This Day In History

February 9th 1964: The Beatles appear on the Ed Sullivan Show

On this day in 1964, the British band the Beatles made their first appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show in the USA. This performance, watched by a record 73 million (around 40% of the American population), began the ‘British Invasion’. They had arrived at New York’s John F. Kennedy airport to a crowd of around 3,000 and their hit ‘I Want to Hold Your Hand’ had risen to number 1 in the charts. At the show, they performed hits such as ‘All My Loving’ and ‘She Loves You’. The performance on the Ed Sullivan Show prompted the spread of ‘Beatlemania’ and began their record as one of the best selling and most popular bands of all time.