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.
THE FOLLOWING EVENTS TOOK PLACE ON MARCH 31
1889--The Eiffel Tower opens in Paris, France. It was named after its designer, architect Alexandre Gustave Eiffel, who built the structure for the Paris Exhibition of 1889.
1921--Albert Einstein lectures in New York on his new Theory of Relativity.
1921--British coal miners go on strike.
1958--Chuck Berry's, Johnny B. Goode, is released.
1959--The Dalai Lama, fleeing Chinese repression of an uprising in Tibet, arrives at the Indian border and is granted political asylum.
1962--The Beatles perform at the Subscription Rooms, Stroud. The supporting act is The Rebel Rousers. A poster advertised The "Sensational" Beatles as "...Liverpool's top vocal and instrumental group..." and "...stars of Polydor records..." The poster also advised boys not to dress as Teddy Boys, and the "ladies" were advised not to wear stiletto heels.
1963--The Beatles, on the Chris Montez / Tommy Roe tour, perform at DeMontfort Hall, Leicester, Leicestershire. This is the final night of the tour.
1964--In Australia, The Beatles hold the top six slots on the singles chart: #1 I Saw Her Standing There, #2 Love Me Do, #3 Roll Over Beethoven, #4 All My Loving, #5 She Loves You, and #6 I Want to Hold Your Hand.
1964--An important day of filming for "A Hard Day's Night." The filming of the movie's climax (the "live television performance" in front of a studio of screaming fans). One of those fans is singer Phil Collins. Four songs are used in the movie, The Beatles performing lip-sync with their records: Tell Me Why, I Should Have Known Better, And I Love Her, and She Loves You. You Can't Do That is filmed as well, but it will not be included in the final movie. However, it is shown in the US on the "Ed Sullivan Show" on May 24. One shot during Tell Me Why, looking from the stage towards the audience, reveals the film's director, Richard Lester.
1964--After a day of filming, The Beatles go to the Playhouse Theatre to record a radio segment for the BBC series "Saturday Club," for broadcast on April 4. The Beatles are interviewed, then they perform Everybody's Trying to Be My Baby, I Call Your Name, I Got a Woman, You Can’t Do That, Can't Buy Me Love, Sure to Fall (In Love With You), and Long Tall Sally. John Lennon does a separate interview about his book, "In His Own Write," for the program "A Slice of Life."
1965--The Beatles continue filming for the movie "Help!" at Twickenham Film Studios.
1967--The Beatles in the recording studio (Studio Two, EMI Studios, London). Glockenspiel and another organ part are overdubbed onto Being For the Benefit of Mr. Kite. Then Being For the Benefit of Mr. Kite and With a Little Help From My Friends are mixed in mono.
1967--Jimi Hendrix embarks on his first tour of Britain (with Cat Stevens) in Finsbury Park. He torches his guitar with lighter fluid onstage for the first time, too. However, he burns his hands during the stunt and is later taken to the hospital.
1969--With their "Amsterdam Bed-In For Peace" completed, John Lennon and Yoko Ono fly to Vienna (John takes the white bicycle with him on the plane). In Vienna, they "appear'"at a press conference at Hotel Sacher inside a white bag (Bagism and total communication being part of their peace initiative) to promote their film "Rape." One source claims that, instead of appearing inside a white bag, they are covered by a white sheet. “How do we know it’s you?” members of the press inquired of the bagged-up Lennons. ["Made a lightning trip to Vienna / Eating chocolate cake in a bag / The newspapers said, / 'She's gone to his head / They look just like two gurus in drag'..." -- John Lennon]. That evening, their film "Rape" premieres on Austrian television. Commenting upon John's recent activities, the Daily Mirror reports that, "...a not inconsiderable talent...seems to have gone completely off his rocker."
1969--George and Pattie Harrison plead guilty to possession of marijuana; they are fined £250 each (about $600 US at that time).
1972--The Beatles Fan Club in England is officially terminated. Freda Norris (nee Kelley), who had run the club for 11 years, commented, “Around 1965, the membership was 80,000...the membership now is down to 11,000.”
1973--Allen Klein's contract with The Beatles / Apple expires. It is not renewed.
