The Beatles Timeline: Beginning to End

  • Ringo Starr was born Richard Starkey on 7 July 1940 at 9 Madryn Street.

    Ringo Starr was born Richard Starkey on 7 July 1940 at 9 Madryn Street.
    Ringo Starr was born Richard Starkey on 7 July 1940 at 9 Madryn Street, Dingle, Liverpool, England, the son of Elsie and Richard Starkey, a confectioner.
  • John Lennons Birth

    John Lennons Birth
    John Winston Lennon born October 9, at Oxford Maternity Hospital in Liverpool England. John was born to Julia and Fred Lennon.
  • Paul McCartney was born at Walton General Hospital.

    Paul McCartney was born at Walton General Hospital.
  • George Harrison was born 10 minutes past midnight in their family's terraced home, 12 Arnold Grove, in Liverpool England

    George Harrison was born 10 minutes past midnight in their family's terraced home, 12 Arnold Grove, in Liverpool England
  • John Lennon's parents, Julia and Fred Lennon get divorced and John Lennon moves in to stay with his Aunt Mimi who raises him

  • John Lennon enters Quarry Bank High School

    John Lennon enters Quarry Bank High School
  • John Lennon forms The Quarry Men and the band performs what's known in England as "skiffle"

    John Lennon forms The Quarry Men and the band performs what's known in England as "skiffle"
  • The Quarry Men performs at St. Peter's Church Garden Fete.

    John and Paul meet and the pair find out that they have similar pop idol intrests:
    "Paul, what kind of music do you like?" asked John. " Well I used to like Lonnie Donnegan but that skiffle is fading out. I love the music of Elvis Presley, Eddie Conchrane, Gene Vincent, Little Richard..." "Hey," John interrupted, "they're all the people I'm into."
  • The Quarry Men perform at the Cavern. This would be the only performance billed as The Quarry Men at the club. It would be a long wait, an amazing 3 years before the band would turn up again at the Cavern, but under their new name as The Beatles

    The Quarry Men perform at the Cavern. This would be the only performance billed as The Quarry Men at the club. It would be a long wait, an amazing 3 years before the band would turn up again at the Cavern, but under their new name as The Beatles
  • The Quarry Men play at the Wilson Hall in Liverpool, whereupon George Harrison decides to join The Quarry Men.

    The Quarry Men play at the Wilson Hall in Liverpool, whereupon George Harrison decides to join The Quarry Men.
  • Julia lennon, Johns mother, dies.

    Julia lennon, Johns mother, dies.
    Julia Lennon, John mother, is fatally struck down by a car driven by an off duty, drucken police officer named Eric Clauge. As a result, John becomes more bitter and cynical than ever before about his life.
  • The Quarry Men now become The Silver Beetles

    The Quarry Men now become The Silver Beetles
    The Quarry Men now become The Silver Beetles. Around this time, Allan Williams- club owner of the jacaranda – becomes the group’s part time manager. He arranges with Larry Parnes, an impresario for British pop stars, to audition the Silver Beetles. The band fails the audition as backing group to Billy Fury. Instead, Parnes chooses the band as a backing group for Johnny Gentle. On May 20, Gentle and The Silver Beetles backing group to Billy Fury. Instead, Parnes chooses the band as a backing grou
  • First professional performance of The Silver Beetles held at Neston Institute.

  • : Pete best leaves the band, The BlackJacks, and becomes The Silver Beetles’ drummer. The band’s current line-up would now include John, Paul, George, Pete and Stuart Stutcliffe.

  • New stage name and first performance as “The Beatles” at the Indra club in Hamburg, Germany.

  • : On this date the group makes their first lunchtime debut as The Beatles for a session at the Cavern.

  • The Beatles first night appearance at the Cavern. Then band gets paid a mere $42.00 per night. Gerry Marsden, of Gerry and the Peacemakers, went to their performance and said that they WILL BE the FIRST band OUT of Liverpool to make it.

  • Bill Harry published “The Mersey Beat” newspaper

     Bill Harry published “The Mersey Beat” newspaper
    John Lennon would give the publisher an interview on how the name “Beatles” came about: “Many people ask what are Beatles? Why Beatles? Ugh, Beatles? How did the name arrive? So we will tell you. It came in a vision- a man appeared on a flaming pie and said unto them, ‘From this day on you are Beatles with an “A”. ‘Thank you Minster Man’, they said, thanking him. And so they were Beatles.”
  • Epstein visits the Cavern Club to see the band perform.

  • Epstein offers to manage Beatles:

    “Quite simply, you need a manager. Would you like me to do it?” asked Epstein. “Right, then, Brian, manage us now. Where’s the contract? I’ll sign it,” reported Lennon.
  • Beatles do a test record with Decca Records in London.

