Event · 1964-02-09 · New York City [40.71, -74.01]

The Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show

On 9 February 1964, the Beatles made their first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, broadcast from New York to a record television audience. The performance ignited American Beatlemania and is widely regarded as the launching point of the British Invasion. In a single night, the Liverpool sound seized the largest stage in American popular culture.

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  • influenced by I Want to Hold Your Hand (song)

  • influences The British Invasion

    The Beatles' 9 February 1964 appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, watched by a record American audience, is widely regarded as the spark of the British Invasion. The broadcast opened the door through which a wave of Liverpool and British beat groups poured into the United States.