1977 | 5. Elvis, the Pledge, and Extraterrestrials

Three stories from one day in August 1977. Elvis Presley dies, and the National Enquirer goes after the ultimate tabloid scoop: a photo of the King in his coffin. A New Jersey high schooler becomes a pariah when she refuses to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance. Astronomers in Ohio get a mysterious signal from outer space—could it be a message from aliens?

One Year is produced by Josh Levin, Evan Chung, and Madeline Ducharme. Mixing by Merritt Jacob.

Want more One Year? Join Slate Plus to unlock full, ad-free access to One Year and your other favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the Slow Burn show page on ⁠Apple Podcasts⁠ and ⁠Spotify⁠. Or, visit ⁠slate.com/oneyearplus⁠ to get access wherever you listen.

For a behind-the-scenes look into some of the articles we read when we create the show, check out our Pocket collection at http://getpocket.com/slate. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices