Nora Gillum, a rising freshman at Dripping Springs High School, earned second place in the Junior Division Individual Website category at the National History Day Contest, held June 18 in College Park, Maryland.
A three-time state champion, Gillum achieved her highest national finish competing against 94 competitors from all 50 states and several countries with her project, “The King’s Revolutions: Rethinking the Historical Significance of Elvis Presley in 1950s America”.
Gillum’s website was the culmination of more than 10 months of research and included visits to archives at Graceland, the Country Music Hall of Fame, and the Briscoe Center for American History. Gillum also traveled to Tupelo, Mississippi, to tour Elvis Presley’s childhood home and the church where he first performed.
Her project examines how Presley blended musical genres, influenced race relations within and beyond the music industry, and helped shape a rebellious youth culture in 1950s America. The website features analysis of historical documents, photographs, videos, and audio recordings, as well as original charts and an annotated bibliography containing more than 170 sources.
National History Day® (NHD) is a non-profit education organization that offers year-long academic programs that engage more than 500,000 middle- and high-school students around the world annually in conducting original research on historical topics of interest. The 2026 National History Day theme was “Revolution, Reaction, Reform.”