history of the Beatles, year by year

February 11:
Ringo Starr marries hairdresser Maureen Cox at Caxton Hall registry office. The couple spends a short honeymoon near Brighton.

February 15:
"Eight Days a Week/I Don't Want to Spoil the Party" single is released by Capitol Records and hits #1 on U.S. charts.

February 18:
Northern Songs Ltd. is listed on London's stock exchange.

February 25:
The Beatles, under the direction of Richard Lester, begin work on their second film "Help!" in the Bahamas.

March 22:
Capitol Records releases "The Early Beatles" LP.

April 19:
"Ticket to Ride/Yes it Is" single is released by Capitol Records and hits #1 in the UK and U.S.

June 12:
John, Paul, George and Ringo are named MBEs (Members of the Order of the British Empire) on Queen Elizabeth's birthday honours list. (Some British war veterans return their awards in protest.)

June 14:
The LP "Beatles VI" is released by Capitol Records in the U.S., reaching #1 spot.

June 24:
John Lennon's second humorous book "A Spaniard in the Works", written mostly while on vacation in Tahiti, is published by Jonathan Cape Ltd.

July 19:
"Help!/I'm Down" single is released by Capitol Records and hits #1 in the UK and U.S.

August 13:
Capitol Records releases "Help!" LP.

August 15:
The NORTH AMERICAN 1965 BEATLES TOUR begins at Shea Stadium in New York. The band sets an all-time attendance record for an outdoor concert, when 56,000 fans show up.

August 17: Toronto
August 18: Atlanta
August 19: Houston
August 20: Chicago
August 21: Minneapolis
August 22: Portland
August 28: San Diego
August 29: Los Angeles
August 30: Los Angeles
August 31: San Francisco

August 23:
The motion picture "Help!" (final budget $1,250,000) is released by United Artists, along with the soundtrack album, produced by George Martin. (Goes to #1 in U.S. and UK).

August 27:
The Beatles meet Elvis Presley at his home for the first and only time. Elvis is said to have been somewhat "bewildered" by the group's music after listening to one of their records.

September 12:
CBS airs "The Ed Sullivan Show" taped August 14 in New York. The Beatles perform "I Feel Fine", "I'm Down", "Act Naturally", "Ticket to Ride", "Yesterday" and "Help!".

September 13:
The "Yesterday/Act Naturally" single is released by Capitol Records and quickly reaches #1.

September 25:
ABC Television premieres "The Beatles" cartoon series, with Paul Frees ("the man of a thousand voices") doing John and George and Lance Percival performing the voices of Paul and Ringo. (Each episode features two songs as "bouncing ball singalongs" and the show runs until 1969.)

October 11:
Capitol Records/Starline releases a series of 45s including "Love Me Do/P.S. I Love You", "Please Please Me/From Me to You", "Do You Want to Know a Secret/Thank You Girl", "Roll Over Beethoven/Misery" and "Boys/Kansas City".

October 26:
Queen Elizabeth officially presents the Beatles their MBE medals in ceremony at Buckingham Palace.

December 3:
The group releases their first double-A-side single "We Can Work It Out/Day Tripper" in the UK and it goes to #1.

December 6:
"We Can Work It Out/Day Tripper" single and "Rubber Soul" LP are released by Capitol Records in the U.S. and reach the top of the charts.

December 17:
"The Beatles Third Christmas Record" is issued.