The May 19, 1962, fundraiser at New York City’s Madison Square Garden was billed as a 45th birthday celebration for President John F. Kennedy, even though his actual birthday was 10 days later. The White House invited a number of celebrities to participate, including Marilyn Monroe, who was in Hollywood filming Something’s Got to Give. Throughout her career, Monroe was known for constantly arriving late. So at the birthday gala, master of ceremonies Peter Lawford—a Rat Pack member and JFK’s brother-in-law—performed a running gag in which he continually introduced her, only to see no one come onstage. Finally, at the end of the evening, Monroe slithered out in an open-backed dress made of flesh-colored soufflé gauze encrusted with rhinestones. The gown was so tight that she reportedly had to be sewn into it. “Mr. President, the late Marilyn Monroe,” Lawford announced, referring yet again to the star’s habitual tardiness.

Source: History.com