This landmark day in American culture saw some 73 million American households tune in to “The Ed Sullivan Show” to watch the Beatles for the first time.
The Fab Four played two sets, each to a wildly excited audience. First, they played “All my Lovin’,” “‘Till There Was You” (from “The Music Man”) and their hit at the time, “She Loves You.”
Later, they played “I Saw Her Standing There” and “I Wanna Hold your Hand.”
The acts in between didn’t have it so easy, what with all those excited Beatles fans in the audience. But, noted History.com, one act probably didn’t mind the exposure: A young Englishman who sang “I’d Do Anything,” as the Artful Dodger from the Broadway cast of “Oliver!”
That singer was Davy Jones, who would, History.com said, “less than three years later … star in a TV show of his own that owed a rather significant debt to the hysteria that began on this night in 1964: ‘The Monkees.’ ”
Actor Joe Pesci — “Goodfellas,” ”Home Alone,” “My Cousin Vinnie” — is 74. He also won an Academy Award nomination for his role in ”Raging Bull.”
Scottish actress Rose Leslie of “Game of Thrones” and ”Downton Abbey” is 30.
Actor Jimmy Bennett of ABC’s ”No Ordinary Family” is 21.
Actress Camille Winbush of “The Secret Life of the American Teenager” and “The Bernie Mac Show” is 27.
Actor David Gallagher of ”Seventh Heaven” is 32.
Actor Michael B. Jordan of 2015’s “Creed” and “The Wire” is 30.
Actress Rachel Melvin of 2014’s “Dumb and Dumber To” is 32.
English actor Tom Hiddleston of ”The Avengers” and ”Thor” is 36. He also portrayed F. Scott Fitzgerald in Woody Allen’s “Midnight in Paris.”
Russian actress Margarita Levieva of NBC’s “Allegiance” is 37.
Guitarist Richard On of O.A.R. is 38.
Actress Zhang Ziyi is 38. The Golden Globe-winning Chinese actress starred in ”Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” “Memoirs of a Geisha” and “Rush Hour 2.”
Actor A.J. Buckley of “CSI: NY” is 39.
Singer Chad Wolf of Carolina Liar is 41.
Actor Collin Egglesfield of Lifetime’s “The Client List” is 44.
Actor Charlie Day of “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” is 41.
Country singer Travis Tritt is 54.
English actor Charles Shaughnessy of ”The Nanny” is 62.
Irish actor Ciaran Hinds is 64. He appeared in ”Game of Thrones” and ”There will be Blood.”
Saxophonist Dennis DT Thomas of Kool and the Gang is 66.
Actress Judith Light of the ’80s sitcom ”Who’s the Boss” and later “Transparent” is 67.
Singer Joe Ely is 70.
Actress Mia Farrow — “Rosemary’s Baby,” “Hannah and Her Sisters,” “The Great Gatsby” — is 72.
Author Alice Walker, beloved for her Pulitzer Prize-winning “The Color Purple” and other novels, is 73.
Singer and songwriter Carole King is 75. And we will still love her tomorrow.
Singer Barbara Lewis is 74. Go here to hear her 1965 hit “Baby I’m Yours.”
The late singer, dancer and film star Carmen Miranda was born on this day in 1909. The “Brazilian Bombshell” who made us all want to wear fruit hats appeared in “Down Argentine Way” (1940) and “The Gang’s All Here” (1943), and died in 1955.
