Absolute Elsewhere: The Spirit of John Lennon

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THE FOLLOWING EVENTS TOOK PLACE ON MARCH 10

A $1,000 bill: the US no longer issues paper money in larger denominations than $100. 1862--The US government issues the first paper money in $5, $10, $20, $50, $100, $500 and $1,000 denominations.

Alexander Graham Bell 1876--The first telephone call is made by Alexander Graham Bell to Thomas Watson.

1880--The Salvation Army arrives in the US from England. This charity provides a wide variety of services to underpriviledged Americans.

1906--London Underground opens Bakeroo Line (Baker Street to Waterloo Line).

1910--China ends slavery.

1922--Mahatma Gandhi, Indian nationalist leader, is arrested by the British government of India, tried for sedition and sentenced to six years imprisonment.

1940--Dean Torrance (one half of the pop duo Jan and Dean) is born in Los Angeles.

Cliff Richard ruled British pop music just prior to the arrival of The Beatles and the rest of the British Invasion bands. 1944--No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit: Besame Mucho, Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra.

1945--Tokyo, Japan is on fire after night-time B-29 bombing.

1960--The British music weekly Record Retailer, known later as Music Week, publishes the first UK LP chart. The first No. 1 LP in the UK is The Explosive Freddy Cannon. On the first EP (extended player) chart, Expresso Bongo, by Cliff Richard and the Shadows is No. 1.

1960--The USSR agrees to stop nuclear testing.

1961--The Beatles perform at the Cavern Club at lunchtime. That night they perform twice: at the Grosvenor Ballroom, Liscard, Wallasey, and at St. John's Hall, Tuebrook, Liverpool.

1962--The Beatles perform at the Youth Club, St. Paul's Presbyterian Church Hall, Tranmere, Birkenhead. Also appearing is The Country Four with Brian Newman. The Beatles were billed as "Polydor Recording Artists" on the strength of their single with Tony Sheridan, My Bonnie, which had been released in the UK on January 5, on the Polydor label. Admission price: 5 shillings.

Chris Montez's album, Let's Dance. He started out sharing top billing with Tommy Roe, but The Beatles soon became the headline attraction in the tour. 1962--Bruce Channel started a three week run at No. 1 on the US singles chart with Hey! Baby. It made No. 2 on the UK chart.

1963--The Beatles, touring with Chris Montez and Tommy Roe, perform at the Hippodrome Theatre, Birmingham, Warwickshire.

1964--Filming continues for The Beatles' first movie, "A Hard Day's Night." Shooting of a portion of Ringo Starr's "solo" sequence, at The Turks Head pub on Winchester Road, St. Margarets, Twickenham. Ringo visits the pub, complains about the sandwiches, breaks a beer bottle, and nearly skewers a parrot perched in the vicinity of the pub's dart board.

US picture sleeve for The Beatles hit, Eight Days A Week. 1965--The Beatles leave the Bahamas and return to England, arriving there on the morning of the March 11.

1965--No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit: Eight Days a Week. The song is the first British single to go to No. 1 in the US, while not making the charts in its own country. (The single is not released in Great Britain.)

1967--The Beatles in the recording studio (Studio Two, EMI Studios, London). Overdubs are recorded for Getting Better, including George Harrison playing a droning tamboura, Paul McCartney a bass guitar part, and Ringo Starr on drums.

1969--James Earl Ray pleads guilty in the murder of Martin Luther King, Jr.

The brick? It seems possible that John Lennon could have been so angry at Paul McCartney that he would throw a brick through his window. But no one really knows if this juicy bit of Beatle lore happened or not.. 1971--Allen Klein is barred from involvement in The Beatles' affairs as the life of the band winds down.

1971--According to legend, it is on this night that John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr go to Paul McCartney's London townhouse and throw a brick through one of the windows.

The charismatic David Bowie's Young Americans. John Lennon contributed to two songs on the album. 1972--The USSR performs a nuclear test at Eastern Kazakhstan.

1975--US release of the John Lennon single, Stand By Me / Move Over Ms. L (Apple). 9 weeks on Billboard chart; highest position #20.

1975--US release of David Bowie's Young Americans LP (it will be released in the UK on March 28). The album contains two John Lennon songs, Fame (on which Lennon plays guitar and sings backing vocal) and Across the Universe (on which Lennon plays guitar). [Note: some fans report that a close listening to Across the Universe reveals that John sings on that song, but this remains undocumented].

1986--Yoko Ono’s world tour makes a stop in Stockholm, Sweden.

1999--Paul McCartney appears at a political rally at Westminster Cental Hall in London. During the gathering, which is entitled “Freedom For Tibet,” Paul takes the stage unannounced and reads aloud the lyrics to Blackbird. Afterwards, he swiftly departs from the scene.

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