- Jan 9 Beatles '65 album goes #1 & stays #1 for 9 weeks
- Jan 15 Brunswick Records releases the single "I Can't Explain" by British rockers "The Who" in the UK, their 1st after changing their band name
- Jan 16 "Oh What a Lovely War" closes at Broadhurst NYC after 125 performances
- Jan 16 The Searchers' "Love Potion Number 9" peaks at #3
- Jan 23 Musical variety program "King Family Show", featuring big band vocal group The King Sisters, premieres on ABC TV
- Jan 28 "The Who" make their 1st appearance on British television programme "Ready Steady Go!"
- Jan 30 "The Name Game" by Shirley Ellis hits #3
- Feb 6 Righteous Brothers "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" hits #1
Music History
Feb 7 George Harrison's tonsils removed
Stop In the Name of Love
Feb 8 Motown Records release The Supremes' single "Stop In the Name of Love"
Music History
Feb 15 John Lennon passes his driving test
- Feb 16 "Baker Street" opens at Broadway Theater NYC for 313 performances
Music History
Feb 18 Betty Comden & Adolph Green and Jule Styne's musical "Fade Out-Fade In", featuring Carol Burnett, Dick Shawn (replacing Jack Cassidy), and Tina Louise, returns from lay-off at Mark Hellinger Theater, NYC
- Feb 20 Beatles record "That Means A Lot"; unhappy with the results, it was given to P.J. Proby to record, the Beatles version was unreleased until 1996 on "Anthology 2"
- Feb 22 Rodgers & Hammerstein's television musical "Cinderella", starring Lesley Ann Warren and Stuart Damon, with Pat Carroll and Celeste Holm, premieres on CBS-TV
- Feb 24 Beatles begin filming "Help" in Bahamas
High Spirits
Feb 27 Hugh Martin and Timothy Gray's musical "High Spirits", based on Noel Coward's "Blithe Spirit", closes at Alvin Theater, NYC, after 375 performances
The Sound of Music
Mar 2 One of the most popular musical films of all time, "The Sound of Music", starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer, premieres (Academy Awards Best Picture - 1966)
Music Premiere
Mar 5 1st performance of Walter Piston's 8th Symphony (his last), by the Boston Symphony, conducted by Erich Leinsdorf
How to Succeed...
Mar 6 Frank Loesser's musical "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying", starring Robert Morse and Rudy Vallée, closes at 46th Street Theatre, NYC, after 1415 performances, 7 Tony Awards, and a Pulitzer Prize
My Girl Hits #1
Mar 6 The Temptations' single "My Girl" reaches #1 on the Billboard Pop Chart; written and produced by the Miracles members Smokey Robinson and Ronald White
Music History
Mar 13 British guitarist Eric Clapton quits the Yardbirds due to the band moving away from traditional blues; Jeff Beck becomes his replacement
- Mar 17 Beatles announce their second film is titled "8 Arms to Hold You" ; later changed to "Help!"
- Mar 18 "Do I Hear a Waltz?" opens at 46th St Theater NYC for 220 performances
- Mar 18 Rolling Stones fined £5 each for public urination
- Mar 20 10th Eurovision Song Contest: France Gall of Luxembourg wins singing "Poupee de cire, poupee de son" written by Serge Gainsbourg in Naples
Academy Awards
Apr 5 37th Academy Awards: "My Fair Lady", Rex Harrison (My Fair Lady) & Julie Andrews (Mary Poppins) win
The Amen Corner
Apr 15 James Baldwin's 1954 stage drama "The Amen Corner" opens at Ethel Barrymore Theater, NYC; runs for 84 performances
Whipped Cream & Other Delights
Apr 19 "Whipped Cream & Other Delights", fourth full album by Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass Band, is released
- Apr 23 "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)" single released by the Four Tops (Billboard Song of the Year 1965)
- Apr 24 "Comedy in Music-Opus 2" closes at John Golden NYC after 192 performances
- Apr 25 David Heneker's musical "Half a Sixpence", starring Tommy Steels, and based on H.G. Well's 1905 novel "Kipps", opens at Broadhurst Theater, NYC; runs for 511 performances
Music Premiere
Apr 26 Charles Ives' 4th Symphony premieres at Carnegie Hall, New York, 11 years after the composer's death
My Name is Barbra
Apr 28 "My Name is Barbra", Barbra Streisand's first television special, premieres on CBS
Music Concert
Apr 28 Luciano Pavarotti makes his debut at La Scala, Milan in Franco Zeffirelli's production of "La bohème" with Mirella Freni
Music History
Apr 29 Canadian folk singer-songwriter Joni Anderson (soon to be known as Joni Mitchell) meets American folk singer and future husband Chuck Mitchell at a gig in Toronto, Ontario
Flora, the Red Menace
