Elvis Presley died 40 years ago today.

The King of Rock ‘n Roll is one of the most beloved figures in music history. Here are nine things to know about his life, which ended on August 16, 1977 after he died of a heart attack following years of prescription drug abuse:

• A native of Tupelo, Mississippi, Presley began his music career in 1954 as he recorded with Sun Records.
• His first hit was “Heartbreak Hotel” in 1956, thrusting him to the top of the music charts and cementing his status as a sex symbol early on.
• Presley did some acting as well, debuting in the film industry in 1956 with Love Me Tender.
• His music career includes 600 million record sales and three Grammys, as well as the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award at age 36.
• The King had more than 30 number one hits in the U.S., including “Hound Dog,” “Jailhouse Rock,” “Stuck on You” and “A Little Less Conversation.”
• He had an 18-room mansion south of downtown Memphis for himself and his parents called Graceland, which is 13.8-acres large, garnering more than half a million visitors a year.
• Presley was drafted into the military in 1958, serving in the Army for two years and asking not to be treated differently than anyone else.
• In 1970, he met with President Nixon and expressed his dissatisfaction with the budding drug culture and the hippie counterculture that came with it.
• He married once to Priscilla Presley between 1967 and 1973, and had one child named Lisa Marie Presley, who married Michael Jackson and Nicolas Cage.

Elvis passed away 40 years ago today in Graceland.