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John Lennon forms The Quarrymen
Lennon and friends from Quarry Bank High School form a band known as The Quarrymen in summer of 1956 -
George Harrison joins The Quarrymen
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Paul McCartney joins The Quarrymen
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Band name is changed to The Beatles
Lineup is John Lennon, George Harrison, Pete Best, Paul McCartney, and Stuart Sutcliffe. Stuart Sutcliffe eventually leaves the band in late 1961 to continue painting. -
Brian Epstien becomes manager
Brian visits The Beatles at The Cavern Club in November. It's decided that he will become The Beatles manager in December 1961. -
Recording contract and first single
After a meeting with George Martin a recording contract was initiated for Parlophone Records in the U.K. with George Martin producing their albums. Pete Best leaves the band on August 18 and Ringo Starr becomes drummer on August 18. Love Me Do is recorded and released as a single in the U.K.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAmKNDX3GRU -
Release of Please Please Me/With The Beatles and start of Beatlemania
The albums Please Please Me and With The Beatles are released in the U.K. in 1963 and are both a success the latter being a sucessor. It is released in the U.S. as Introducing The Beatles but isn't a success. Popularity spreads from the U.K. and throughout Europe which is known as the begining of Beatlemania. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-_hRHRtN8Q -
A Hard Day's Night/Beatles For Sale are released and First U.S. Tour
The first U.S. tour begins in February 1964 where the debut on the Ed Sullivan show, the tour cotinues in the summer. In March filming of A Hard Days Night begins and is finished eight weeks later and released in the summer of 1964. The soundtrack to the film is released in July and Beatles For Sale is released in the U.K. in December. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-VAxGJdJeQ -
Help/Rubber Soul are released
Filming of Help! begins in February and is released in the summer. A short tour begins in mid August starting with SHea Stadium and ending with The Cow Palace on August 31. The soundtrack to Help! is released in August and Rubber Soul is released in December. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phWVka0ZOhM -
Revolver is released and the End of touring
Revolver is released in August. Also in the same month they perform what will be the last concert of their touring years at Candlestick Park on Aug. 29. There were technical limitations at the time and the impact of Beatlemania had grown since 1963.The Beatles took a three month break following the end of their 1966 tour. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o23577xlVJE -
Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band and Magical Myster Tour are released and Brian Epstein dies
Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band is released in June. In August The Beatles were visiting Maharishi Mahesh Yogi to study trancendental meditation when they learned that Brian Epstein had died from an accidental overdose. The Magical Mystery Tour sountrack is released in Novemeber in the U.S. and December in the U.K. while the film is released on December 26, 1967 in the U.K.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usNsCeOV4GM -
Travel to Rishikesh, India/Yellow Submarine/The Beatles (white album)
In February 1968 The Beatles travel to India in 1968 fto study trancendental meditation led by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. The animated Yellow Submarine was released in late 1968 . Two singles were released, Lady Madonna/The Inner Light (March 15, 1968) and Hey Jude/Revolution (August 26, 1968). The White Album was released on November 22, 1968, many of the songs were written in India. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjyQqK5Oge0 -
Yellow Submarine soundtrack and Abbey Road
Yellow Submarine is released on January 13. The songs which will make up the album Let It Be are also recorded this month with additional overdubs in 1970. On January 30 The Beatles perform what will be their last live performance to a public audience on the rooftop of what was the Apple Headquarters, 3 Saville Road, London, U.K.. Abbey Road is released in September, and Lennon also leaves the group but doesn't announce this publicly. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_4MVyW076k -
Let It Be and Departure
Let it Be is released on May 8 which is the only album in the Bealtes discography produced by Phil Spector as George Martin produced the rest of their albums. The Beatles had broken up in late 1969, although it wasn't publically known until April 1970. The Let It Be documentary by Michael Lidsey-Hogg premiered in London in May but hasn't ever seen an official release. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Ysb6XEWtvo
