The Beatles timeline

This timeline about The Beatles chronicles their activities from 1926 to 1970. This page will be worked on over time.

1926

 * January 3: George Martin is born in Highbury, London. He would be the Beatles' producer.

1934

 * September 19: Brian Samuel Epstein is born in Liverpool. He would be the Beatles' manager until his death in 1967.

1940

 * June 24: Stuart Sutcliffe is born in Edinburgh.
 * July 7: Richard Starkey (commonly known as Ringo Starr) is born in Liverpool.
 * October 9: John Winston Lennon is born in Liverpool.

1942

 * June 18: John Paul McCartney is born in Liverpool.

1943

 * February 25: George Harrison is born in Liverpool.

1954

 * September: Paul meets George on the bus on their way home from their school.

1957
Paul and George begin playing guitars together in the Harrison's front room. John starts a skiffle group, who eventually become the Quarrymen named after the school that most of its members attend.
 * July 6: Paul meets John at the Woolton Parish Church where the Quarrymen.
 * August 7: The Quarrymen play the Cavern for the first time.
 * October 18: Paul plays with the Quarrymen for the first time.

1958

 * January 24: Paul plays the Cavern, and a few weeks later, George joins.

1959

 * September: The Quarrymen being playing regularly at the Casbah club in Liverpool; shortly after they change their name to Johnny & the Moondogs.

1960

 * January: Stuart Sutcliffe joins Johnny & the Moondogs.
 * May: They become the Silver Beatles (sometimes The Silver Beetles or The Silver Beats) and later in the month, they back Johnny Gentle on his tour of Scotland.
 * August: Pete Best becomes the new drummer.
 * August 17: The band arrive in Hamburg, Germany, having dropped "silver" from their name, becoming The Beatles, and play the Indra.
 * October: Ringo is in Hamburg with Rory Storm and the Hurricanes and he, John, Paul, and George play on a recording session with Walter Eymond.
 * November: By this time The Beatles are playing The Kaiserkeller before George is deported from Germany for being underage; Paul and Pete follow a week later after lighting condoms on fire in a theater. John follows on but Stuart stays in Germany, which reduces the group to a foursome.

1961

 * January: The Beatles begin playing frequent gigs around the Liverpool area.
 * April 1: The Beatles having arrived back in Hamburg a few days earlier begin a residency at the Top Ten Club; sometimes Stuart Sutcliffe sits in with the band.
 * June 22: The Beatles back Tony Sheridan on My Bonnie and The Saints which would become a single, as well as two other songs. The Beatles also record two songs by themselves: Ain't She Sweet and John and George's composition, Cry For A Shadow.
 * July 3: The Beatles arrive back in Liverpool and two weeks later start playing local gigs at the Cavern.
 * November 9: Brian Epstein visits the Cavern for the first time and sees the Beatles perform.
 * December 3: The Beatles have their first meeting with Brian about him becoming their manager; close to two weeks later they sign a deal.

1962

 * January 1: The Beatles audition for Decca.
 * January 3: Their first show of the year at the Cavern.
 * January 4: Voted Liverpool's top group in Mersey Beat Poll. Gerry & The Pacemakers voted second.
 * January 5: My Bonnie single is released on Polydor. It's billed as Tony Sheridan and the Beatles.
 * January 24: The Beatles sign their management contract with Brian Epstein at NEMS. Epstein gets 25% of their earnings, a good deal more than most managers.
 * February 8: The Beatles Decca audition tapes are made into acetates at HMV's shop in London's Oxford Street. It leads to the Beatles meeting with EMI's publishing company head, Sic Coleman, who encourages Epstein to meet with George Martin.
 * April 10: Stuart Sutcliffe dies of a brain hemorrhage. He was 21.
 * May 9: Epstein meets Martin at Abbey Road Studios, and immediately sends a telegram to the Beatles in Hamburg confirming that they have been accepted.
 * June 2: The Beatles return to England at the conclusion of their Hamburg contract.
 * June 4: The Beatles sign with EMI's Parlophone record label, with Martin as their producer.
 * August 14: Epstein asks Starr to join the Beatles permanently.
 * August 16: Epstein tells Best to leave the band.
 * August 18: Ringo Starr officially joins the Beatles.
 * August 23: John Lennon marries Cynthia Lennon in Liverpool.
 * September 4: The Beatles' first recording session at Abbey Road Studios. They record "Love Me Do" and a demo of "How Do You Do It?."
 * October 1: The Beatles sign a new contract with Epstein.
 * October 5: Love Me Do/P.S. I Love You is released.
 * October 26: Love Me Do enters the British charts.
 * November 26: The Beatles record their second single, Please Please Me.
 * December 17: Epstein takes producer Martin to watch one of the Beatles' regular shows at the Cavern Club.

1963

 * January 11: Please Please Me and Ask Me Why are released as a single.
 * February 11: The Beatles have a 12-hour studio audition for their new album. The whole album is recorded on this day.
 * March 22: The Beatles' first album, Please Please Me (album), is released.
 * April 8: Julian Lennon is born in Liverpool to Cynthia and John Lennon.
 * April 11: From Me to You and Thank You Girl are released as a single in the UK.
 * May 27: From Me to You and Thank You Girl are released as a single in the US.
 * August 23: She Loves You and I'll Get You are released as a single in the UK.
 * September 16: She Loves You and I'll Get You are released as a single in the US.
 * November 22: The Beatles' second UK album, With The Beatles, is released.
 * November 29: I Want to Hold Your Hand and This Boy are released as a single in the UK.
 * December 26: I Want to Hold Your Hand and This Boy are released as a single in the UK.