history of Pepsi

Born in the Carolinas in 1898, Pepsi-Cola has a long and rich history. The drink is the invention of Caleb Bradham (left), a pharmacist and drugstore owner in New Bern, North Carolina.

The summer of 1898, as usual, was hot and humid in New Bern, North Carolina. So a young pharmacist named Caleb Bradham began experimenting with combinations of spices, juices, and syrups trying to create a refreshing new drink to serve his customers. He succeeded beyond all expectations because he invented the beverage known around the world as Pepsi-Cola.

Caleb Bradham knew that to keep people returning to his pharmacy, he would have to turn it into a gathering place. He did so by concocting his own special beverage, a soft drink. His creation, a unique mixture of kola nut extract, vanilla and rareoils, became so popular his customers named it "Brad's Drink." Caleb decided to rename it "Pepsi-Cola," and advertised his new soft drink. People responded, and sales of Pepsi-Cola started to grow, convincing him that he should form a company to market the new beverage.

In 1902, he launched the Pepsi-Cola Company in the back room of his pharmacy, and applied to the U.S. Patent Office for a trademark. At first, he mixed the syrup himself and sold it exclusively through soda fountains. But soon Caleb recognized that a greater opportunity existed to bottle Pepsi so that people could drink it anywhere.

The business began to grow, and on June 16, 1903, "Pepsi-Cola" was officially registered with the U.S. Patent Office. That year, Caleb sold 7,968 gallons of syrup, using the theme line "Exhilarating, Invigorating, Aids Digestion." He also began awarding franchises to bottle Pepsi to independent investors, whose number grew from just two in 1905, in the cities of Charlotte and Durham, North Carolina, to 15 the following year, and 40 by 1907. By the end of 1910, there were Pepsi-Cola franchises in 24 states.

Pepsi-Cola's first bottling line resulted from some less-than-sophisticated engineering in the back room of Caleb's pharmacy. Building a strong franchise system was one of Caleb's greatest achievements. Local Pepsi-Cola bottlers, entrepreneurial in spirit and dedicated to the product's success, provided a sturdy foundation. They were the cornerstone of the Pepsi-Cola enterprise. By 1907, the new company was selling more than 100,000 gallons of syrup per year.

Growth was phenomenal, and in 1909 Caleb erected a headquarters so spectacular that the town of New Bern pictured it on a postcard. Famous racing car driver Barney Oldfield endorsed Pepsi in newspaper ads as "A bully drink...refreshing, invigorating, a fine bracer before a race."

The previous year, Pepsi had been one of the first companies in the United States to switch from horse-drawn transport to motor vehicles, and Caleb's business expertise captured widespread attention. He was even mentioned as a possible candidate for Governor. A 1913 editorial in the Greensboro Patriot praised him for his "keen and energetic business sense."

Pepsi-Cola enjoyed 17 unbroken years of success. Caleb now promoted Pepsi sales with the slogan, "Drink Pepsi-Cola. It will satisfy you." Then cameWorld War I, and the cost of doing business increased drastically. Sugar prices see sawed between record highs and disastrous lows, and so did the price of producing Pepsi-Cola. Caleb was forced into a series of business gambles just to survive, until finally, after three exhausting years, his luck ran out and he was bankrupted. By 1921, only two plants remained open. It wasn't until a successful candy manufacturer, Charles G. Guth, appeared on the scene that the future of Pepsi-Cola was assured. Guth was president of Loft Incorporated, a large chain of candy stores and soda fountains along the eastern seaboard. He saw Pepsi-Cola as an opportunity to discontinue an unsatisfactory business relationship with the Coca-Cola Company, and at the same time to add an attractive drawing card to Loft's soda fountains. He was right. After five owners and 15 unprofitable years, Pepsi-Cola was once again a thriving national brand.

One oddity of the time, for a number of years, all of Pepsi-Cola's sales were actually administered from a Baltimore building apparently owned by Coca-Cola, and named for its president. Within two years, Pepsi would earn $1 million for its new owner. With the resurgence came new confidence, a rarity in those days because the nation was in the early stages of a severe economic decline that came to be known as the Great Depression.             

