History offers
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to truly
understand
how the past
impacts the now.

Follow our
daily timelime
of historical
events to
discover the
role The Beatles
played in changing
the modern world.

1889--Adolph Hitler is born in Braunau, Austria. He became dictator of Nazi Germany.

1777--New York adopts a new constitution as an independent state.

1961--The Beatles perform at the Top Ten Club, Reeperbahn, Hamburg, West Germany.

1961--The Beatles' now ex-manager, Allan Williams, responds to a letter from the boys informing him that they are not going to pay him a commission for their current engagement in Hamburg. They claim that they had made the arrangements themselves and that therefore they owe him nothing. Williams' letter back to the group threatens legal action, which he might have been able to successfully pursue, but as things turn out he does not do so.

1961--No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit: Runaway, Del Shannon. Shannon is the first artist to take a song written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney onto the US pop charts. His version of From Me to You hits the Hot 100 on June 29, 1963, before the release of The Beatles debut American single, I Want to Hold Your Hand.

1963--The Beatles perform at the Ballroom of the Mersey View Pleasure Grounds, Overton Hills, Frodsham, Cheshire.

1964--Filming for "A Hard Day's Night" continues with the filming of a solo scene for Paul McCartney. The other three Beatles do not report for filming this day or the next. Shooting takes place at The Jack Billings TV School of Dancing, Goldhawk Road, London. Paul's bit involves him coming across a rehearsal room during his search for Ringo and his encounter with an actress. Largely due to Paul's nervousness, the scene just doesn't gel, and they try again the following day after some rewriting of the script is done.

1964--Derek Taylor becomes Brian Epstein's personal assistant.

1964--The Elvis Presley movie "Viva Las Vegas" premieres.

1965--Filming resumes at Twickenham Film Studios for the movie "Help!" Included in the scenes shot on this day is the one where a "thug" hidden in a mail-box grabs Ringo's hand as he mails a letter and attempts to remove the sacrificial ring from Ringo's finger.

1965--Brian Epstein is appointed a director of Harrisongs Limited.

1966--The Beatles in the recording studio (Studio Two, EMI Studios, London). A 12-hour recording session, most of which is devoted to John Lennon's song And Your Bird Can Sing. Two takes and the song is considered completed, and mono mixes of the finished song are made. But the finished track is ultimately rejected and the song will be re-made on April 26. Four rehearsal rhythm tracks for George's song Taxman are taped, but the song will be recorded from start on the next day. Take 2 of And Your Bird Can Sing was released on The Beatles Anthology 2 (Disc one, Track 19).

1967--The Beatles in the recording studio (Studio Two, EMI Studios, London). Working on overdubs for Only a Northern Song. The song is completed. The Beatles Anthology 2 includes take 3 (recorded February 13), with bass and guitar overdubs from this session, of Only a Northern Song.

1968--Apple Music runs ads soliciting tapes from unknown artists, and a flood of submissions follows. Financial grants are given to many applicants, often with little regard to merit. John Lennon hires an astrologer (named Caleb) to consult the "I Ching Book of Changes" to assist in making business decisions. Overall, Apple's music division will turn out to be relatively successful, sponsoring artists such as Badfinger, James Taylor, Mary Hopkin, Jackie Lomax, Yoko Ono, Plastic Ono Band, Ravi Shankar, David Peel, Elephant's Memory, and others.

1968--Pierre Elliott Trudeau is sworn in as Prime Minister of Canada. His administration stretched from 1968-1979 and 1980-1984.

1969--The Beatles in the recording studio (Studio Three, EMI Studios, London). Recording organ and conga overdubs for I Want You (She's So Heavy). Then 26 takes of Oh! Darling, plus an organ overdub.

1970--US release of the Paul McCartney LP McCartney (Apple). Songs: The Lovely Linda, That Would Be Something, Valentine Day, Every Night, Hot as Sun / Glasses, Junk, Man We Was Lonely, Oo You, Momma Miss America, Teddy Boy, Singalong Junk, Maybe I'm Amazed, and Kreen-Akrore. 47 weeks on Billboard chart; highest position #1.

1970--The New York Times reports Catholic and Protestant youth groups have adopted the Yellow Submarine as a religious symbol.

1974--Beatles reunion rumors continue to dominate the music press around the world. It was rumored today that John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr gathered for a business meeting in Los Angeles at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel.

1976--George Harrison appears at New York's City Center with the Monty Python comedy group for their Lumberjack Song.

1980--At Cold Spring Harbor, John Lennon records his day-to-day activities on his newly acquired video camera. These include playing with his young son, Sean, having lunch with Yoko on the lawn overlooking the sea, and strumming his guitar. To the camera, John records two versions of Dear Yoko, the second being re-recorded after he discovered on playback that he needed to put a light on.

1982--A section of New York's Central Park, partly funded by Yoko Ono, is officially dedicated as "Strawberry Fields," in honor of John Lennon.

1992--The 43-minute Japanese children’s program “Tsukai Ningen-Den” (Dashing Life Stories) is broadcast. It tells the story of the life of John Lennon through pictures and archive film clips. Included is some rare video footage of John, Yoko and Sean visiting Japan in August 1978, and the first ever public screening of the presumbed destroyed Double Fantasy video footage (although only Yoko was shown, there was no footage of John). This footage, directed by New Yorker Jay Dubin, was recorded back in August 1980 on one-inch videotape using two cameras. Once the five-day sessions had been concluded, the video master tapes were handed over to two of Yoko’s bodyguards (before copies could be made). Sources close to Yoko Ono say that the complete Double Fantasy video footage does exist in her basement archives at the Dakota, but it is filed as “untouchable.”

1998--Geoff Baker announces: “Paul’s tradegy of losing Linda is hitting him in waves. One minute he can cope, the next he can’t. He’s devastated.” A close friend of McCartney’s, Carla Lane, reveals that Paul’s son, James, is helping him cope by sharing his bed. “Paul is being very brave and very positive. But Paul said that the whole family was terrified of him sleeping on his own after Linda died, so James bunked in with him.”


For more day-by-day history go to HistoryUnlimited.net