Today in Elvis History

It's December thirty-first, and on this day in 1976… Elvis Presley rang in the new year with a powerful 90-minute performance at the Civic Center Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The show was widely considered one of his best in years, with many crediting his strong energy to the presence of Ginger Alden. But the night took a somber turn when, shortly after the concert, Elvis was informed by his...

It's December thirtieth, and on this day in 1970… Elvis Presley returned to Washington, D.C. with a group of eight close companions, including former sheriff Bill Morris, to visit the headquarters of the National Sheriffs Association. There, he secured honorary memberships and automatic life insurance policies for everyone in his entourage. Though an expected meeting with FBI Director J. Edgar Hoo...

It’s December twenty-ninth, and on this day in Elvis history: In 1970, Elvis Presley returned to his hometown of Tupelo, Mississippi, to receive a badge from Sheriff Bill Mitchell—a childhood acquaintance who had watched Elvis grow from a local boy into a global icon. The visit was emblematic of Elvis’s lifelong fascination with law enforcement and his deep ties to his Mississippi roots. And on De...

It’s December twenty-eighth, and on this day in Elvis history: In 1970, Elvis Presley served as best man at the wedding of his longtime friend and bodyguard, Sonny West. True to form, Elvis arrived wearing a collection of guns and badges—his fascination with law enforcement on full display. After the ceremony, the celebration continued with a second reception at Graceland, where Elvis often played...

It's December twenty-seventh, and on this day in 1976… Elvis Presley performed at Wichita State University’s Henry Levitt Arena in Wichita, Kansas. This show was part of a brief post-Christmas tour and came during a period of personal and professional turbulence, but Elvis still took to the stage, continuing to fulfill his commitment to fans even as the toll of the road grew heavier.

It's December twenty-sixth, and on this day in 1965… Elvis Presley hosted an intimate gathering at Graceland, catered by Monty’s. But the night took an unusual turn: after nearly a year of reading about it, Elvis decided to experiment with LSD for the first—and what is believed to be the only—time. The evening ended with a sci-fi movie, pizza, and a moonlit walk behind Graceland with Priscilla, La...

It's December twenty-fifth, and on this day in 1975… Elvis Presley spent Christmas evening in true Kingly fashion—gathered with family and friends aboard his private jet, the Lisa Marie. From the sky, he handed out personally selected jewelry from Lowell Hays’ collection, turning the plane into a glittering sleigh. But not all was calm and bright: the night ended with Aunt Delta, fueled by a littl...

It's December twenty-fourth, and on this day in 1966… Elvis Presley proposed to Priscilla Beaulieu, presenting her with a ring he had previously purchased from Harry Levitch. The moment was the culmination of their years-long relationship, marking a turning point in both their lives just hours before Christmas. The proposal took place at Graceland, surrounded by the elaborate holiday decorations t...

It's December twenty-third, and on this day in 1954… Elvis Presley, Scotty Moore, and Bill Black were pulled over for speeding while returning from a Louisiana Hayride show in Shreveport. Elvis, worried he'd lose his Christmas money to a fine, was relieved when the officer let them off with just a warning. Afterward, they parked the car and counted their show earnings by headlight—mostly in single...

It's December twenty-second, and on this day in 1970… Elvis Presley returned to Graceland bearing gifts for Priscilla and Lisa Marie, fresh from his whirlwind trip to Washington, D.C., where he met with President Nixon and received a federal narcotics badge. Sharing stories from the trip, Elvis brought holiday cheer to his family, blending his larger-than-life adventures with the quiet joy of Chri...

It's December twenty-first, and on this day in 1970… Elvis Presley met with President Richard Nixon at the White House in one of the most iconic and unexpected encounters in American pop culture history. After hand-delivering a letter to the White House earlier that morning, Elvis was granted a meeting arranged through Nixon’s deputy counsel. Accompanied by Jerry Schilling and Sonny West, Elvis sp...

It's December twentieth, and on this day in 1957… Elvis Presley received his official draft notice. That same day, he stopped by Sun Records before heading to Nashville, where he hand-delivered a red Isetta sports car to Colonel Tom Parker as a Christmas gift. The moment captured the dramatic intersection of Elvis's skyrocketing fame, looming military service, and his deeply personal loyalty to th...

It's December nineteenth, and on this day in 1962… Priscilla Beaulieu arrived in the United States from Germany, traveling under the name Priscilla Fisher. She was picked up at Idlewild Airport in New York by Vernon Presley and his wife Dee, who brought her to Memphis. Elvis then met her at his father's house and took her on a drive past the Graceland lawn, where the life-size Nativity scene and C...

