Tribute to the King of Rock'n'Roll

On Monday, Graceland, former residence of the King of Rock'n'Roll Elvis Presley was declared a National Historic Landmark Monument.

Almost 2500 locations in U.S. received the country's highest designation for historic properties and Graceland joins the White House, Monticello and Mount Vermont in receiving the distinction.

"It would be difficult to tell the story of the 20th century without discussing the many contributions made by this legendary, iconic artist," Interior Secretary Gale Norton said. "It didn't take Americans and the rest of the world long to discover Elvis Presley, and it is absolutely clear that they will never forget him."

Since The King's death in 1977, the Memphis mansion, now property of Lisa Marie Presley, has attracted millions of visitors, the number of "pilgrims" every year ranking around 600.000, making Graceland one of the five most visited home museums in the United States.

"This landmark designation comes purely due to the fact that the legendary Elvis Presley called Graceland home," his daughter said. "It's a significant statement about how much my father has meant to the world and it only makes me prouder of him."
"To him, having Graceland also was a tangible symbol of how far he had come from his very humble beginnings," Presley said.