It all started in Liverpool, England, back in the '40s, when John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr were born. Growing up in rough and tumble Liverpool, they meet as teenagers and soon formed a band, eventually to become the Beatles. They cut their teeth playing dank clubs and then dance halls. They even lived and played in Hamburg, Germany for a while. By the time they returned to Liverpool, they were ready to become stars. A sensation first in Liverpool, then England and Europe, by the time American showman Ed Sullivan discovered them and brought them to American, they were bound for international stardom. Initially thought to be just another teen sensation, by the end of their career as the Beatles in 1970, they carved their names in stone in the halls of rock and roll history. Indeed, history itself.

They toured world-wide to thousands of screaming fans from 1964-1966. By 1966, their music was already changing to become more psychedelic, a genre they helped invent, In 1967, they released landmark album Sgt. Pepper's, which cemented their ability to not only grow and change with the times, but to influence everything from music to fashion and pop culture. They continued to release cutting-edge records through the end of the '60s. However, in the end, they had grown apart. Growing tired of each other's company and having to share album space, by 1970, they parted ways in a swirl of legal red tape and management arguments. They all enjoyed lucrative careers as solo artists throughout the '70s and though today for Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr. Tragically, John Lennon was shot and killed by a deranged fan on December 8th, 1980. World-wide mourning ensued, ending a legacy that was just starting over. George Harrison also endured a brutal attack by a crazed fan, only to recover and die from cancer on November 29, 2001. In 2000, the remaining three Beatles got together and created the Beatles Anthology, a masterpiece consisting of a book and miniseries documenting their lives together. All text from this website comes from the Anthology, the definitive source.