August 17th in Elvis History

It's August seventeenth, and on this day in 1977... the world mourned the loss of Elvis Presley, who had died just one day earlier at his Graceland home in Memphis. His body was returned to the mansion, where thousands of grieving fans gathered outside the gates. A public viewing was held, giving mourners the chance to say a final goodbye to the King of Rock and Roll. Meanwhile, across the country, fans were left holding tickets for a tour that would never happen—Elvis had been scheduled to open in Portland, Maine, that very night. The sudden cancellation of the tour only deepened the shock, as the full weight of his passing began to settle in around the globe.