Updated Jan. 8, 2024 at 1:10 p.m.
Elvis Presley was born on this day in 1935.
Get This Happened straight to your inbox ✉️ each day! Sign up here.
Who was Elvis Presley?
Born into a poor family in Mississippi, he rose to become a global icon and the “King of Rock and Roll”. He has been inducted into five Halls of Fame and sold over one billion records worldwide.
Why was Elvis Presley so popular?
Aside from his good looks, charm and voice, Elvis’ career overlapped with the birth of new media outlets, such as television and the transistor radio. Elvis’s music also incorporated many different genres, such as rock, country and R&B.
How did Elvis Presley die?
Elvis Presley died of a heart attack at the age of 42 at his home in Graceland, Memphis. He had struggled with an addiction to prescription barbiturates, which likely contributed to the heart attack.