Today in Elvis History

It’s June fourteenth, and on this day in 1963… Priscilla Ann Beaulieu graduated from Immaculate Conception High School in Memphis, Tennessee. Though Elvis chose not to attend the ceremony to avoid creating a scene, he marked the occasion by gifting Priscilla a red rear-engine Chevrolet Corvair. Following her graduation, she enrolled at the Patricia Stevens finishing school and took up modeling und...

It’s June thirteenth, and on this day in 1962… NBC-TV contributed twenty-five hundred dollars to the city of Tupelo, Mississippi, to help create a park beside the humble two-room house where Elvis Presley was born. Teenagers had already raised seven thousand dollars toward the project, demonstrating the power of Elvis’s connection to his hometown and to young fans across the country. The plan incl...

It’s June twelfth, and on this day in 1968… Elvis Presley’s twenty-seventh film, *Speedway*, premiered in Charlotte, North Carolina—appropriately set against the backdrop of the Charlotte 500 stock car race. Though reviews panned the movie for its thin plot, critics acknowledged that Elvis’s name alone guaranteed box office success. *Variety* summed it up by saying, “An Elvis Presley film is money...

It’s June eleventh, and on this day in 1957… RCA Victor officially released Elvis Presley’s double-sided single “Loving You” backed with “Teddy Bear.” Within a week, the record had sold over 1.25 million copies, making it Elvis’s eighth single to surpass the million mark. *Billboard* featured it in their “Spotlight On…” column, praising its special picture sleeve that showcased Elvis with a teddy...

It’s June tenth, and on this day in 1965… *The New York Times* reported that Elvis Presley’s gospel single “Crying in the Chapel” had reached number one on the British Hit Parade. The achievement marked the first time Elvis topped the Beatles in the U.K., and it was his first British number one hit in three years. The quiet, spiritual ballad struck a chord with international audiences and proved t...

It's May 2nd, and on this day in 1960, Elvis Presley began principal photography for his fifth film, *G.I. Blues*, at Paramount Studios in Hollywood. The movie, set in post-World War II Germany, featured Elvis alongside South African actress Juliet Prowse, who became his love interest both on and off the screen. During production, Elvis was seen sneaking dates with Juliet, while also courting...

It's March fifteenth, and on this day in 1965, Elvis Presley began filming *Harum Scarum* and, during this period, became deeply involved with the Self-Realization Fellowship—an interfaith spiritual organization founded by Indian yogi Paramahansa Yogananda. Elvis frequently visited the Fellowship’s Lake Shrine Retreat in Pacific Palisades and formed a lasting spiritual connection with Sri Daya...

It’s June ninth, and on this day in 1972… Elvis Presley held a press conference at the New York Hilton, kicking off one of the most iconic moments of his career. Just hours later, he took the stage at Madison Square Garden, becoming the first performer to sell out the legendary venue for four consecutive shows. Each night grossed over seventy thousand dollars, and RCA was there to capture it—relea...

It’s June eighth, and on this day in 1971… Elvis Presley was honored by his hometown in a lasting way. The Memphis County Commission, with support from Mayor Henry Loeb, officially renamed a portion of Highway 51 South as “Elvis Presley Boulevard.” This stretch of road, which runs from South Parkway to the Mississippi state line, includes the address of Graceland itself. Though there were initial...

It’s June seventh, and on this day in 1957… Elvis Presley was making his way home to Memphis by train after filming in Hollywood when he tried to contact his former girlfriend June Juanico—only to find out she had married someone else just days earlier. Distraught, Elvis got off the train in Lafayette, Louisiana, and rented a Cadillac to drive the rest of the way home alone. He arrived at Gracelan...

It’s June sixth, and on this day in 1968… Elvis Presley was in Los Angeles, deep in rehearsals for his upcoming television special at the offices of Binder-Howe Productions, when the news came that Senator Robert F. Kennedy had died from an assassination attempt the day before. The tragedy deeply affected Elvis, and director Steve Binder recognized an opportunity to reflect that emotion in the sho...

It’s June fifth, and on this day in 1956… Elvis Presley shocked the nation with his appearance on *The Milton Berle Show*, broadcast live from NBC Studios in Los Angeles. After being introduced by Berle and receiving a special Billboard award for “Heartbreak Hotel,” Elvis performed “I Want You, I Need You, I Love You” and then launched into a now-legendary performance of “Hound Dog.” The slow, sug...

