It's July 26, and on this day in 1954, Elvis Presley signed a formal contract with Sun Records, a milestone in his early career that had to be countersigned by his parents. This official agreement helped set the stage for his rise to fame.

On July 26, 1963, filming wrapped on *Viva Las Vegas*, marking the last day of location shooting for what would become one of Elvis’s most iconic films.

In 1972, Elvis flew to Los Angeles to rehearse for his upcoming Las Vegas engagement at the RCA studio. That same day, he was legally separated from Priscilla, a significant turning point in his personal life.

In 1976, Elvis performed at the Community War Memorial Auditorium in Rochester, New York, continuing his extensive concert touring during that period.

It's July 25, and on this day in 1975, Elvis was wrapping up a three-day run of performances at the Civic Center in Asheville, North Carolina. His behavior during this period was increasingly erratic. Frustrated by what he perceived as a lack of response from the audience, Elvis lost his temper on stage, soliciting requests directly from the crowd, giving away a \$500 ring to a fan, and famously throwing his guitar into the audience.

Earlier, during this tour, an incident occurred where Elvis accidentally shot his doctor, Dr. Nick, in an attempt to limit his medication intake. Although the injury was not serious, the event added to the tense atmosphere. When Elvis checked out of his Asheville hotel, he was billed \$367.68 for a television he had shot, which was the source of the bullet that struck Dr. Nick.

On July 25 in previous years, Elvis performed at the New City Auditorium in Fort Myers, Florida in 1955, attended a Barbra Streisand show in 1969—remarking on the grand scale of her stage compared to his own style—and performed at the Onondaga War Memorial Auditorium in Syracuse, New York in 1976.

It's July 24, and on this day in 1973, Elvis faced frustration during recording sessions at Stax Studio in Memphis. Dissatisfied with the sound of the tracks from the previous days and upon learning that his personal microphone had been stolen, Elvis walked out of the studio. This incident highlighted the growing tensions and difficulties he was experiencing during this period.

Additionally, in 1967, around this time, longtime friend and Memphis Mafia member Jerry Schilling flew into town to inform Elvis that he was resigning to pursue a career in film editing for Paramount. Schilling’s brief visit was also marked by Marty Lacker’s rumored “demotion” to caretaker at the Circle G Ranch, while other close associates, Charlie Hodge and Richard Davis, contemplated relocating permanently to California.

On July 24 in earlier years, Elvis performed at the Bon Air Club in Memphis in 1954, began filming at Lake Mead Marina in 1963, continued rehearsals at RCA in 1970, suffered an ankle injury in 1972 requiring hospital care, and performed concerts in Asheville, North Carolina in 1975, and two shows at the Civic Center in Charleston, West Virginia in 1976.