--- description: Marilyn Monroe's iconic "Happy Birthday" dress has been sold for a record breaking $4.8million at an auction in Los Angeles. title: Marilyn Monroe Dress Auctioned At Record-Breaking Price image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt6ee7799290c86d62/6988af09a988ca843d6ba364/ap_16251724103172-1.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Entertainment](/section/entertainment/) ## Entertainment Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [celebrities](/tag/celebrities/) ## celebrities Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Marilyn Monroe's 'Happy Birthday' Dress Sells for Record $4.8 Million by [Suyin Haynes](/author/suyin-haynes/) ## Suyin Haynes Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Nov 18, 2016 12:46 PM CUT  In this May 19, 1962 photo actress Marilyn Monroe wears the iconic gown that she wore while singing "Happy Birthday" to President John F. Kennedy at Madison Square Garden, during a reception in New York City. In this May 19, 1962 photo actress Marilyn Monroe wears the iconic gown that she wore while singing "Happy Birthday" to President John F. Kennedy at Madison Square Garden, during a reception in New York City.Cecil Stoughton—White House Photographs/John F. Kennedy Presidential Library/AP by [Suyin Haynes](/author/suyin-haynes/) ## Suyin Haynes Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Nov 18, 2016 12:46 PM CUT The iconic dress [Marilyn Monroe](http://time.com/4568502/marilyn-monroe-candid-photos/?iid=sr-link1 "undefined") wore to sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to President John F. Kennedy has been sold for a record breaking $4.8million, making it the most expensive dress to be sold at auction. At Thursday evening’s auction in Los Angeles, the garment was sold to international museum chain Ripley’s Believe It Or Not who will display it at their Hollywood branch before exhibiting it at its outlets around the world, [the _Guardian_ reports.](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/nov/18/marilyn-monroe-happy-birthday-mr-president-dress "undefined") The custom-made Jean Louis dress features over 2,500 hand stitched crystals on a flesh colored bodice, rumored to be so tight that Monroe had to be sewn into it. Edward Meyer, vice-president of Ripley’s Believe It Or Not, told the Press Association: “We believe this is the most iconic piece of pop culture that there is.” [Monroe](http://time.com/3984289/marilyn-monroe-obituary/?iid=sr-link3 "undefined") wore it as she serenaded Kennedy for his 45th birthday at Madison Square Gardens, a sultry performance that would go on to spark rumors of a romance between the two. As TIME [reported on the event in 1962](http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,938361,00.html "undefined"), “Marilyn who was the hit of the evening, and Kennedy plainly meant it when he said, ‘I can now retire from politics after having had Happy Birthday sung to me in such a sweet, wholesome way.'” The sale of Monroe’s gown surpasses the previous record for the most expensive dress sold at auction, which was also worn by the actress when she starred in The Seven Year Itch in 1955\. Actress Debbie Reynolds bought the white halter-neck dress for [$4.6 million at a 2011 auction](http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/most-expensive-dress-sold-at-auction "undefined"). \[[_The Guardian_](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/nov/18/marilyn-monroe-happy-birthday-mr-president-dress "undefined")\] ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4576187/marilyn-monroe-dress-auction/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4576187/marilyn-monroe-dress-auction/"},"headline":"Marilyn Monroe's 'Happy Birthday' Dress Sells for Record $4.8 Million","datePublished":"2016-11-18T12:46:57.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-23T01:54:24.314Z","description":"The dress was worn by Monroe in 1962 when she serenaded JFK","url":"https://time.com/4576187/marilyn-monroe-dress-auction/","keywords":["celebrities","John F. 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