On February 7th, 1964, a pivotal moment in music history unfolded as the British band The Beatles (John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr) landed at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), marking their first arrival in the United States. This event ignited Beatlemania on American soil and forever changed popular culture.

The Fab Four boarded Pan Am Flight 101 (the Yankee Clipper) from London Heathrow earlier that morning, accompanied by manager Brian Epstein, roadies and a contingent of journalists. The plane touched down at JFK around 1:20 p.m. local time. What awaited them was unprecedented hysteria: thousands of screaming fans crowded the arrivals area, waving signs, banners and causing near-chaos. Police and barriers were needed to manage the crowd as the band stepped off the plane in their signature mod suits and mop-top haircuts.

The visit was short but explosive. Two days later, on February 9th, they made their legendary debut on The Ed Sullivan Show, performing to an estimated 73 million viewers (about 40% of the U.S. population at the time). The screams from the studio audience were so intense that the band’s playing was barely audible on TV. They followed with a concert at the Washington Coliseum (February 11th) and shows at Carnegie Hall (February 12th), before heading back to England on February 22nd.

What a day in history. The day that America truly met The Beatles!