Today, in Tupelo, Mississippi, Elvis Presley – the undisputed ‘King of Rock n Roll’ (apparently) – was born. He began singing in the local Pentecostal church choir, taught himself to play the guitar and released his first hit single, ‘That’s All Right Mama’ aged 19 in 1954. His fame spread worldwide with classic songs such as ‘Heartbreak Hotel’ (1956), ‘Blue Suede Shoes’ (1956), ‘Jailhouse Rock’ (1958), and many others.
Presley went on to become a popular icon, appearing on the silver screen throughout the 1960s and making a successful return to the nightclub circuit in the 1970s.
Following his sudden death in 1977, his home in Memphis – Graceland – became a shrine for his fans, who gather there on 8 January each year to celebrate his birthday. He would have been 79 today.
In 1989, a British Midland Boeing 737 crashed on the M1 motorway, killing 46 people. It slammed into the motorway embankment at 2026 GMT, breaking into three pieces.
Motorists on the M1 had a lucky escape as there were no vehicles in the immediate vicinity at the moment of impact.
