroe in dance class, 1949. J.R. Eyerman—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Marilyn Monroe in Griffith Park, Los Angeles, California, 1950. Ed Clark—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Marilyn Monroe in Griffith Park, Los Angeles, California, 1950. Ed Clark—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Marilyn Monroe strikes a pose, 1950. Ed Clark—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Marilyn Monroe talking on the phone during an interview for the movie "Clash by Night," while producer Jerry Wald looks on, 1951. Bob Landry—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Marilyn Monroe at the Club Del Mar, where she received the Henrietta Award for Best Young Box Office Personality, given by the Foreign Press Association of Hollywood, 1952. Loomis Dean—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Marilyn Monroe at home, 1953. Alfred Eisenstaedt—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Marilyn Monroe wearing her famous gold lamé gown designed by Bill Travilla for a publicity still for the motion picture "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes," 1953. Ed Clark—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell in a scene from the movie "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes," 1953. Ed Clark—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  A tearful Marilyn Monroe standing outside her home to face dozens of reporters after the announcement of her divorce from Joe DiMaggio, 1954. George Silk—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Actor Robert Mitchum wrestles with Marilyn Monroe in a scene from the film "River of No Return," 1954. John Swope—The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images  Marilyn Monroe sits on a piano in a scene from "River of No Return," 1954. J.R. Eyerman—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Marilyn Monroe attends the premiere for 'East of Eden' at the Astor Theater, New York City, 1955. Michael Rougier—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Marilyn Monroe and playwright Arthur Miller sit in a Thunderbird convertible, 1956. Paul Schutzer—The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images  Ambassador Winthrop Aldrich, ex-envoy to Britain, chats with Marilyn Monroe as her husband, Arthur Miller, looks on at the April in Paris Ball, Waldorf Astoria Hotel, 1957. Peter Stackpole—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Marilyn Monroe looks startled while holding a flaming sparkler in the Rockefeller Center Sidewalk Superintendents Club during a ceremony for the soon-to-be built Time & Life Building, 1957. Walter Daran—The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images  Producer Kermit Bloomgarden (right) visits with Arthur Miller (center) and his wife, Marilyn Monroe, in their apartment, 1958. Robert W. Kelley—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Marilyn Monroe peers out at husband Arthur Miller from behind a door to see if he approves, 1960. John Bryson—The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images ## Transcript I've never seen anybody that took a look at this picture that didn't know that it was Marilyn Monroe. I didn't hear anybody well that's Jane Mansfield or somebody else. so, oh my god, that's Marilyn singing happy birthday to JFK. [ MUSIC ] So, JFK came to New York. 50 years ago in May. To celebrate his birthday. For most people my age and in 1962 when they had the birthday party at Madison Square Garden I was 26. Kennedy I think was a god. We were so relieved to have a nice young, good looking person in there after Eisenhower. Well I was assigned by Life Magazine to cover the birthday party and it was at the old Madison Square Garden between 50th and 51st Avenue. You know it's always very exciting photographing a president of the United States. Since then I've photographed quite a few, in fact I had photographed both Truman and Eisenhower before that, but it was a very exciting moment. [ MUSIC ] Well, it's a picture of Marilyn Monroe singing Happy Birthday, Mr. President to JFK. Who was, visiting New York on, May 19th and 20th of 1962. And all of the stars from Hollywood. Well, most of the stars from Hollywood, and all the heavy hitters from New York. Were there, with the exception of Jackie Kennedy, who had let it, announced that she was visiting her horse friends in Virginia. Marilyn was on the program, along with Jack Benny, and Jimmy Durante, and Ella Fitzgerald, and Peggy Lee, and Maria Callas, and Henry Fonda. And Mike Nichols, and Elaine May, and on and on and on. Photographers were free to roam in the beginning, and then, when the evening started to, when the entertainment started to get going, why, it was clear that all of the photographers were gonna be kind of herded behind a rope and rounded up, and that's when I got out of there. And started my way up around up in those girders. Luckily I had a 300 millimeter telephoto lens, which was my only opportunity to try to get a picture of the performers. Marilyn in particular, with Kennedy looking up at her. The evening sort of unfolded in very nice regular sort of way with some of the garden lights on, ambient light on. And at one point, all the lights went out. It was just totally dark. I mean pitch black. And then the spotlight came on, and there was Marilyn Monroe in this dress. Which didn't have any zippers, didn't have any buttons. Didn't have any sewing on her body. And was covered in these Sorority Crystals that looked like diamonds that are flashing like that. And you could just hear one big breath when gasp. And it was perfectly quite and as she started the song, this breathe sexy song. Happy birthday Mr. president. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. And it was as if she had hit a memory switch. You really didn't know what had happened before. And God help anybody who went on after her. And it was incredible. And when she finished the light went out, couldn't see a thing. And then president Kennedy was up there thanking her but Marylin had evaporated, she was gone. I can now retire from politics after having had Happy Birthday sung to me. [ NOISE ] They were gonna harass anybody with the press that was down there in front, that, that was certain. That, that's the way it was shaping up. And I just went up far enough and out of the way far enough that I wasn't bothered. Well I think it makes me think it was one of the more incredible moments in my career. It eas an all star evening. 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