 1898 Caleb Bradham, a New Bern, North Carolina, pharmacist, renames "Brad's Drink," a carbonated soft drink he created to serve his drugstore's fountain customers. The new name, Pepsi-Cola, is derived from two of the principal ingredients, pepsin and kola nuts. It is first used on August 28.

1902 Bradham applies to the U.S. Patent Office for a trademark for the Pepsi-Cola name.

1903 In keeping with its origin as a pharmacist's concoction, Bradham's advertising praises his drink as "Exhilarating, invigorating, aids digestion."

1905 A new logo appears, the first change from the original created in 1898.

1906 The logo is redesigned and a new slogan added: "The original pure food drink." The trademark is registered in Canada.

1907 The Pepsi trademark is registered in Mexico.

1909 Automobile racing pioneer Barney Oldfield becomes Pepsi's first celebrity endorser when he appears in newspaper ads describing Pepsi-Cola as "A bully drink...refreshing, invigorating, a fine bracer before a race." The theme "Delicious and Healthful" appears, and will be used intermittently over the next two decades.

1920 Pepsi appeals to consumers with, "Drink Pepsi-Cola. It will satisfy you."

1932 The trademark is registered in Argentina.

1934 Pepsi begins selling a 12-ounce bottle for five cents, the same price charged by its competitors for six ounces.

1938 The trademark is registered in the Soviet Union.

1939 A newspaper cartoon strip, "Pepsi & Pete," introduces the theme "Twice as Much for a Nickel" to increase consumer awareness of Pepsi's value advantage.

1940 Pepsi makes advertising history with the first advertising jingle ever broadcast nationwide. "Nickel, Nickel" will eventually become a hit record and will be translated into 55 languages. A new, more modern logo is adopted.

1941 In support of America's war effort, Pepsi changes the color of its bottle crowns to red, white and blue. A Pepsi canteen in Times Square, New York, operates throughout the war, enabling more than a million families to record messages for armed services personnel overseas.

1943 The "Twice as Much" advertising strategy expands to include the theme, "Bigger Drink, Better Taste."

1949 "Why take less when Pepsi's best?" is added to "Twice as Much" advertising.

1950 "More Bounce to the Ounce" becomes Pepsi's new theme as changing soft drink economics force Pepsi to raise prices to competitive levels. The logo is again updated.

1953 Americans become more weight conscious, and a new strategy based on Pepsi's lower caloric content is implemented with "The Light Refreshment" campaign.

1954 "The Light Refreshment" evolves to incorporate "Refreshing Without Filling."

1958 Pepsi struggles to enhance its brand image. Sometimes referred to as "the kitchen cola," as a consequence of its long-time positioning as a bargain brand, Pepsi now identifies itself with young, fashionable consumers with the "Be Sociable, Have a Pepsi" theme. A distinctive "swirl" bottle replaces Pepsi's earlier straight-sided bottle.

1959 Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev and U.S. Vice-President Richard Nixon meet in the soon-to-be-famous "kitchen debate" at an international trade fair. The meeting, over Pepsi, is photo-captioned in the U.S. as "Khrushchev Gets Sociable."

1961 Pepsi further refines its target audience, recognizing the increasing importance of the younger, post-war generation. "Now it's Pepsi, for Those who think Young" defines youth as a state of mind as much as a chronological age, maintaining the brand's appeal to all market segments.

1963 In one of the most significant demographic events in commercial history, the post-war baby boom emerges as a social and marketplace phenomenon. Pepsi recognizes the change, and positions Pepsi as the brand belonging to the new generation-The Pepsi Generation. "Come alive! You're in the Pepsi Generation" makes advertising history. It is the first time a product is identified, not so much by its attributes, as by its consumers' lifestyles and attitudes.

1964 A new product, Diet Pepsi, is introduced into Pepsi-Cola advertising.

1966 Diet Pepsi's first independent campaign, "Girlwatchers," focuses on the cosmetic benefits of the low-calorie cola. The "Girlwatchers" musical theme becomes a Top 40 hit. Advertising for another new product, Mountain Dew, a regional brand acquired in 1964, airs for the first time, built around the instantly recognizable tag line, "Ya-Hoo, Mountain Dew!"