1974--”Don’t get too serious, we’re not getting paid. We ain’t doing nothin’ but sitting here together, and anybody getting bored with me, take over!” Thus began John Lennon’s second Sunday night music jam session at his rented beach house. Paul and Linda McCartney dropped by for this one. “Just turn the fucking vocal mike up...McCartney’s doing the harmony on the drums,” quipped Lennon during the all-evening session, which was recorded for posterity on equipment borrowed from Burbank Studios (where John was producing the Harry Nilsson album, Pussy Cats). Along with the two former Beatles (John on guitar, Paul on drums, and both sharing vocals) were Linda, Stevie Wonder, Jesse Ed Davis, and others. During his 1975 BBC2 “Old Grey Whistle Test” interview, John briefly recalled the session: ”I did actually play with Paul. We did a lot of stuff in L.A. But there was fifty other people playing and they were all just watching me and Paul!”
1980--The Daily Mirror prints a photo of a heavily bearded John Lennon with thick-lensed glasses, taken in February at the La Petite Marmite restaurant.
1981--In an interview with Barbara Walters, Ringo Starr becomes emotional when asked about John Lennon’s death. He requests that the tape be turned off until he composes himself. During this program, Ringo said he last saw John on November 15, 1980, but in the Stop and Smell the Roses CD booklet, he claims it was November 26, 1980.
1990--Riots begin in London over the new poll tax laws.
History offers
1889--The Eiffel Tower opens in Paris, France. It was named after its designer, architect Alexandre Gustave Eiffel, who built the structure for the Paris Exhibition of 1889.
1921--British coal miners go on strike.
1963--The Beatles, on the Chris Montez / Tommy Roe tour, perform at DeMontfort Hall, Leicester, Leicestershire. This is the final night of the tour.
1964--An important day of filming for "A Hard Day's Night." The filming of the movie's climax (the "live television performance" in front of a studio of screaming fans). One of those fans is singer Phil Collins. Four songs are used in the movie, The Beatles performing lip-sync with their records: Tell Me Why, I Should Have Known Better, And I Love Her, and She Loves You. You Can't Do That is filmed as well, but it will not be included in the final movie. However, it is shown in the US on the "Ed Sullivan Show" on May 24. One shot during Tell Me Why, looking from the stage towards the audience, reveals the film's director, Richard Lester.
1967--Jimi Hendrix embarks on his first tour of Britain (with Cat Stevens) in Finsbury Park. He torches his guitar with lighter fluid onstage for the first time, too. However, he burns his hands during the stunt and is later taken to the hospital.
1969--With their "Amsterdam Bed-In For Peace" completed, John Lennon and Yoko Ono fly to Vienna (John takes the white bicycle with him on the plane). In Vienna, they "appear'"at a press conference at Hotel Sacher inside a white bag (Bagism and total communication being part of their peace initiative) to promote their film "Rape." One source claims that, instead of appearing inside a white bag, they are covered by a white sheet. “How do we know it’s you?” members of the press inquired of the bagged-up Lennons. ["Made a lightning trip to Vienna / Eating chocolate cake in a bag / The newspapers said, / 'She's gone to his head / They look just like two gurus in drag'..." -- John Lennon]. That evening, their film "Rape" premieres on Austrian television. Commenting upon John's recent activities, the Daily Mirror reports that, "...a not inconsiderable talent...seems to have gone completely off his rocker."
1974--”Don’t get too serious, we’re not getting paid. We ain’t doing nothin’ but sitting here together, and anybody getting bored with me, take over!” Thus began John Lennon’s second Sunday night music jam session at his rented beach house. Paul and Linda McCartney dropped by for this one. “Just turn the fucking vocal mike up...McCartney’s doing the harmony on the drums,” quipped Lennon during the all-evening session, which was recorded for posterity on equipment borrowed from Burbank Studios (where John was producing the Harry Nilsson album, Pussy Cats). Along with the two former Beatles (John on guitar, Paul on drums, and both sharing vocals) were Linda, Stevie Wonder, Jesse Ed Davis, and others. During his 1975 BBC2 “Old Grey Whistle Test” interview, John briefly recalled the session: ”I did actually play with Paul. We did a lot of stuff in L.A. But there was fifty other people playing and they were all just watching me and Paul!”