May 11 John Kander and Fred Ebb's musical "Flora, the Red Menace", Their first collaboration stars Liza Minnelli (19) in her Broadway debut, opens at Alvin Theater, NYC; runs for 87 performances and earns Liza a Tony Award
Music History
May 12 The Rolling Stones record their smash hit single "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction"
- May 16 "Roar of the Greasepaint" opens at Shubert Theater NYC for 232 performances
- May 22 "Super-cali-fragil-istic-expi-ali-docious", from the film "Mary Poppin" hits #66
- May 22 Beatles' "Ticket to Ride" single goes #1
- May 25 Dave Davies of The Kinks knocked unconscious in an on stage scuffle with drummer Mick Avory at Cardiff’s Capital Theatre
- Jun 5 "Wooly Bully" by Sam the Sham & Pharaohs hits #2
- Jun 6 The Rolling Stones release music single "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction"
- Jun 12 "Bajour" closes at Shubert Theater NYC after 232 performances
- Jun 12 "I Had a BaIl" closes at Martin Beck Theater NYC after 199 performances
- Jun 12 "What Makes Sammy Run?" closes at 84th St Theater NYC after 540 performances
- Jun 12 Queen Elizabeth's Birthday Honours List names The Beatles as MBEs (Members of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire); dozens of past winners return medals in protest
- Jun 13 19th Tony Awards: "The Subject Was Roses" (play) & "Fiddler on the Roof" (musical) win
- Jun 14 Beatles release album "Beatles VI"
- Jun 14 John Lennon's second book "A Spaniard in the Works" is published
- Jun 17 British rock band The Kinks arrive in NYC beginning their 1st US tour
- Jun 26 James Baldwin's 1954 stage drama "The Amen Corner" closes at Ethel Barrymore Theater, NYC, after 84 performances
Music History
Jul 5 Greek-American soprano Maria Callas makes her final opera stage appearance in the title role of Giacomo Puccini's "Tosca" at Convent Garden, London, England
- Jul 6 Psychedelic rock band "Jefferson Airplane" forms in San Francisco, California
Respect
Jul 7 Otis Redding records the song "Respect" at Stax Studios in Memphis, Tennessee; it later becomes a signature piece for Aretha Franklin
- Jul 10 Beatles' "VI" album goes #1 & stays #1 for 6 weeks
- Jul 10 Rolling Stones score their 1st US #1 single "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction"
Music History
Jul 15 Leonard Bernstein premieres his "Chichester Psalms" for chorus and orchestra at Philharmonic Hall, NYC
- Jul 20 Columbia records release Bob Dylan single "Like a Rolling Stone" [1]
- Jul 23 The Beatles' single "Help" is released in the UK
- Jul 24 John Kander and Fred Ebb's musical "Flora, the Red Menace", Their first collaboration stars Liza Minnelli (19) in her Broadway debut, closes at Alvin Theater, NYC, after 87 performances and a Tony Award for Liza
- Jul 24 Rock group "The Animals" 1st time in British charts
- Jul 25 Bob Dylan is booed by sections of the crowd at the Newport Folk Festival for performing with an electric guitar, beginning of folk-rock
- Jul 29 Beatles movie "Help" has Royal World Premiere at the London Pavilion Theatre in the West End of London; of Princess Margaret and the Earl of Snowdon attend
- Jul 30 Charles Ives' "From the Steeples & the Mountains" premieres
Music History
Jul 30 Duke Ellington's "Golden Brown & the Green Apple" premieres
The Beatles on Ed Sullivan
Aug 14 Beatles tape an appearance for "The Ed Sullivan Show"
Music History
Aug 15 Beatles play to their largest crowd of over 55,000 at Shea Stadium, New York City; among those in attending were future wives Barbara Bach and Linda Eastman [1] [2]
- Aug 20 Rolling Stones release their single "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" (their 1st #1 US hit) in the UK
- Aug 27 The Beatles spend an evening with Elvis Presley, at his Los Angeles, California home
- Aug 28 Bob Dylan booed for playing electric guitar In concert at Forest Hills Tennis Stadium in Queens, New York City
- Sep 3 Rolling Stone concert at the Adelphi Theater in Dublin, Ireland halts after 12 minutes due to riot
- Sep 4 Rock group The Who's van is vandalized with $10,000 worth of equipment stolen; group was inside the Battersea Dogs Home, buying a guard dog at the time
- Sep 4 The Beatles' single "Help!" goes #1 & stays #1 for 3 weeks
Hey, Hey – We're The Monkees
Sep 8 Small ads in Daily Variety and Hollywood Reporter attract 437 young men interested in forming the world’s first manufactured boy band, "The Monkees" - 3 are chosen with British actor-singer Davy Jones already having been cast