1967 When research indicates that consumers place a premium on Pepsi's superior taste when chilled, "Taste that beats the others cold. Pepsi pours it on" emphasizes Pepsi's product superiority. The campaign, while product-oriented, adheres closely to the energetic, youthful, lifestyle imagery established in the initial Pepsi Generation campaign.

1969 "You've got a lot to live. Pepsi's got a lot to give" marks a shift in Pepsi Generation advertising strategy. Youth and lifestyle are still the campaign's driving forces, but with "Live/Give," a new awareness and a reflection of contemporary events and mood become integral parts of the advertising's texture.

1973 Pepsi Generation advertising continues to evolve. "Join the Pepsi People, Feelin' Free" captures the mood of a nation involved in massive social and political change. It pictures us the way we are-one people, but many personalities.

1975 The Pepsi Challenge, a landmark marketing strategy, convinces millions of consumers that Pepsi's taste is superior.

1976 "Have a Pepsi Day" is the Pepsi Generation's upbeat reflection of an improving national mood. "Puppies," a 30-second snapshot of an encounter between a very small boy and some even smaller dogs, becomes an instant commercial classic.

1979 With the end of the '70s comes the end of a national malaise. Patriotism has been restored by an exuberant celebration of the U.S. bicentennial, and Americans are looking to the future with renewed optimism. "Catch that Pepsi Spirit!" catches the mood and the Pepsi Generation carries it forward into the '80s.

1982 With all the evidence showing that Pepsi's taste is superior, the only question remaining is how to add that message to Pepsi Generation advertising. The answer? "Pepsi's got your Taste for Life!," a triumphant celebration of great times and great taste.

1983 The soft drink market grows more competitive, but for Pepsi drinkers, the battle is won. The time is right and so is their soft drink. It's got to be "Pepsi Now!"

1984 A new generation has emerged-in the United States, around the world and in Pepsi advertising, too. "Pepsi. The Choice of a New Generation" announces the change, and the most popular entertainer of the time, Michael Jackson, stars in the first two commercials of the new campaign. The two spots quickly become "the most eagerly awaited advertising of all time."

1985 Lionel Richie leads a star-studded parade into "New Generation" advertising followed by pop music icons Tina Turner and Gloria Estefan. Sports heroes Joe Montana and Dan Marino are part of it, as are film and television stars Teri Garr and Billy Crystal. Geraldine Ferraro, the first woman nominated to be vice president of the U.S., stars in a Diet Pepsi spot. And the irrepressible Michael J. Fox brings a special talent, style and spirit to a series of Pepsi and Diet Pepsi commercials, including a classic, "Apartment 10G."

1987 After an absence of 27 years, Pepsi returns to Times Square, New York, with a spectacular 850-square foot electronic display billboard declaring Pepsi to be "America's Choice."

1988 Michael Jackson returns to "New Generation" advertising to star in a four-part "episodic" commercial named "Chase." "Chase" airs during the Grammy Awards program and is immediately hailed by the media as "the most-watched commercial in advertising history."

1989 "The Choice of a New Generation" theme expands to categorize Pepsi users as "A Generation Ahead!"

1990 Teen stars Fred Savage and Kirk Cameron join the "New Generation" campaign, and football legend Joe Montana returns in a spot challenging other celebrities to taste test their colas against Pepsi. Music legend Ray Charles stars in a new Diet Pepsi campaign, "You got the right one baby."

1991 "You got the Right one Baby" is modified to "You got the Right one Baby, Uh-Huh!" The "Uh-Huh Girls" join Ray Charles as back-up singers and a campaign soon to become the most popular advertising in America is on its way. Supermodel Cindy Crawford stars in an award-winning commercial made to introduce Pepsi's updated logo and package graphics.