    . After audition, Decca decides not to sign them to a record deal. They were later turned down by just about every record company except Parlophone. George Martin: “But Brian…got them to sign a contract because they hadn’t got a manager at all that was any worthwhile…and so he promised them the earth: ‘I’ll get you a record contract’. And of course he didn’t. He tried everywhere and everyone turned him down. And they were getting fed up and thought they were never going to make it.
  • record deal with parlophone

    Beatles leave for Hamburg, Germany. They would shortly return back home after learning of a pending record deal with Parlophone. After receiving the good news from Brian Epstein, the band wrote back to him…
    Paul: “Please wire 10,000 advance royalties
  • Best is not the best in the band

    Martin liked everything about the band except Best, who was by this time was not on the best of terms with the other band members either. Ringo Starr, the drummer for another popular Liverpool band, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes, was recruited to replace Best.
  • Love me do is released!

    Love me do is released!
    On October 5, 1962, the band's first single, "Love Me Do" was released, eventually reaching #17 in the UK. It would be almost two years until the song was released (and became a #1 hit) in the US, because of the skepticism of Parlophone's sister label in the US, Capitol Records, about the prospects of a British band succeeding in America.
  • CONCERT

    The Beatles begin their concert tour in Scotland
  • The Beatles begin British tour with Helen Shapiro as the top act on the bill

  • Please Please me!

    PLEASE PLEASE ME / ASK ME WHY (single) is released in USA (Vee-Jay Records)
  • PLEASE PLEASE ME ENGLAND

    PLEASE PLEASE ME - their first album, is released in England, on Parlophone Records
  • Introducing The Beatles

    After their second album, With The Beatles became only the second album ever to sell a million copies in the UK, Vee Jay Records, predominantly an R&B label, obtained the US rights to most of the songs from Please Please Me, and released them on an album titled Introducing ... The Beatles in January 1964.
  • I want to hold your hand!

    I want to hold your hand!
    "I Want To Hold Your Hand" enters at No. 45 on the American Billboard music charts.
  • Meet The Beatles

    Meet The Beatles
    MEET THE BEATLES (lp) is released (Capitol Records)
  • I want to hold your hand

    I want to hold your  hand
    "I Want To Hold Your Hand" reaches No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard music charts, selling 2,000,000 units ("She Loves You" sells 1,000,000 units in the U.S.)
  • US is where The Beatles will be.............. Record deal!!!!!!!!!!!!

    A booking on Ed Sullivan's popular CBS network variety show in February 1964 (watched by an estimated 73-million people) and the fact that the band had two #1 albums in the UK the previous year, finally convinced Capitol Records to sign The Beatles to a US record deal.
  • Ed Sullivan show

    Ed Sullivan show
    Beatles debut on the Ed Sullivan Show in New York; 50,000 apply for 728 available seats. An estimated 73 million viewers watch that night (or 23,240,000 households, based on a Nielsen rating)
  • Beatles concert on the USA!

    Beatles first concert appearance in the USA: the Coliseum in Washington, 20,000 fans attend performance.
  • Second appearance on ed Sullivin show

    Beatles make their second appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show in Deauville Hotel, Miami Beach, Florida. An estimated 70 million viewers watch that night (or 22,445,000 households based on a Nielsen rating). Songs performed: SHE LOVES YOU; ALL MY LOVING; THIS BOY; I SAW HER STANDING THERE; FROM ME TO YOU; I WANT TO HOLD YOUR HAND
  • HARD DAYS NIGHT THE MOVIE!

    HARD DAYS NIGHT THE MOVIE!
    Beatles begin work on their first movie, "A Hard Day's Night". According to Walter Shenson, producer of the film, the Beatles story line in the movie would portray them as "prisoners of their success. They go from the airport to the hotel to the theater or stadium or concert hall back to the hotel back to the airport. In any city it's always the same. They literally travel in a cocoon of Liverpool. There's the manager, the road manager, a publicity man, the car, the driver, the guy who carries t
  • do you want to know a secret?

    do you want to know a secret?
    DO YOU WANT TO KNOW A SECRET / THANK YOU GIRL (single) is released (Vee-Jay Records)
  • Can't buy me love

    Can't buy me love
    CAN'T BUY ME LOVE / YOU CAN'T DO THAT (single) is released (Capitol Records)
  • Billboard charts!

    BILLBOARD CHARTS - Places Beatles songs in top five slots:
    1) CAN'T BUY ME LOVE
    2) TWIST AND SHOUT
    3) SHE LOVES YOU
    4) I WANT TO HOLD YOUR HAND
    5) PLEASE PLEASE ME
  • The Beatles Wth a movie!

    By April, 1964, the band's singles occupied the top five spots on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. That summer, they toured New Zealand and Australia, where their arrival in Adelaide was greeted by a crowd estimated at more than 300,000. The first Beatles movie, A Hard Day's Night was released in 1964.
  • SECOND ALBUM!