- Sep 11 Beatles' "Help!" album goes #1 & stays #1 for 9 weeks
Yesterday
Sep 13 Beatles release single "Yesterday" - just Paul, with a strings arranged by George Martin
- Sep 13 Beatles win their 1st Grammy, for Best Group of 1964
- Sep 15 Volt/Stax records releases Otis Redding's third studio album "Otis Blue - Otis Redding Sings Soul" in the US, Atlantic releases it in the UK; frequently ranked on top album lists
David Bowie's Name Change
Sep 16 British singer Davie Jones changes his stage name to "David Bowie" to avoid confusion with the Monkee of the same name
Get Smart
Sep 18 Mel Brooks and Buck Henry's spy spoof sitcom "Get Smart" starring Don Adams, Barbara Feldon, and Edward Platt, debuts on NBC-TV
- Sep 25 "Do I Hear a Waltz?" closes at 46th St Theater NYC after 220 performances
- Sep 25 Beatle cartoon show begins in US
Pickwick
Oct 4 Cyril Ornadel and Leslie Bricusse's musical "Pickwick", based on Charles Dickens' novel "The Pickwick Papers', featuring Harry Secombe and Charlotte Rae, opens at 46th St Theater, NYC; runs for 56 performances
- Oct 6 The Supremes release single "I Hear a Symphony"
- Oct 9 Beatles' "Yesterday" single goes #1 & stays #1 for 4 weeks
- Oct 10 "Drat! - The Cat!" opens at Martin Beck Theater NYC for 8 performances
- Oct 10 The Supremes appear on the "The Ed Sullivan Show"
- Oct 16 "Drat! - The Cat!" closes at Martin Beck Theater NYC after 8 performances
On A Clear Day You Can See Forever
Oct 17 Burton Lane and Alan Jay Lerner's musical "On A Clear Day You Can See Forever", starring Barbara Harris and John Cullum, opens at he Mark Hellinger Theatre, NYC; runs for 280 performances
- Oct 20 Beatles receive a gold record for the single "Yesterday"
Music History
Oct 24 Benjamin Britten's "Voices for Today" premieres
- Oct 25 The Rolling Stones release music single "Get Off of My Cloud"
- Oct 26 Queen Elizabeth decorates The Beatles with medals making them members Order of the British Empire (MBE) at Buckingham Palace
- Nov 1 Promoter Bill Graham books his 1st concert at Fillmore Auditorium, San Francisco, a benefit for political satirists 'The San Francisco Mime Troupe"
- Nov 13 "Skyscraper" opens at Lunt Fontanne Theater NYC for 248 performances
- Nov 14 Marian Grudeff and Raymond Jessel's musical "Baker Street", loosely based on Sherlock Holmes' tales, closes at the Martin Beck Theater, NYC, after 313 performances
- Nov 20 Cyril Ornadel and Leslie Bricusse's musical "Pickwick", based on Charles Dickens' novel "The Pickwick Papers', featuring Harry Secombe and Charlotte Rae, closes at 46th St Theater, NYC, after 56 performances
- Nov 22 Mitch Leigh, and Joe Darion's musical "Man of La Mancha", starring Richard Kiley opens at ANTA Washington Square Theater, NYC; runs for 2329 performances, wins 5 Tony Awards
- Nov 23 The Beatles film promotional video clips for 5 of their songs at Twickenham Film Studios to provide to television outlets (in lieu of live appearances)
- Nov 29 "Anya" opens at Ziegfeld Theater NYC for 16 performances
- Dec 3 "Rubber Soul", the sixth studio album by the Beatles, is released in the United Kingdom
- Dec 3 The Beatles begin final UK concert tour in Glasgow, Scotland
- Dec 4 "Roar of the Greasepaint" closes at Shubert NYC after 232 performances
- Dec 5 Brunswick Records releases "My Generation", the debut album of British rock group The Who, in the UK and Australia
- Dec 6 2 trucks crash into a crowd of dancers in Sotouboua Togo, kills 125
- Dec 10 Michael Leonard and Herbert Martin's musical "The Yearling" opens at Alvin Theater, NYC; runs for 3 performances
- Dec 11 "Anya" closes at Ziegfeld Theater NYC after 16 performances
- Dec 11 Michael Leonard and Herbert Martin's musical "The Yearling" closes at Alvin Theater, NYC, after 3 performances
- Dec 12 The Beatles' last concert in Great Britain at Capitol Theatre in Cardiff, Wales
- Dec 14 "La Grusse Valise" opens at 54th St Theater NYC for 7 performances
- Dec 15 David Heneker and John Taylor's musical "Charlie Girl" opens at the Adelphi Theatre, London; runs for 2,202 performances
Music Concert
Dec 17 1st concert event at Houston Astrodome: Judy Garland headlines, with The Supremes as opening act
- Dec 18 "La Grusse Valise" closes at 54th St Theater NYC after 7 performances
Radio History
Dec 26 Paul McCartney is interviewed on pirate radio station Radio Caroline
- Dec 29 The Supremes release single "My World is Empty Without You"
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