How Beatlemania Conquered the World in 1964

If there was one particular year in which the Beatles‘ global impact could no longer be denied, it may have been 1964.

It was during this year that the Fab Four accomplished a plethora of feats that took them from darlings of Liverpool to international superstars. In February, they made their first pilgrimage to America, where they were greeted by hoards of adoring fans. With their appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, the deal was sealed — the world was positively obsessed with the band and Beatlemania entered full swing.

“We didn’t think we were going to make it at all. It was only Brian telling us we were gonna make it. Brian Epstein our manager, and George Harrison,” John Lennon told Playboy in a group interview the band did with the magazine in October of that year. “The thing is, in America it just seemed ridiculous. … I mean, the idea of having a hit record over there. It was just, you know, something you could never do. That’s what I thought anyhow. But then I realized that it’s just the same as here, that kids everywhere all go for the same stuff.”

READ MORE: Underrated Beatles: The Most Overlooked Song From Each Album

And that was really just the beginning. During the course of 1964, the Beatles’ only real competition for the top of both the American and British charts was more or less themselves. Whole books could be written about the year the band had, but below, we’ve compiled 27 of the most interesting highlights.