Sept. 17, 2021

This Day in Halloween: Cassandra Peterson, also known as Elvira, Mistress of the Dark is born in Manhattan, Kansas in 1951. / Illustration by Emily Park

Cassandra Peterson, also known as Elvira, Mistress of the Dark is born in Manhattan, Kansas in 1951. After being a Las Vegas showgirl, model, and brief Elvis Presley girlfriend, Peterson becomes Elvira in 1981 on KHJ-TV in Los Angeles. A feature film, multiple books, comic books, video games and calendars would follow.