Before Elvis Presley became the King of Rock and Roll, his parents were just two young people trying to build a life with almost nothing. Vernon Presley was only 17 when he fell in love with 22-year-old Gladys Smith. Because Vernon was underage, they lied about their ages on their marriage license and married in 1933. They had little money and no secure future. Vernon borrowed $180, and with help from his father and brother, built a tiny two-room house in East Tupelo, Mississippi. There was no indoor plumbing, no proper kitchen, and no luxury—just rough lumber, a fireplace, and determination. Then, in 1935, Gladys gave birth to twins. Jesse Garon was stillborn. Minutes later, Elvis Aaron Presley was born alive. For Gladys, joy and heartbreak arrived on the same day. She never forgot the son she lost, and Elvis grew up knowing he had a twin brother who never came home. The family's hardships continued. During the Great Depression, Vernon struggled financially and was eventually convicted of altering a check. He went to prison in 1938, leaving Gladys and young Elvis to face eviction and poverty. They moved from place to place, often living in low-rent housing and struggling to survive. But Vernon and Gladys stayed together. Years later, everything changed. Elvis became one of the most famous entertainers in the world. The boy who had grown up in poverty could now give his parents the life they had never been able to afford. Eventually, they moved into Graceland—a mansion almost unimaginable compared with the little house where their son had been born. Gladys died in 1958, only 46 years old. Vernon died in - @stdhistory