The last chapter for the “King of Rock 'n Roll” in Memphis, Tennessee. That's where singer Elvis Presley dies at his Graceland Mansion, at age 42. Heart disease and years of prescription drug abuse are the causes of Presley's death. But Elvis' music and his popularity as the greatest star of rock's early years live on.

1948,In New York, the world of baseball loses a larger-than-life icon: hall-of-famer Babe Ruth. The Yankee slugger dies of throat cancer at age 53, a year after thanking fans paying him tribute. “And I'm glad that I've had the opportunity to thank everybody.” 2003,Idi Amin, considered one of Africa's most brutal leaders, dies in Jiddah, Saudi Arabia at age 78. Amin's rule as dictator of Uganda oversaw the killing and torture of hundreds of thousands of people during the 1970s. 1954,“Sports Illustrated”, the weekly sports magazine created by 'Time' and 'Life' publisher Henry Luce, hits newsstand for the first time. And 1958, Like a virgin, touched for the very first time.

Madonna, the singer known as “The Material Girl”, is born in Bay City, Michigan. Her provocative persona has delivered both pop hits and media headlines since she first gained fame in the 1980s.

Today in History, August 16th, Camille Bohannon, the Associated Press.