It's December eighteenth, and on this day in 1968… filming wrapped on *The Trouble With Girls*, officially releasing Elvis Presley from his studio obligations. The movie, set in the 1920s and featuring Elvis as the manager of a traveling Chautauqua show, marked one of the final entries in his film career. With production complete, Elvis was free to focus on his renewed passion for live performance...

It's December seventeenth, and on this day in 1963… Elvis Presley presented a \$55,000 check to the mayor of Memphis, benefiting 58 local charities. The donation was made just days before Christmas, reflecting Elvis’s deep commitment to giving back to the city he called home. The gift became one of the most notable public examples of his quiet, consistent generosity—a quality that often stood in c...

It's December sixteenth, and on this day in 1957… Elvis Presley purchased a Santa sleigh and eight reindeer decorations for \$300 from the Bain Sign Company in Memphis. The festive display was placed on the front lawn of Graceland and has become a beloved holiday tradition, continuing to light up the grounds every Christmas season since. It’s one of the earliest public glimpses into Elvis’s deep l...

It's December fifteenth, and on this day in 1956… Elvis Presley arrived in Shreveport, Louisiana, at 5:00 a.m. and checked into the Captain Shreve Hotel. That evening, he performed at the Louisiana Hayride at the Hirsch Youth Center. In the audience was director Hal Kanter, who was so inspired by Elvis’s onstage charisma that he made revisions to the screenplay of Elvis’s upcoming film. It was a m...

It's December fourteenth, and on this day in 1954… Elvis Presley made his debut performance in Gladewater, Texas, at the Mint Club. The show was organized by local DJ Tom Perryman, who became a key early supporter of Elvis’s budding career. This appearance helped establish Presley’s presence in East Texas, setting the stage for a string of performances across the region in the year to come.

It's December thirteenth, and on this day in 1973… Elvis Presley recorded three master tracks at Stax Studios in Memphis, including the deeply emotional ballad *Loving Arms*. The session showcased a more introspective side of Elvis, as he channeled his personal struggles into powerful vocal performances. It was a standout moment from his final major studio sessions, capturing both the vulnerabilit...

It's December twelfth, and on this day in 1976… Elvis Presley performed his final concert at the Las Vegas Hilton. After the show, he returned to his dressing room and broke down in tears, confiding in televangelist Rex Humbard that he felt an overwhelming sense of emptiness. Humbard prayed with Elvis as he wept. The moment revealed a rarely seen vulnerability behind the glittering stage persona—a...

It's December eleventh, and on this day in 1956… Elvis Presley ran out of gas in his brand-new Cadillac Seville and was quickly mobbed by fans. That same day, Louisiana Governor Earl K. Long awarded Elvis the honorary title of Louisiana Colonel—the same symbolic rank held by his manager, Colonel Tom Parker. It was a moment that blended Presley’s growing national fame with Southern recognition, cem...

It's December tenth, and on this day in 1973… Elvis Presley returned to Stax Studios in Memphis for a weeklong recording session. To avoid the technical issues that had plagued earlier efforts, RCA brought in its mobile recording truck and a team of four engineers. The session began at 9:00 p.m. and ran until 4:30 in the morning, yielding two completed masters. It marked a determined effort by Elv...

It's December ninth, and on this day in 1955… Elvis Presley performed twice in Swifton, Arkansas. First, he appeared at the local high school alongside Johnny Cash, and later that night, he took the stage at the B\&I Club. During that evening performance, Elvis introduced a brand-new song to the crowd—*Heartbreak Hotel*—and boldly declared, “It’s gonna be my first hit.” Just weeks later, the s...

It's December eighth, and on this day in 1970… Elvis Presley went on a generous shopping spree in Los Angeles, purchasing a house for his close friend Joe Esposito and Joe’s wife, along with Mercedes-Benz cars for himself, Jerry Schilling, and Barbara Leigh. The extravagant gesture highlighted not only Elvis’s wealth, but also his deep loyalty to those in his inner circle, showering friends with l...

It's December seventh, and on this day in 1955… Elvis Presley performed four shows at the Lyric Theater in Indianapolis, Indiana, earning \$1,000 for the day. Tom Diskin reported to Colonel Parker that Elvis was improving with every performance, electrifying the crowd, though he still needed to work on pacing his act. The intense schedule and growing feedback marked a period of rapid growth as Elv...