Ajarn Donald's Blog

Associated Press Martin Luther King stands with Hosea Williams , Jesse Jackson and Ralph Abernathy on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel on April 3, 1968, a day before he was assassinated at approximately the same place. April 04, 2011 06:00 AM by findingDulcinea Staff On April 4, 1968, civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. was shot while standing on a hotel balcony in Memphis. Small-time convict James Earl Ray was sent to prison for the crime, but the King family believes the assassination was part of a larger government conspiracy. Civil Rights Leader Slain In the late 1950s and ‘60s, Martin Luther King led the Civil Rights Movement , which culminated with the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1964 and 1965. In the ensuing years,  King shifted his focus to anti-poverty and anti-war campaigns . In March 1968, King  went to Memphis to campaign for the rights of black sanitation workers . On March 28, he led a March that turned violent, a sign of the increasing m...

Elvis Presley poses at the Army barracks area in Friedberg, Germany , 1958.   March 24, 2011 05:00 AM by findingDulcinea Staff Elvis Presley, the “ undisputed King of Rock and Roll ,” according to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame , began his career in 1954 and became a national sensation in 1956 with the release of “ Heartbreak Hotel .” He went on to captivate audiences with his unique musical style, provocative hip gyrations and electric personality, producing such hits as “Don’t Be Cruel,” “Hound Dog,” “ Love Me Tender ,” “All Shook Up” and “Jailhouse Rock.” Presley was drafted into the United States Army in December 1957; on March 24, 1958,  he entered the Army at the Memphis draft board . Presley was filmed as he was given an Army haircut and fitted for his uniform. Serving as a member of the 1st Medium Tank Battalion, 32nd Armor Regiment , Presley was stationed in Germany from Oct. 1, 1958, to March 2, 1960. He was released from active duty on March 5 and honorabl...