December 23rd in Elvis History

It's December twenty-third, and on this day in 1954… Elvis Presley, Scotty Moore, and Bill Black were pulled over for speeding while returning from a Louisiana Hayride show in Shreveport. Elvis, worried he'd lose his Christmas money to a fine, was relieved when the officer let them off with just a warning. Afterward, they parked the car and counted their show earnings by headlight—mostly in single dollar bills. The next day, Elvis spent every cent on Christmas gifts, a small but telling glimpse into his generous nature, even in the earliest days of his career.