Presley died on August 16, 1977, at the age of 42. Despite his untimely death, he remains one of the best-selling music artists of all time and continues to influence popular culture and music to this day. He was posthumously inducted into several halls of fame, including the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Country Music Hall of Fame, and the Gospel Music Hall of Fame.
Baraga, a native of Slovenia, arrived in the United States in 1830 after fighting against Jansenism, despite opposition from his Bishop and other clergy. The story of his life is described in a booklet called “The Snowshoe Priest” available at the gift shop.
Norman Lane was a well-known figure in downtown Silver Spring. He always wore a hard hat, had a signature phrase “Don’t worry about it!”, and would give roses to women he encountered on the street and at the train station. He used the small change he received to buy Pall Mall cigarettes and Pabst Blue Ribbon beer.
The Irish Potato Famine was a catastrophic event that occurred in Ireland between 1845 and 1852. A fungus known as late blight destroyed the potato crop, which was the main source of food for the Irish population.
The monument took 30 years to build and its designer, Hammatt Billings, wanted it to be twice its size but funding ceased during the Civil War. Billings passed away 15 years prior to its completion. At the time of its dedication on August 1, 1889, the monument was visible for miles, standing on a treeless promontory overlooking Plymouth Harbor.
When Emily passed away in 2004, her owners asked artist Lado Goudjabidze to create a life-sized statue in her likeness, to be placed above her grave near statues of Mother Teresa and Gandhi. Emily was buried in April 2005, and the statue was dedicated shortly after on Earth Day.
Boone was instrumental in establishing the first permanent settlement in Kentucky and played a key role in the state’s development. He also served as a militia leader during the American Revolution and was captured by the British during the war.
The monument stands 351 feet tall and was the tallest structure in Kentucky until the 1970s. It remains the tallest structure in Fairview. The walls are 9 feet thick at the base and 2 feet thick at the top, where an observation room offers views of mostly unchanged trees and fields since Jefferson Davis’s time.
John Robert Wooden was an American basketball coach born on October 14, 1910, in Hall, Indiana. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest coaches in the history of American sports and is best known for his success as the head coach of the UCLA Bruins men’s basketball team.
Ebert was passionate about film from a young age and began writing about it as a student at the University of Illinois. He began writing for the Chicago Sun-Times in 1967, and his review style and writing talent quickly made him one of the most respected film critics in the country.