Video: The Beatles Appeared on Ed Sullivan 45 Years Ago

Another day, another Beatles anniversary! Today marks 45 years since the Fab Four's first appearance on the Ed Sullivan show (they appeared three consecutive Sundays in February of 1964, to the tune of $10,000). According to Beatles News, this first performance was "considered a milestone in American pop culture and the beginning of the British Invasion in music. The broadcast drew an estimated 73 million viewers, at the time a record for an American television program."

Another Beatles website notes that "In preparation for their appearance, the CBS Television office on West-Fifty-Third Street in New York was overwhelmed by more than 50,000 requests for tickets to a studio that held 703." The legions of fans who couldn't get in tuned into the show at 8 p.m., at which time the site notes "criminal activity in most of the major cities and towns in America was put on hold, and getting a taxi or bus in New York was almost impossible, until their performance was over. Their set for the night included: "All My Loving", "'Till There Was You", "She Loves You", and "I Want To Hold Your Hand." For some late Beatles nostalgia, here's some nice video from their last public performance atop a roof in 1969.