Video: 'Ready Steady Go! - Volume 1'
(Friday, August 9, 1963) — Ready Steady Go!, one of the UK’s first rock/pop music television programs, debuted today on ITV. It would eventually feature artists such as The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Who and Jimi Hendrix.
Video: 'Very rare: 1963 Beatles home movie - Jersey, Channel Islands' (Aug. 8, 1963, at :20-1:13; the rest was shot Aug. 6-10, 1963)
(Thursday, August 8, 1963) — The Beatles were filmed today at Jersey Airport, boarding their chartered flight for Guernsey in the Channel Islands.
Video: 'August 5, 1963 - Nuclear Test Ban Treaty signed in Moscow, Russia'
(Monday, August 5, 1963; during the Cold War) — In Moscow, the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Soviet Union today signed the first nuclear test ban treaty. The ceremony took place at the Kremlin with U.S. Secretary of State Dean Rusk, British Foreign Secretary Alec Douglas-Home, and Soviet Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko signing on behalf of their respective natiions.
(Saturday, August 3, 1963) — The Beatles debuted on the American pop charts today when “From Me To You” appeared at #125 on Billboard‘s Bubbling Under the Hot 100 chart. The track would peak at #116 on Aug. 10, then fall out of the chart after only a total of three weeks.
The Beatles would not chart again in the U.S. until Jan. 18, 1964; “From Me To You” would be re-leased on Jan. 30, 1964 as the B-side to “Please Please Me” and returned to the chart on Feb. 22, 1964.
Video: 'Hyannis Port, August 1963: 2-5'
(Friday, August 2, 1963, late afternoon) — In a scene captured on film and widely shown in future years, a military helicopter carrying U.S. President John F. Kennedy landed today on the lawn of the Kennedy house at Hyannis Port. Waiting for him are his children and Jackie, obviously pregnant with the couple’s third child and in a simple pink summer dress.
(Sunday Wednesday, July 31, 1963, 8:34 p.m.) — A fictional BJ (Billy Joel) and the Affordables performed “Tell Her About It” tonight on The Ed Sullivan Show. Although the 1983 promotional video indicates July 31, 1963, fell on a Sunday (the real ‘Sullivan’ show having aired on Sundays at 8 p.m. on CBS), July 31, 1963, actually fell on a Wednesday. Also on that date, Joel was in reality a 14 year old living in Hicksville, New York.
Video: 'JOHN F. KENNEDY TAPES: Angry at Furniture Purchase'
(Thursday, July 25, 1963) — On the same day the United States, the Soviet Union and Britain initialed a treaty in Moscow prohibiting the testing of nuclear weapons in the atmosphere, in space or underwater, an annoyed President John F. Kennedy discussed a with Arthur Sylvester and Gen. Godfrey McHugh a news report on the military purchase of an excessively expensive bed for the then-pregnant First Lady Jackie Kennedy. Continue reading Annoyed President Kennedy discusses excessively expensive bed for pregnant Mrs. Kennedy 50 years ago today (1963)
Video: 'A Future President Meets JFK'
(Wednesday, July 24, 1963) — Future U.S. President Bill Clinton, 16, of Hot Springs, Arkansas, shook hands today with President John F. Kennedy during a Boys Nation reception at the White House.
Video: 'Our Car Club by the Beach Boys'
(Tuesday, July 16, 1963) — The Beach Boys recorded (or completed recording) nine songs today at Western Recorders Studio in Hollywood for their third studio album Surfer Girl, including “Our Car Club,” “The Rocking Surfer,” “South Bay Surfer (The Old Folks at Home),” “Surfer’s Rule,” “Your Summer Dream,” “Boogie Woodie,” “Catch a Wave,” “Hawaii,” and “In My Room.” Continue reading The Beach Boys complete nine songs for ‘Surfer Girl’ album 50 years ago today (1963)
Video: 'Blood Feast (1963) - Full Movie'
(Friday, July 6, 1963) — Blood Feast, the cult horror film about a psychopathic food caterer who kills people so that he can include their body parts in his meals and perform sacrifices to his “Egyptian goddess” Ishtar, had its world premiere at a drive-in theater in Peoria, Illinois. Continue reading ‘Blood Feast’ premieres at Peoria drive-in theater 50 years ago today (1963)
