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role The Beatles
played in changing
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1785--US Congress names the currency in the new republic “the dollar,” and adopts decimal coinage.

1919--The first airship to cross the Atlantic, the British R-34, arrives in New York.

1923--The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics is formed.

1925--Bill Haley, who had the first No. 1 rock and roll record with Rock Around the Clock, is born in Highland Park, Michigan. He began his singing career with The Down Homers, and went on to form The Four Aces of Western Swing (1948) and The Saddlemen (1949). They signed a record contract with Essex Records in 1952, as Bill Haley and the Saddlemen, then moved to Decca as Bill Haley and His Comets in 1954. Their biggest hits were Shake Rattle & Roll (1954), Rock Around the Clock (1955), and See You Later, Alligator (1956).

1955--Baby Let's Play House becomes Elvis Presley's first single to place on the national charts, and it also hits #10 on the Country & Western charts.

1957--The Quarry Men perform at a Garden Fete held at St. Peter's Church, Woolton, Liverpool. After an outside performance on a makeshift stage in a field behind the church, The Quarry Men begin setting up their instruments in the church hall for an evening dance; they are scheduled to play alternating sets with the George Edwards Band. A 15-year-old friend of Ivan Vaughan, Paul McCartney, had arrived during the afternoon performance, and he had been impressed with John Lennon's stage presence. John is the undisputed leader of The Quarry Men, which now consists of Pete Shotton, Eric Griffiths, Colin Hanton, Rod Davis, and Len Garry. Paul is introduced to John by Ivan Vaughn as The Quarrymen are setting up for their evening performance. John is a bit drunk. McCartney, eager to impress Lennon, picks up a guitar and plays versions of the recent hits Twenty Flight Rock (Eddie Cochran) and Be-Bop-A-Lula (Gene Vincent). John is impressed, and even more so when Paul writes down the lyrics for him, which John has trouble remembering. The best part of this historic meeting comes when Paul shows John and Eric Griffiths how to tune their guitars, something they'd been paying someone else to do for them. John recognizes Paul's talent right away, and he realizes that The Quarry Men need Paul to strengthen them, even though it might cost John his position of dominance in the group. But since making music is John's chief concern, he decides to invite Paul to join The Quarry Men.

1957--Bob Molyneux, using a reel-to-reel tape recorder belonging to his father, records John Lennon and The Quarry Men at the evening dance of the Woolton Garden Fete, St. Peter's Church, Woolton, Liverpool, England. Two songs, Putting On the Style and Baby Let’s Play House were recorded. Hans Gottfridsson reports that a portion of the recording is still in existence, and a sound clip purporting to be that recording is available on various web sites.

1958--Alaska becomes the 49th state in the US.

1961--Release of the first issue of Bill Harry's Liverpool music newspaper Mersey Beat. Included in this issue is a witty article written by John Lennon entitled, "Being a Short Diversion on the Dubious Origins of Beatles." In the piece, written in the style that will later bring Lennon world-wide literary fame, he attributes the naming of The Beatles to a mysterious man on a flaming pie.

1962--The Beatles perform on board MV “Royal Iris” on the River Mersey. Another “Riverboat Shuffle” put on by the Cavern Club. Once again, they share the bill with Acker Bilk, whose single Stranger On The Shore remains in the Top 10, six months after its release. Sometime that evening, Bilk gives each of The Beatles (John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Pete Best) a black bowler hat, which is his trademark.

1963--The Beatles perform at (Victory) Memorial Hall, Northwich. Before their appearance, The Beatles attend the annual Northwich Carnival, causing a lot of commotion. Paul McCartney personally crowns the new carnival queen.

1964--US release of The Beatles / Tony Sheridan single, Ain't She Sweet / Nobody's Child (Atco). 9 weeks on Billboard chart; highest position #19.

1964--The Beatles attend the London premiere of their first feature film, "A Hard Day's Night." The movie is an instant international success with fans and critics alike.

1966--The New York Times reports that The Beatles were booed two days earlier at the airport in Manila, Philippines, after they failed to make a private appearance before President Marcos, his wife, and 300 Filipino children. The group claims they were not told of the engagement. Marcos makes a statement regretting the airport incident.

1969--John Lennon, Yoko Ono, and her daughter, Kyoko, leave Lawson Memorial Hospital in Golspie, Scotland, having recovered sufficiently from wounds received in an auto accident. They fly back to London in a specially chartered helicopter. The Golspie newspaper quotes the departing Lennon as having said, "If you're going to have a car crash try to arrange for it to happen in the Highlands. The hospital there was just great." Meanwhile, their smashed car is crushed into a metallic cube and will be exhibited as a sculpture on the grounds of their Tittenhurst Park estate.

1971--Still in America celebrating both the end of the Imagine recording sessions and the birthday of Allen Klein, John Lennon and Yoko Ono attend a garden party thrown by Klein at his New York home. Also present are Andy Warhol and Jonas Menkas, who captures the event on his home movie camera. (Excerpts from this film will later appear with the song Crippled Inside in John and Yoko’s film “Imagine.”) Miles Davis also attends, meeting John and Yoko for the first time. Miles asks John if Yoko is Japanese. “No,” John replies, “she’s a New Yorker.” Miles then asks, “Why didn’t you marry a nice white bride?” John retorts, “That’s what I thought she was! They all said I was blind!”

1974--Paul McCartney and Wings' LP, Band on the Run, is #1 in the UK charts.

1981--US re-release of the John Lennon single (Just Like) Starting Over / Woman (Geffen). Both songs were previously issued as the A-side of different singles.

1984--The Beatles' first movie, "A Hard Day's Night," is released in the US on video cassette and video laser disc.

1987--UK re-release of The Beatles single, All You Need Is Love / Baby You're a Rich Man (Parlophone). 20th anniversary issue. Released as a regular vinyl single, a picture disc, and a cassette single. This is the first Beatles’ single to be released in the cassette format. A 12-inch vinyl single was also released on this date.

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