Celebrations Planned For Anniversary Of Arrival To U.S.
Fifty years after The Beatles made their historic arrival at John F. Kennedy International Airport on Feb. 7, 1964, several events have been planned to commemorate the Fab Four’s arrival in the U.S.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey will unveil a historical marker inside the restored TWA flight center on Friday, Feb. 7.
After the unveiling, the Beatles tribute band Liverpool will entertain crowds with a live set sponsored by Radio Station Q104.3 FM.
On Feb. 9, director and screenwriter Celeste Balducci will host music, dancing and the world premiere of her film The Lovely Lilly, which is set in Jackson Heights the weekend after the Beatles landed.
When the Beatles arrived in the U.S., it signaled the start of “Beatlemania” and opened the doors for English pop music to enter the country and take hold.
The Beatles were well known on American shores before they visited.
When the group touched down in 1964, more than 4,000 fans greeted them of the tarmac of JFK.
The Fab Four played their first New York City concert on Feb. 12, 1964 at Manhattan’s Carnegie Hall.
During their second visit to New York, they performed at the West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills on Aug. 29, 1964 and the Paramount Theater on Sept. 20 of the same year.
Two years later, they went on to perform at Shea Stadium. Clips of the concert famously show screaming fans drowning out the Beatles’ 30- watt amplifiers, an event that would motivate the Beatles’ later decision to produce studio albums without supporting tours.
The anniversary celebration will be held at at 11:30 a.m., Feb. 7, at the TWA Flight Center adjacent to Terminal 5. RSVP to the Port Authority’s Media Relations Office is required-call 1-212-435-7777.
The Beatles Party and movie screening will be held at 6 p.m., Feb. 9, at the Elmhurst Hospital Center Auditorium at 79-01 Broadway.
