1966: John Lennon departs England for Germany, where he will begin filming his only non-Beatle related movie role, as Pvt. Gripweed in How I Won the War.

While this Richard Lester-directed comedy about World War I has been largely forgotten now, Lennon loved the old fashioned glasses worn by his character. He continues to wear them and touches off a fashion craze for wire-framed glasses that has never really gone away.

1952: At a birthday party for her cousin, Bubba, eight-year old singing sensation Gladys Knight forms a back-up group consisting of Bubba and two other cousins. They name themselves The Pips after another cousin (and their manager), James “Pip” Woods.

1970: The very first of the phenomenon known as “bootleg” records, a set of outtakes from Bob Dylan, called The Great White Wonder, reaches a sales peak of 350,000 copies.

While most well-known bands from The Beatles to Led Zeppelin will have bootlegs of their material released through the years, it is the concert performances of The Grateful Dead and Bruce Springsteen that will provide the highest number of bootlegs.

1970: A little known British band runs an ad in the UK’s Melody Maker seeking a drummer. The band calls itself Genesis. And the young 19-year old who shows up and passes the audition is a kid named Phil Collins.

1967: The Steve Miller Blues Band hires one of Steve’s childhood friends to play guitar in the group. The young guitarist’s name is Boz Scaggs. That's him first from the left in the photo.

1958: Ricky Nelson makes his live debut as a rock ‘n’ roll performer, appearing at Atlantic’s City’s legendary Steel Pier for two shows. He does all right, selling 44,000 tickets.

1963: After six years as a daily show, American Bandstand broadcasts its last weekday show.

ABC moves the show to Saturdays where it will remain a once a week feature on the network until 1987,

An important day in Beatles history…

1959: Down to just two members (John Lennon & Paul McCartney), the Quarrymen are asked to be a last minute replacement for the Les Stewart Quartet (who have broken up) at Liverpool’s Casbah Club.

One member of the Les Stewart Quartet agrees to sit in with Lennon & McCartney on the date. He is also a friend of Paul’s and goes by the name of George Harrison. The group still lacks a drummer.

1966: Seven years later to the day, the Beatles play their final live gig before a paying audience as they complete their second American tour with a show at San Francisco’s Candlestick Park. The last song they play is “Long Tall Sally.”

1965: Decca Records signs a new deal with The Rolling Stones. On the very same day, the band signs a management agreement with the eventually notorious Allen Klein.

1965: On their second tour of America, The Beatles pay a call on the Los Angeles mansion of Elvis Presley. The rock legends engage in some awkward small talk, play a little pool, hold of brief, informal jam session, and then the Fab Four heads back to their hotel.

Unfortunately, no one thought to take any pictures of the event.