Music: On August 16, 1977 at age 42, "The King of Rock & Roll" Elvis Aaron Presley died.

A day like today, 1977, died Elvis Presley, one of the most prominent American singers of the twentieth century and world icon of rock culture. "The King" died in Memphis, Tennessee, at 42 years of age. As soon as the news of his death transcended, legions of fans mourned towards Graceland, his Memphis mansion. Doctors determined that the death was due to a heart attack, probably caused by his addiction to barbiturates. By the mid-1970s, Elvis had begun to suffer serious physical and mental deterioration. He divorced his wife in 1973 and developed a dangerous dependence on medications. During the last two years of his life, he made erratic appearances on stage and lived almost like an inmate.