February 21:
"Nowhere Man/What goes On" single is released by Capitol Records and hits #1 in the U.S.

March 4:
Journalist Maureen Cleave of the London Evening Standard and a friend of the Beatles, asks John Lennon about his thoughts on God and the Church and John comes up with: "Christianity will go. It will vanish and shrink. I needn't argue about that; I'm right and I will be proved right. We're more popular than Jesus now; I don't know which will go first - rock'n'roll or Christianity. Jesus was alright, but his disciples were thick and ordinary. It's them twisting it that ruins it for me."
World reaction is swift. Radio stations in the Netherlands and in Spain ban the playing of Beatle records. So does the South African Broadcasting Corporation, stating that "The Beatles' arrogance has passed the ultimate limit of decency. It is clowning no longer." Even the Vatican issues an opinion, but allows that Lennon's remarks were made "off-handedly and not impiously".

April 6:
The band records "Revolver" at Abbey Road studios.

May 23:
"Paperback Writer/Rain" single and "Yesterday And Today" LP are released by Capitol Records in the U.S.

June 1:
Paperback Writer/Rain single is released in UK and goes to #1 in the U.S. and UK.

June 6:
The "Ed Sullivan Show" telecasts a promotional film for "Paperback Writer" and "Rain" which Sullivan introduced with "The boys can't be here now, so they've sent us this clip". (George would later call the clip and a few others they did "the forerunners of videos" and joked "I suppose in a way we invented MTV".)

June 14:
Capitol Records USA decides to pull the "Yesterday and Today" album, the cover of which shows the Beatles dressed up in white butcher smocks, among pieces of raw meat and body parts of decapitated baby dolls. Alan W. Livingston, Capitol USA president, releases the following statement: "The original cover, created in England, was intended as 'pop art' satire. However, a sampling of public opinion in the United States indicates that the cover design is subject to misinterpretation. For this reason, and to avoid any possible controversy or undeserved harm to the Beatles' image or reputation, Capitol has chosen to withdraw the LP and substitute a more generally acceptable design." (For the complete text of the original letter, click here.)

June 23:
The Beatles begin their last world tour with a show in Germany.

July 1:
John's "Jesus" comments appear in the American tee-magazine "Datebook" and public reaction is extreme, especially in the Southern "Bible Belt". The media and even the Ku Klux Klan (!) denounce Lennon's "Anti Christ" statements and the Beatles receive hate mail and even death threats.

July 3:
The band arrives in Manila, Philippines.

July 4:
The Beatles perform at the Manila's National Football Stadium, with 50,000 fans in attendance. Later, because the President of Manila is miffed because the Beatles did not show up for his children's party, the band gets kicked and punched as they leave Manila and Epstein is forced to give back all the concert money.

August 8:
Capitol Records releases "Yellow Submarine/Eleanor Rigby" single.

August 12:
At a Chicago press conference, John Lennon apologies repeatedly for his statements about the Beatles being more popular than Jesus.

August 12: Chicago August 13: Detroit August 14: Cleveland August 15: Washington August 16: Philadelphia August 17: Toronto August 18: Boston August 19: Memphis August 20: Cincinnati August 21: St. Louis August 23: New York August 25: Seattle August 28: Los Angeles August 29: San Francisco

~

August 15:
"This is Where it Started" LP is released by Metro Records.

August 28:
"Revolver" LP is released worldwide and hits the top of the charts. The "Yellow Submarine/Eleanor Rigby" single (released earlier in the month in the UK and U.S.) also makes #1.

August 29:
The Beatles give their last concert ever, at Candlestick Park in San Fransisco.

(When a firecracker goes off during the performance, the boys think they are being fired upon.)

September 20:
John Lennon arrives in Spain to begin work as Corporal Gripeweed in the movie "How I Won the War", directed by Richard Lester.
George Harrison meanwhile, takes up sitar studies with Ravi Shankar in India.

October 17:
"The Amazing Beatles" LP is released by Clarion Records.

November 1:
Rumors begin to circulate that "Paul Is Dead", killed in a car crash.

November 6:
At the Indica Gallery in London, organizer John Dunbar introduces John Lennon to New York-Japanese artist Yoko Ono, whose art is being exhibited. John, who shows up stoned, unshaven and a day early for the opening, thinks the "art" is a put-on, but he and Yoko hit it off at first sight.

November 24:
The Beatles begin recording work on "Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band".

December:
"A Collection of Beatles Oldies" LP is released in the UK and makes #4.

December 13:
An interview by "LOOK" magazine European Editor Leonard Gross is published, wherein John Lennon, interviewed during the filming of "How I Won The War", tries to explain what he really meant by saying the Beatles were more popular than Jesus:
"I believe Jesus was right, Buddha was right, and all of those people like that are right. They're all saying the same thing - and I believe it. I believe what Jesus actually said - the basic things he laid down about love and goodness - and not what people say he said....If Jesus being more popular means...more control, I don't want that. I'd sooner they'd all follow us even if it's just to dance and sing for the rest of their lives. If they took more interest in what Jesus - or any of them - said, if they did that, we'd all be there with them."

December 16:
"The Beatles fourth Christmas Record - Pantomime: Everywhere it's Christmas" is distributed to fan club members.

~
9th Annual GRAMMY AWARDS - 1966
Song of the Year:
"Michelle"
Artists, The Beatles

Best Contemporary Pop Vocal Performance:
Paul McCartney - "Eleanor Rigby"

Best Album Cover Design:
"Revolver" by Klaus Voorman