1992 Celebrities join consumers, declaring that they "Gotta Have It." The interim campaign supplants "Choice of a New Generation" as work proceeds on new Pepsi advertising for the '90s. Mountain Dew growth continues, supported by the antics of an outrageous new Dew Crew whose claim to fame is that, except for the unique great taste of Dew, they've "Been there, Done that, Tried that."

1993 "Be Young, Have fun, Drink Pepsi" advertising starring basketball superstar Shaquille O'Neal is rated as best in U.S.

1994 New advertising introducing Diet Pepsi's freshness dating initiative features Pepsi CEO Craig Weatherup explaining the relationship between freshness and superior taste to consumers.

1995 In a new campaign, the company declares "Nothing else is a Pepsi" and takes top honors in the year's national advertising championship.

history of Colgate

Colgate-Palmolive-Peet Company’s growth from a minor candle and soap processor to one of the most powerful consumer products giants on the planet is the result of aggressive acquisition of other firms.
In 1806, a 23 year old English immigrant to America, William Colgate launched a tiny manufacturing facility and retail shop making and selling starch, soap and candles. The following year, Francis Smith joined him in business and the little facility was renamed Smith and Colgate.
In 1820, Colgate began experimenting with starch as a low cost filler in his hand soap to bring down cost and he soon became the largest starch manufacturer in the country.
In 1866 Colgate & Company introduced a line of perfumes and essences, and only in 1873 did they introduce toothpaste.
As its name suggest, Colgate Palmolive-Peet was the product of mergers. Its nucleus the B. J Johnson Soap Co. of Milwaukee, which was founded after civil war.
In 1926, the Johnson Co. acquired Kansas City-based Peet Brothers, which had been in operation since 1872.
Finally, in 1928, the acquisition of Colgate completed the formation of Colgate-Palmolive-Peet.
The company first expanded into Europe in the 1930s with purchase of several French and German soap makers.
It them moved into Asian during the 1950s.
In 1995, Colgate enters Central Europe and Russia, expanding into fast-growing markets. Colgate acquires Kolynos Oral Care business in Latin America and launches market-leading Sorriso toothpaste.
In 1996, Bright Smiles, Bright Futures oral health education program expands to reach 50 countries with in-school programs and mobile dental clinics.
In 1997, Colgate Total toothpaste is introduced and quickly becomes the market leader in the U.S. Only Colgate Total, with its 12-hour protection, fights a complete range of oral health problems.
In 2004, Colgate completed is purchased of privately owned European oral care company, GABA for $841 million.
Today, Colgate focuses on four core businesses: Oral Care, Personal Care, Home Care and Pet Nutrition. Colgate now sells its products in 222 countries and territories worldwide.

history of Nike

You might be surprised to know that one of the world's dominant shoe, sports equipment and clothing brands was aptly named after the Greek goddess of victory -- and that the inspiration for the name struck during a dream.
It began in 1964 with a casual agreement and a handshake between University of Oregon track coach Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight, a middle-distance runner. The pair formed Blue Ribbon Sports and began importing Japanese brand Onitsuka Tiger running shoes, known today as ASICs, for sale in the U.S.
In 1967, Knight and Bowerman made the handshake deal formal and incorporated as BRS Inc. Jeff Johnson signed on in 1965 as the company's first full-time salesperson and opened Blue Ribbon Sports' first retail outlet the following year. In 1971, Johnson made an incalculable contribution to the company: One night, he dreamed of Nike, the Greek goddess of victory, and suggested the name to his bosses. The company used the moniker for its first footwear product to feature the "Swoosh" mark -- a soccer cleat called the Nike, whose name beat out Knight's suggestion that they call it the Dimension 6.
The Swoosh trademark was created by a graphic-design student from Portland State University named Carolyn Davidson. She got $35 for her creation.

Expanding the Nike Brand

Looking to expand the line, Bowerman began experimenting with the concept of athletic shoes with rubber spikes. By pouring a liquid rubber compound into his wife's waffle iron, Bowerman created an innovative running-shoe sole. The company unveiled Nike "Moon Shoes" featuring the Waffle sole for athletes competing at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene, Ore., in 1972. A succession of shoes, many based on the waffle outsole, followed. Some of the most famous are the Waffle Racer, Air Force One and Air Max 97.
When tees featuring a lower-case "nike" script logo designed by Davidson hit stores that year, folks unfamiliar with the name asked, "Who's Mike?" when they spotted the shirts.

