Elvis Presley

Elvis Presley made headlines when he showed up at the White House unannounced and offered his services to President Nixon to fight the war on drugs in 1970. It was an odd event, which led to an even odder photo. But the Elvis-Nixon meeting was memorable for another reason: It was one of only four public appearances that Elvis made in the Washington, D.C. area.

On December 21, 1970, Elvis Presley showed up unannounced at the northwest gate of the White House with a handwritten six page letter to President Nixon. The letter detailed Elvis's desire to become a "Federal Agent-at-Large" in the war on drugs. Elvis's surprise visit was captured with a photograph that has become one of the most popular holdings in the National Archives.