    THE BEATLES SECOND ALBUM (lp) is released (Capitol Records)
  • Oldies Label

    Capitol Records issues a series of 45s on their "Oldies" label: DO YOU WANT TO KNOW A SECRET/THANK YOU GIRL; PLEASE PLEASE ME/FROM ME TO YOU; LOVE ME DO/P.S. I LOVE YOU; TWIST AND SHOUT/THERE'S A PLACE
  • Hard Days Night

    Hard Days Night
    A HARD DAY'S NIGHT (lp) is released (United Artists Records)
  • The Beatles tour

    San Francisco (August 19); Las Vegas (August 20); Seattle (August 21); Vancouver (August 22); Los Angeles (August 23); Denver (August 26); Cincinnati (August 27); New York (August 28); Atlantic City (August 30); Philadelphia (September 2); Indianapolis (September 3); Milwaukee (September 4); Chicago (September 5); Detroit (September 6); Toronto (September 7); Montreal (September 8); Jacksonville (September 11); Boston (September 12); Baltimore (September 13); Pittsburgh (September 14); Cleveland
  • '65 beatles

    BEATLES '65 (lp) is released (Capitol Records)
  • GRAMMY AWARDS!

    GRAMMY AWARDS (1964):
    Best New Artist - "The Beatles"
    Best Performance by a Vocal Group - The Beatles, "A Hard Day's Night", George Martin, producer
  • Eight days a week

    Eight days a week
    EIGHT DAYS A WEEK / I DON'T WANT TO SPOIL THE PARTY (single) is released (Capitol Records)
  • START ROLLING: LIGHTS CAMERA HELP!

    Beatles start filming (in the Bahamas for tax reasons) their second film, "Help!"
  • TICKET TO RIDE

    TICKET TO RIDE
    TICKET TO RIDE / YES IT IS (single) is released (Capitol Records)
  • SHEA STADIUM CONCERT

    SHEA STADIUM CONCERT
    56,000 fans show up at Shea Stadium, New York.
    This was the Beatles' largest crowd on any tour, and
    also the largest rock concert attendance to that point in time.
  • WE CAN WORK IT OUT

    RUBBER SOUL (lp) is released (Capitol Records) WE CAN WORK IT OUT / DAY TRIPPER (single) is released (Capitol)
  • NOWHERE MAN

    NOWHERE MAN
    NOWHERE MAN / WHAT GOES ON (single) is released (Capitol Records)
  • REVOLER!

    REVOLER!
    Beatles begin recording REVOLVER at Abbey Road studios
  • PAPERBACK WRITER

    PAPERBACK WRITER
    PAPERBACK WRITER / RAIN (single) is released (Capitol Records)
  • YEASTERDAY AND TODAY

    YEASTERDAY AND TODAY
    YESTERDAY AND TODAY (lp) is released (Capitol Records)
  • FINAL USA PERFORMANCE

    Beatles final U.S.A. performance held in San Francisco's "Candlestick Park"
  • YOKO AND JOHN

    John Lennon visits the Indica Gallery in London where he meets Yoko Ono who is displaying her art
  • SGT. PEPPERS LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND

    SGT. PEPPERS LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND
    Beatles begin recording SGT. PEPPER'S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND
  • STRAWBERRY FIELDS FOREVER

    STRAWBERRY FIELDS FOREVER
    STRAWBERRY FIELDS FOREVER / PENNY LANE (single) is released (Capitol Records) Noted Atlanta psychiatrist Tom Leland would lament upon this single and the subsequent album, Sgt. Pepper, by describing Beatles new compositions as "speaking in an existential way about the meaninglessness of actuality."
  • LINDA AND PAUL

    Paul McCartney meets his future wife, Linda Eastman, at the Bag O'Nails.
  • SGT PEPPERS IS RELEASED

    SGT. PEPPERS LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND (lp) is released (Capitol Records)
  • ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE! <3

    ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE! <3
    ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE / BABY YOU'RE A RICH MAN (single) is released (Capitol Records)
  • HELLO I AM THE WALRUS

    HELLO GOODBYE / I AM THE WALRUS (single) is released (Capitol Records)
  • LADY MADONNA

    LADY MADONNA / THE INNER LIGHT (single) is released (Capitol Records)
  • HEY JUDE

    HEY JUDE / REVOLUTION (single) is released (Apple Records) sells 6 million copies world-wide
  • JOHN LEAES THE BAND

    September 20
    John Lennon announces to the others that he is leaving the band Author Barry Miles in his book "The Beatles: A Diary" explains that as Paul attempted to discuss Beatle matters, John Lennon kept saying "No, no, no" to everything Paul suggested. Paul asked John what he meant by "no". John replied: "I mean the group is over. I’m leaving. Allen was saying don't tell. He didn't want me to tell Paul even. So I said 'It’s out.' I couldn’t stop it, it came out. Paul and Allen both said tha