Elite Sponsors: Athletes in Nike Shoes

A growing number of elite athletes competed in Nike footwear. Runner Mark Covert was the first athlete to wear Nike shoes across a finish line. Nike shoes got their first endorsement by a professional athlete when Romanian tennis personality Ilie Nastase signed on to wear Nikes on the court.
In 1977, former aerospace engineer Frank Rudy teamed with Nike to create the first Air-Sole units -- durable bags filled with pressurized gas that compressed under impact, then sprang back. The result was Nike Air cushioning, which hit stores in 1979.
In 1980, Nike went public.
The year 1984 saw the signing of basketball megastar Michael Jordan to an endorsement contract, followed by the 1985 release of his signature shoe, the Air Jordan. Originally, the NBA banned this new shoe because it didn't match the league's dress code, but the ban simply served to give the design a higher profile and extensive publicity.
Nike revenues topped $1 billion for the first time in 1986. The rest, as they say, is history.

Superstar Follow-Up

Nike followed up on its footwear fame by dressing athletes from head to toe, introducing apparel collections for tennis and basketball, which were popularized respectively by superstars John McEnroe and Michael Jordan. In 1988, Nike's "Just Do It" slogan was introduced, and it remains one of the most recognizable and successful commercial taglines. In 1990, the first NikeTown store opened in Portland, Ore. The company signed golfing phenom Tiger Woods in 1996.
In 1999, Bill Bowerman, Nike's co-founder, died at age 88. The company bought bankrupt rival Converse for $305 million in 2003. In 2004, Phil Knight stepped down as CEO and president of Nike, but he continues as chairman. Headquartered in Beaverton, Ore., Nike remains one of the largest and most successful companies operating today.

history of Lego

We grew up with the familiar blocks that gave our imagination room to soar; building towers and castles and wagons with little people. Generation after generation have been entranced by this easy yet intricate toy that lets children and adults both create anything and everything. But with over 200 millions sets being sold a year in over 100 countries, the question remains - where did Lego actually come from?

Our story begins in 1932 where Ole Kirk Christiansen, master carpenter and joiner, establishes a small business in the village of Billund in Denmark. His company manufactures stepladders, ironing boards... and wooden toys.

In 1934 the company adopts the name LEGO for their products, formed from the Danish words "LEg GOdt" or "play well". Later on it's realized that in Latin the word means "I study" or "I put together"; an ironic coincidence that follows the toy through the decades.

The small firm of only a dozen employees continues to turn out the popular toy - but in 1942 a tragedy strikes - the entire LEGO factory burns to the ground. Unwilling to give in, the factory is rebuilt and the assembly line restarts soon thereafter.

Not too long after that in 1947 the LEGO company is the first in Denmark to buy a plastic injection-moulding machine for making toys, running ahead of the competition and setting itself up as an enterprise dedicated to the toy business.

At this point there are no LEGO bricks as we know them today - the factory produced approximately 200 different varieties of plastic and wooden toys - but the predecessor of the familiar brick was created under the name of Automatic Binding Bricks; available only in Denmark at this time.
In 1950 Godtfred Kirk Christiansen - son of the original founder of LEGO, Ole Kirk Christiansen - is appointed Junior Vice President. He has worked with the company from the beginning, leaping into the factory at the tender age of 12 and quickly learning the business from the ground floor up.

By 1951 plastic toys account for half of the company's orders, signaling the subtle shift from the familiar wooden toys to the new and more popular plastic. Because of this the Automatic Binding Bricks are renamed "LEGO Mursten" or "LEGO Bricks" - the familiar term we all know them by today. Eventually the "LEGO System of Play" is released, 28 sets and 8 vehicles with extra parts available. It signaled a revolution in the toy world; allowing the owner to expand and create without a strict set of guidelines to follow.

