The Beatles Made Serious History All Through The Years On This Day!

1963 - The Beatles

The Beatles arrived in Guernsey in The Channel Islands, where they played two shows at Candie Gardens. They arrived in a 12-seater plane after making the 30 mile trip from Jersey, (their equipment was sent over by ferry). The Beatles would receive the sum of £1000 (approx.$1,600) for the two shows.

1964 - Ringo Starr

The single by The Young World Singers called ‘Ringo For President’ was released in the US. Such was The Beatles drummer appeal that fans launched a “Ringo for President” campaign in the midst of the Johnson/Goldwater race. A well-organized contingent – most of whose members were below the voting age of 21 – banded together to enter the drummer as a third-party write-in candidate for Commander in Chief.

1966 - John Lennon

In response to John Lennon’s remark about The Beatles being bigger than Jesus, The South African Broadcasting Corporation banned all Beatles records. Also on this day The Beatles LP Revolver was released in the US, the bands seventh album featured: ‘Taxman’, ‘Eleanor Rigby’, ‘I’m Only Sleeping’, ‘Here, There and Everywhere’, ‘She Said She Said’, ‘And Your Bird Can Sing’ and ‘Tomorrow Never Knows’. It spent 77 weeks on the Billboard chart peaking at No.1.

1969 - The Beatles

The photo session for the cover of The Beatles Abbey Road album took place on the crossing outside Abbey Road studios. Photographer Iain McMillan, balanced on a step-ladder in the middle of the road took six shots of John, Ringo, Paul, and George walking across the zebra crossing while a policeman held up the traffic. The band then returned to the studio and recorded overdubs on ‘The End’, ‘I Want You (She’s So Heavy)’ and ‘Oh! Darling’.

1970 - Janis Joplin

Janis Joplin bought a headstone for the grave of her greatest influence Bessie Smith at the Mount Lawn Cemetery in Philadelphia. Blues singer Smith died in 1937 after being refused admission to a whites only hospital.

1981 - MTV

MTV broadcast its first stereo concert with REO Speedwagon who performed in Denver, Colorado, having just released the album Hi Infidelity and the hit singles, ‘Keep On Loving You,’ ‘Take It On the Run’ and ‘Don’t Let Him Go.’

1987 - U2

U2 scored their second US No.1 single from their Joshua Tree album with ‘I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For’. The song received two nominations for the 30th Grammy Awards in 1988, for Record of the Year and Song of the Year.

1992 - James Hetfield

A riot broke out during a Guns N’ Roses and Metallica gig at Montreal stadium when Metallica’s show was cut short after singer James Hetfield was injured by pyrotechnics. Guns N’ Roses took the stage but frontman Axl Rose claimed that his throat hurt, causing the band to leave the stage early. The cancellation led to a riot by the audience who overturned cars, smashed windows, looted local stores and set fires.

1996 - Kiss

Kiss appeared at the Riverfront Coliseum in Cincinnati, Ohio on their 192 date Alive World Tour. During this show a fan threw his fake leg on stage, which all the members signed and handed back to him.

2010 - John Lennon

John Lennon’s killer, Mark David Chapman, had his parole hearing delayed until early September so that officials could gather additional information. The 55-year-old Chapman became eligible for parole in 2000 after serving 20 years, but had been denied his freedom five times.

2016 - Led Zeppelin

The judge overseeing Led Zeppelin’s ‘Stairway To Heaven’ trial ruled against the band and their publishing company’s attempts to recoup nearly $800,000 in legal fees. While a federal jury determined that Led Zeppelin were not guilty of plagiarizing Spirit’s ‘Taurus’ in a copyright infringement trial, judge R. Gary Klausner ruled that, since the lawsuit itself was not frivolous and meritless, the estate of Spirit guitarist Randy (California) Wolfe and their attorney Francis Malofiy were not obligated to repay the defendants’ legal fees.

2019 - The Beatles

Thousands of Beatles fans made a pilgrimage to London’s Abbey Road 50 years after the group walked over its zebra crossing for the cover of the last album the band recorded. Transport for London said two bus routes were briefly diverted as queues to cross the road blocked access.