It's December twenty-sixth, and on this day in 1965… Elvis Presley hosted an intimate gathering at Graceland, catered by Monty’s. But the night took an unusual turn: after nearly a year of reading about it, Elvis decided to experiment with LSD for the first—and what is believed to be the only—time. The evening ended with a sci-fi movie, pizza, and a moonlit walk behind Graceland with Priscilla, Larry, and Jerry, sharing reflections on friendship and connection.

It's December twenty-fifth, and on this day in 1975… Elvis Presley spent Christmas evening in true Kingly fashion—gathered with family and friends aboard his private jet, the Lisa Marie. From the sky, he handed out personally selected jewelry from Lowell Hays’ collection, turning the plane into a glittering sleigh. But not all was calm and bright: the night ended with Aunt Delta, fueled by a little too much holiday cheer, voicing her frustrations at Elvis’s inner circle.

It's December twenty-fourth, and on this day in 1966… Elvis Presley proposed to Priscilla Beaulieu, presenting her with a ring he had previously purchased from Harry Levitch. The moment was the culmination of their years-long relationship, marking a turning point in both their lives just hours before Christmas. The proposal took place at Graceland, surrounded by the elaborate holiday decorations that had become a Presley tradition.

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.

It's December twenty-second, and on this day in 1970… Elvis Presley returned to Graceland bearing gifts for Priscilla and Lisa Marie, fresh from his whirlwind trip to Washington, D.C., where he met with President Nixon and received a federal narcotics badge. Sharing stories from the trip, Elvis brought holiday cheer to his family, blending his larger-than-life adventures with the quiet joy of Christmas at home.

It's December twenty-first, and on this day in 1970… Elvis Presley met with President Richard Nixon at the White House in one of the most iconic and unexpected encounters in American pop culture history. After hand-delivering a letter to the White House earlier that morning, Elvis was granted a meeting arranged through Nixon’s deputy counsel. Accompanied by Jerry Schilling and Sonny West, Elvis spoke about his concerns over drug culture and youth unrest, and requested a badge from the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs. The President agreed—and Elvis left the meeting with the badge in hand.

It's December twentieth, and on this day in 1957… Elvis Presley received his official draft notice. That same day, he stopped by Sun Records before heading to Nashville, where he hand-delivered a red Isetta sports car to Colonel Tom Parker as a Christmas gift. The moment captured the dramatic intersection of Elvis's skyrocketing fame, looming military service, and his deeply personal loyalty to the manager guiding his career.

It's December nineteenth, and on this day in 1962… Priscilla Beaulieu arrived in the United States from Germany, traveling under the name Priscilla Fisher. She was picked up at Idlewild Airport in New York by Vernon Presley and his wife Dee, who brought her to Memphis. Elvis then met her at his father's house and took her on a drive past the Graceland lawn, where the life-size Nativity scene and Christmas lights were on full display. It marked Priscilla’s first holiday season in Elvis’s world—a quiet beginning to a very public chapter of his life.