On the evening of February 9, 1964, America changed.
Four young musicians from Liverpool, England, were in in New York City to appear on Ed Sullivan's hugely popular CBS-TV show. More than 70 million viewers tuned in to see what all the fuss was about.
Then Ed Sullivan announced, "Here they are, the Beatles!"
These are challenging and depressing times, so I thought it might be good to mark the 45th anniversary of a much happier day.
The Beatles' appearance on Ed Sullivan in many important ways marked the dawn of the Sixties. They embodied the youth, optimism, humor and style of a new generation. They changed the culture in ways large and small, not just in America, but all over the world. Their influence is still being felt today.
But most importantly, they rocked.
Here's a clip from that Ed Sullivan show 45 years ago. Thanks John, Paul, George and Ringo.