Elvis Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and one of the most important figures of 20th-century popular culture. Often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", Presley began his career in 1954 and became the leading figure of the newly popular sound of rock and roll in the late 1950s. Conscripted in 1958, he relaunched his recording career two years later with some of his most commercially successful work. In 1968, he returned to live performance in a television special that led to an extended Las Vegas residency and a string of tours. In 1973, he staged the first concert broadcast globally via satellite, seen by around 1.5 billion viewers. Prescription drug abuse severely affected his health, and he died suddenly in 1977. With wide success in many musical genres, Presley is one of the best-selling solo artists in the history of popular music. He won three Grammys, and received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award at the age of 36.

Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elvis_Presley

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1904:

Blackstone Library, the first branch of the Chicago Public Library system, was dedicated. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackstone_Library

1977:

Three bombs attributed to Armenian nationalists exploded across Moscow, killing seven people and injuring 37 people. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1977_Moscow_bombings

1981:

In Trans-en-Provence, France, a local farmer reported a UFO sighting claimed to be "perhaps the most completely and carefully documented sighting of all time". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trans-en-Provence_case

2011:

Jared Lee Loughner opened fire at a public meeting held by U.S. representative Gabby Giffords in Tucson, Arizona, killing six people and injuring twelve others. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Tucson_shooting

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

shoop: 1. (music) Used as a scat word in song lyrics. 2. (slang, chiefly humorous) Used as a singular form of sheep: an individual sheep. 3. (Internet slang) An image that has been modified using Adobe Photoshop or similar image-manipulation software to produce a misleading impression; an instance of amateur, petty fauxtography. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/shoop

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

We are defined by how we use our power. Power often stands in the way of learning. Wisdom revealed by simple lessons is hard to see for leaders wearing the blinders of power. But we, too, have choices. We can relieve much of the suffering in this world and promote the potential of the species, or we can horde our power and exercise it for our own aggrandizement.   --Gerry Spence https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Gerry_Spence