June 5th in Elvis History

It’s June fifth, and on this day in 1956… Elvis Presley shocked the nation with his appearance on *The Milton Berle Show*, broadcast live from NBC Studios in Los Angeles. After being introduced by Berle and receiving a special Billboard award for “Heartbreak Hotel,” Elvis performed “I Want You, I Need You, I Love You” and then launched into a now-legendary performance of “Hound Dog.” The slow, suggestive delivery—with no guitar to hold—provoked outrage from television critics and cemented Elvis’s image as a dangerous new force in American pop culture. The moment would go down as one of the most controversial and iconic performances of his career.