61 years ago today, four young musicians from Liverpool stepped off a plane in New York, igniting a cultural revolution that would be remembered as ‘Beatlemania.’
On February 7, 1964, the Beatles arrived in the United States, where they were greeted by 3,000 ecstatic fans at John F. Kennedy International Airport. It was a historic moment—the start of the British Invasion and a transformation of the global music industry.
The Beatles Take Over America
Their arrival came just six days after their song “I Want to Hold Your Hand” hit No. 1 on the U.S. charts. Over the next 15 days, the band performed on The Ed Sullivan Show, played concerts at Carnegie Hall and the Washington Coliseum, and sent record sales soaring.
By April 1964, they held all five top spots on the Billboard Hot 100, a feat unmatched in music history. Their first North American tour saw them perform 32 shows in 24 cities in just over a month, earning the equivalent of $7.5 million in today’s money.
The world was hooked—and Beatlemania had begun.
Switzerland Grants Women the Right to Vote
While the world was dancing to the Beatles, another historic change was happening. On February 7, 1971, after decades of campaigning, Switzerland finally granted women the right to vote and stand for election.
It came 53 years after Germany, 52 years after Austria, and 27 years after France. A previous vote in 1959 had failed, but growing pressure from women’s groups led to a second referendum—and this time, the result was different.
By the end of 1971, Switzerland’s first female parliamentarians took their seats, marking a major step forward for gender equality.
The Birth of the European Union
On February 7, 1992, European leaders signed the Maastricht Treaty, laying the foundation for the European Union (EU).
The treaty introduced a shared economic and foreign policy and set the stage for the creation of the euro, which became the official currency of many EU nations.
On November 1, 1993, the EU officially came into existence, initially including 12 countries, with more joining in the years that followed. However, in 2016, the UK voted to leave the EU, in what became known as Brexit.
Other Historic Events on This Day
- 1904: The Great Baltimore Fire destroyed more than 1,500 buildings, making it one of the worst fires in U.S. history.
- 1984: NASA astronauts conducted the first untethered spacewalk.
- 1991: Haiti’s first democratically elected president, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, was sworn in.
- 2013: Mississippi officially certified its ratification of the 13th Amendment, becoming the last U.S. state to formally abolish slavery.
- 2021: The Weeknd became the first Canadian solo artist to headline the Super Bowl halftime show.
History is made every day. What will today’s moment be?