It's June fourth, and on this day in 1960, Elvis Presley was visited on the set of *G.I. Blues* by three Scandinavian princesses. The royal encounter was a highlight during filming, and that evening, Elvis and his entourage continued the glamour by hitting several nightclubs. The visit added a touch of international royalty to the early days of Elvis’s post-army film career.

It's June third, and on this day in 1953, Elvis Presley received his high school diploma at Ellis Auditorium in Memphis. Dressed in a dark suit and tie, the future King of Rock and Roll graduated from Humes High School, less than a year before he would walk into the Memphis Recording Service to make a record "for his mother"—a step that would change music history forever.

It's June 2, and on this day in 1955, Elvis Presley performed at the City Auditorium in Amarillo, Texas. That same year, his single "Baby Let's Play House" reached number 10 on Billboard's Country chart, becoming his first national charting hit. In 1957, Elvis filmed a scene in the prison coal yard for his iconic movie *Jailhouse Rock*, cementing his legacy in film history. Fast forward to 1968, E...

It's June 1st, and on this day in 1938, Vernon Presley arrived at the Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman to begin serving his sentence for a forgery conviction. The charges stemmed from Vernon and two other men altering a check for a mere five dollars. While Vernon was incarcerated, he faced grueling labor, spending his days working in the prison's cotton, corn, and sugarcane fields under...

It's May 31st, and on this day in 1967, Elvis hosted a second wedding reception at Graceland for 125 of his Memphis friends, family, and staff who couldn't attend his Vegas ceremony with Priscilla. The guests, most of whom were casually dressed, gathered around the patio, which was usually reserved for the race car set-up, overlooking the swimming pool. Music for the evening came from Elvis's juke...

It's May 30th, and on this day in 1956, Elvis attended the graduation ceremonies of Humes and South Side High Schools at Ellis Auditorium. This event marked a significant moment in Elvis's connection to his Memphis roots, as he was a local figure who had already made waves in the music world. Fast forward to 1975, and on May 30th, Elvis kicked off his second tour of the year with a performance at...

It's May 29th, and on this day in 1955, Elvis performed two shows in Texas—an afternoon performance at the North Side Coliseum in Fort Worth and an evening show at the Sportatorium in Dallas. These concerts were part of his busy schedule during his rise to fame. Fast forward to 1963, on this day, Elvis made an interesting choice as Priscilla graduated high school. Instead of attending the ceremony...

It's May 28th, and on this day in 1955, Elvis performed for the second time on the "Big D Jamboree" radio show, broadcast live from the City Sportatorium in Dallas, Texas. This performance marked another important step in Elvis's early career, as he shared the stage with other country and rockabilly stars, such as Onie Wheeler, Arlie Duff, and Texas Bill Strength. It was during his appearances on...

It's May 27th, and on this day in 1966, Elvis Presley was in the middle of a significant recording session at RCA's Studio B in Nashville. This was his first non-movie session since January 1964, marking a return to more personal, non-soundtrack music. For three days, Elvis and his team recorded into the early morning hours, taking only a midday break before resuming in the evening. During this ma...

It's May 26th, and on this day in 1973, after a tumultuous end to their relationship, Priscilla Presley took a significant legal step. She hired the law firm Tankell, Toll, and Leavitt and scheduled a meeting with Elvis's lawyer, Gregory Hookstratten. In this session, Vernon Presley promised to supply Elvis’s income tax returns for Priscilla’s review. However, when Vernon failed to deliver the doc...

It's May 25th, and on this day in 1966… Elvis Presley boarded a rented Greyhound bus to head to Nashville, where a major turning point in his recording career began. At RCA’s Studio B, he met his new producer, Felton Jarvis, whose temperament proved to be a better match for Elvis than his predecessor. That night marked the first time in more than two years that Elvis recorded non-soundtrack materi...

It's May 24th, and on this day in 1945, Priscilla Ann Wagner was born in Brooklyn, New York. Tragically, her father, James Wagner, a Navy pilot, lost his life in an air crash later that year while returning home on leave. In 1949, her mother, Ann, remarried to Joseph Paul Beaulieu, an Air Force officer, who adopted Priscilla. The Beaulieu family moved frequently due to military postings, and by 19...

It's May 23, and on this day in 1968, the Mexican newspaper *Ultimas Noticias* ran a story claiming that Elvis Presley was set to marry actress Yvonne Lime in Acapulco the following week. The rumor, which was picked up by the Associated Press, suggested that the two would elope after dating sporadically in Hollywood and even sharing a visit to Graceland earlier that year. However, like so many rum...