Harish Aravind's Rare Photo Collections

For the 15,000 spectators at Madison Square Garden on May 19, 1962 -- including LIFE photographer Bill Ray -- Marilyn's breathy, intimate rendition of "Happy Birthday" to President John F. Kennedy amplified the buzz about an affair between the two. But beyond the titillation, the moment Ray captured in this, his most iconic shot, went on to play a major role in both Marilyn's and JFK's biographies, coming as it did near the end of their short lives. You don't even need to see her face to know who she is: There she stands in the spotlight, unbelievably sexy, in a fleeting moment that would forever