January 8th in Elvis History

It's January eighth, and on this day in 1935… Elvis Aaron Presley was born at 4:35 a.m. in a two-room house built by his father on Old Saltillo Road in East Tupelo, Mississippi. He was the second of twin boys—his brother, Jesse Garon, was stillborn just 35 minutes earlier. Elvis would remain the only child of Vernon and Gladys Presley, the lone survivor after a series of miscarriages. This humble birth marked the beginning of a life that would change the sound and spirit of music forever. And on this day in 1946… Eleven-year-old Elvis received a guitar from his parents for his birthday. He had hoped for a bicycle, but that guitar would soon become the most fateful substitution in music history. Then in 1960… While stationed in Germany, Elvis was interviewed on his birthday by Dick Clark for *American Bandstand*. That night, he celebrated with about 200 guests—including Priscilla—at a local recreation center, where he was awarded a trophy naming him “Most Valuable Player” of the Bad Nauheim Sunday Afternoon Football Association.