As Lady T noted in a recent post, BaT seems to have an obsession with death. Hey, it's a Southern thing.

But on that note, a new feature for BaT: Death of the Week. And where better to start than the King of Rock 'n' Roll, who died 28 years ago tomorrow. Elvis Presley was 42 years old.

Shortly after midnight Elvis returns to Graceland from a late-night visit to the dentist. Through the early morning of the 16th he takes care of last minute tour details and relaxes with family and staff. He is to fly to Portland, Maine that night and do a show there on the 17th, then continue the scheduled tour. He retires to his master suite at Graceland around 7:00 AM to rest for his evening flight. By late morning, Elvis Presley is dead of heart failure. It is announced by mid-afternoon. In a matter of hours the shock registers around the world.

Before Elvis' demise, this date was already famous for another royal death: that of Babe Ruth, the Sultan of Swat.