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understand
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role The Beatles
played in changing
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1789--George Washington is inaugurated as the first President of the United States.

1803--The United States doubles in size through the Louisiana Purchase, which President Thomas Jefferson bought for $15 million.

1877--The French Academy of Sciences receives papers describing Charles Cross' new invention, the phonograph.

1904--The ice cream cone makes its debut in the US.

1935--World Congress for Women's Rights concludes in Istanbul.

1945--Adolph Hitler and his wife of one day, Eva Braun, commit suicide.

1952--Mr. Potato Head is the first toy advertised on American television.

1957--Elvis Presley records the soundtrack to his forthcoming film “Jailhouse Rock,” including the Leiber-Stoller title track.

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

1962--The Beatles perform at the Star-Club, Hamburg, West Germany.

1964--The Beatles perform two shows at the Odeon Cinema in Glasgow.

1964--The Beatles receive a $140,000 royalty check for the use of their name on Beatles Chewing Gum.

1964--LenMac Enterprises Ltd., a Beatles music publishing company, is formed.

1965--Filming for the movie "Help!" continues at Twickenham Film Studios. The Beatles film the scene at the jeweler's store, where they make an unsuccessful attempt to remove the sacrificial ring from Ringo Starr's finger. John Lennon says to the jeweler, "Jeweler, you've failed!" Also filmed is "Attempt Number One" to get the ring from Ringo, where Ringo and John are in an elevator that becomes magnetized. Most of the day's filming, however, goes into "Attempt Number Five," which shows The Beatles in the studio, supposedly recording You're Going To Lose That Girl, while, unknown to them, the floor beneath Ringo's drum kit is being cut through with a chain saw.

1965--The Kinks begin their first UK tour.

1969--Promotional films for The Beatles songs Get Back and Don't Let Me Down are broadcast on US television, on the program "The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour."

1969--The Beatles in the recording studio (Studio Three, EMI Studios, London). A lead guitar overdub for Let It Be is recorded. Next, John Lennon and Paul McCartney work together (without George Harrison or Ringo Starr) overdubbing vocals and sound effects onto their unfinished 1967 song, You Know My Name (Look Up the Number). Much of this work will later be edited out. The Beatles Anthology 2 includes a version of You Know My Name (Look Up the Number) that restores parts that were edited out, adding over a minute to the song's length (Disc two, Track 13).

1970--US troops invade Cambodia in an escalation of the increasingly unpopular Viet Nam war.

1970--John Lennon and Yoko Ono depart from London en route to Arthur Janov’s Primal Institute in Los Angeles. They will stay in California for four months at a rented accommodation in Bel Air.

1973--US release of the Paul McCartney and Wings LP Red Rose Speedway (Apple). Songs: Big Barn Bed, My Love, Get On the Right Thing, One More Kiss, Little Lamb Dragonfly, Single Pigeon, When the Night, Loup (1st Indian on the Moon), and Hold Me Tight / Lazy Dynamite / Hands of Love / Power Cut. 31 weeks on Billboard chart; highest position #1. (In November 1980, John Lennon will admit that this is the last album of Paul McCartney’s that he ever listened to.)

1975--In South Vietnam, President Minh announced an unconditional surrender to the Vietcong, ending the 20th century's longest warring conflict.

1980--John Lennon ends his ritual “vow of silence” by shaving off his long, heavy beard, for the first time since the previous summer.

1987--US and UK re-release of The Beatles albums Help!, Revolver, and Rubber Soul on CD (Capitol/EMI). Released in stereo; remixed by George Martin.

1999--At the Kunstforum Lyz art gallery (in St. Johann Street, Siegen, in Hamburg, Germany), Paul McCartney holds a press conference to launch his first exhibition of paintings, which will open at the gallery on May 1. Paul’s abstract artwork, in oils and acrylic, include paintings of Linda McCartney, John Lennon, David Bowie, and the Queen of England.

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