History offers
a chance
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.

1765--The Stamp Act is passed, representing the first direct British tax on American colonists.

1895--In Paris, France, Auguste and Louis Lumiere give the first demonstration of motion pictures using celluloid film.

1930--Stephen Sondheim (composer who wrote the score for “West Side Story” among many others) is born.

1931--William Shatner, Captain Kirk of “Star Trek,” is born.

1944--Jeremy Clyde, of Chad and Jeremy, is born in England. The duo had several hits during the British Invasion, among them, Yesterday's Gone and Summer Song.

1960--The first patent for lasers is granted to Arthur Schawlow and Charles Townes.

1961--The Beatles perform at the Cavern Club -- a lunchtime show.

1962--The Beatles perform at the Cavern Club -- a night show.

1963--UK release of The Beatles' LP Please Please Me (Parlophone). This is The Beatles' first album. Songs: I Saw Her Standing There, Misery, Anna, Chains, Boys, Ask Me Why, Please Please Me, Love Me Do, P.S. I Love You, Baby It's You, Do You Want to Know a Secret, A Taste of Honey, There's a Place, and Twist and Shout. Highest chart position: #1.

1963--The Beatles, on the Chris Montez / Tommy Roe tour, perform at the Gaumont Cinema in Doncaster.

1964--The Beatles enjoy a rare Sunday not working. During the first four weeks of filming for "A Hard Day's Night," The Beatles worked Monday through Friday and took the weekends off. It was all over by April, when they resumed working on weekends.

1965--US release of The Beatles' LP The Early Beatles (Capitol). Songs: Love Me Do, Twist and Shout, Anna, Chains, Boys, Ask Me Why, Please Please Me, P.S. I Love You, Baby It's You, A Taste of Honey, and Do You Want to Know a Secret. Having obtained the rights to these early Beatles tracks from VeeJay, Capitol felt obliged to issue them again, despite the many repackagings of these songs that VeeJay had already marketed. It will sell over half a million copies. 33 weeks on Billboard chart; highest position #43.

1965--The Beatles leave Austria and return to London, having completed the second round of location filming for the movie "Help!"

1967--The Beatles in the recording studio (Studio Two, EMI Studios, London). Overdubbing dilruba and swordmandel parts onto Within You Without You.

1970--During an interview with a reporter from the French magazine L'Express, John Lennon states that The Beatles smoked marijuana in a restroom at Buckingham Palace on the day they were given their MBE's (in 1965). Questioned about John's comment, a spokesman for Buckingham Palace replies, "Obviously when people come along to an investiture, toilet facilities are available."

1971--US release of the John Lennon / Plastic Ono Band single, Power to the People / Touch Me (Apple). The flip side is a Yoko Ono song. 9 weeks on Billboard chart; highest position #11.

1972--John and Yoko attend a preview of the movie "The Concert for Bangladesh" in New York at the DeMille Theatre the day before its general release. John is reported to have enjoyed the screening, but is seen leaving the theatre during Bob Dylan’s segment.

1974--John Lennon, along with May Pang, takes up residence at a new rented premises, a beach house in Santa Monica, California. Over the next two weeks, the place becomes a Mecca for local musicians and celebrities. Ever-present during this month of frequent comings and goings are Ringo Starr (and his manager, Hillary Gerrard), Keith Moon, Harry Nilsson, and Klaus Voorman (and his girlfriend, Cynthia Webb).

1978--Win Anderson, who has been promoting a benefit concert for environmentalist group Friends of the Earth, holds a press conference in New York substantiating rumors of a Beatles reunion. Clearly, this never materialized.

1978--The Rutles "All You Need Is Cash," an affectionate spoof of The Beatles' career, is broadcast in the US. A copy of both the program and the soundtrack album are sent to John Lennon at the Dakota for him to give a nod of approval. He was so impressed with the film that he refused to send the samples back to Neil Innes (who played the John character, “Ron Nasty”).

1982--US release of a Beatles single, The Beatles Movie Medley / I'm Happy Just to Dance With You (Capitol). The A-side is a studio-produced medley made up of fragments from previously-released Beatles songs. Highest chart position is #12.

1982--US release of The Beatles compilation LP Reel Music (Capitol). Songs from Beatles movies include: A Hard Day's Night, I Should Have Known Better, Can't Buy Me Love, And I Love Her, Help!, You've Got to Hide Your Love Away, Ticket to Ride, Magical Mystery Tour, I Am the Walrus, Yellow Submarine, All You Need Is Love, Let It Be, Get Back, and The Long and Winding Road. Highest chart position is #19.

1988--US re-release of the John Lennon album, Mind Games on CD (Capitol).

1989--Dick Clark announces he'll no longer host "American Bandstand," ending a 33-year run.

1994--US re-release of Beatles vinyl singles labeled "For Jukeboxes Only": I Want to Hold Your Hand / This Boy (clear vinyl); Help! / I'm Down (white vinyl); Let It Be / You Know My Name (Look Up the Number) (yellow vinyl); Strawberry Fields Forever / Penny Lane (red vinyl); Twist and Shout / There's A Place (pink vinyl); and Here Comes the Sun / Octopus's Garden (orange vinyl). All released by Capitol / CEMA.

1997--Paul McCartney's birth certificate is sold at auction for $84,146.

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