After a few years the actual stud and tube coupling system the toy uses is patented; this new advancement making the models more stable and safer. More and more variations of bricks are released, letting youngsters build more and more creative interpretations of their imaginations.

In 1958 Ole Kirk Christiansen dies and Godtfred Kirk Christiansen becomes head of the company. Later on in 1950 the original wooden toy warehouse is destroyed in a horrible fire with the resulting decision to discontinue all wooden toy production and to focus only on the plastic creations that are quickly becoming more and more popular around the world. LEGO remains a family business to the present, with grandson Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen currently at the helm.

As the years go on more and more developments add to the versatility and strength of the LEGO block. Cellulose acetate is replaced by acrylonitrile butadeine stryrene in 1963 - making the new bricks brighter with better color quality and stronger for a longer life in toy boxes everywhere. Millions of LEGOs are being produced now, with trains and wheels jumping into the market and into toy stores everywhere.

In 1967 LEGO released the DUPLO brand - a larger version of the familiar block but for children under five years old. In 1969 it is released internationally and takes off like a rocket as parents everywhere take advantage of the opportunity to let their children play with the safe and creative toys. In the next twenty years LEGO will move into the realm of robotic models and small, movable people to classic car designs aimed at the adult modeler.

Suddenly LEGO sets are everywhere, from Star Wars to workable robots to Ninjas and Western themes; one generation passing to another the variety and imagination of this popular toy. Entire theme parks exhibit vast recreations to the public, while computer programs exist to play with your own set of virtual LEGOs and create in cyberspace.

From the first generation of plastic bricks to the current virtual world and the rapid advancements of the LEGO creators the world has been enthralled with this simple but enchanting toy - the next decade will only bring more and more models and more and more children running for their toy boxes to create their own world with LEGO.

history of The Beatles

Lennon was just 17 when he formed his first band, The Black Jacks. The band was made up entirely of classmates at Quarry Bank Grammar School in Liverpool, and almost immediately after they started, they changed their name to The Quarry Men. They played skiffle music, a mixture of folk, jazz, and blues which was popular in England at the time.
In the summer of 1957, The Quarry Men were setting up for a performance in a church hall when another member of the band introduced Lennon to Paul McCartney, then a 15-year-old self-taught left-handed guitar player. He auditioned for the band when they finished their set, and was immediately invited to join, which he did in October, 1957.
By February 1958 Lennon was moving increasingly away from skiffle and toward rock 'n' roll. This prompted the band's banjo player to leave, giving McCartney the opportunity to introduce Lennon to his friend and former classmate, George Harrison.
The band, which then consisted of Lennon, McCartney, Harrison, piano player Duff Lowe and drummer Colin Hanton recorded a demo consisting of Buddy Holly's "That'll Be the Day" and a Lennon-McCartney original, "In Spite of All the Danger."
The Quarry Men broke up early in 1959. Lennon and McCartney continued their songwriting, and Harrison joined a group called The Les Stewart Quartet. The Quarry Men briefly reunited when Harrison's group fell apart, and he recruited Lennon and McCartney to help him fulfill a contract with Liverpool's Casbah Coffee Club. When that gig ended, Lennon, McCartney and Harrison continued performing as Johnny and the Moondogs.
In 1960, Lennon, McCartney and Harrison were joined by drummer Pete Best (whose mother owned The Casbah Coffee Club where the three had played many times) and bassist Stu Sutcliffe, a friend of Lennon's from the Liverpool Art School. They went through a succession of names -- Long John and The Beatles, The Silver Beetles, The Beat Brothers -- before settling on The Beatles.
After touring Scotland (backing a singer named Johnny Gentle) the group was invited to play the first of a series of club dates in Hamburg, Germany. They returned to Hamburg twice more in 1961 and 1962, after which they became increasingly popular on the Liverpool club circuit.
Sutcliffe left the band after 18 months to pursue his art studies (as well as photographer Astrid Kirchherr, whom he had met in Hamburg) so it was Lennon, McCartney, Harrison and Best who met and auditioned for  Parlophone Records (a subsidiary of EMI) producer George Martin in June 1962, at the Abbey Road Studios where they would eventually do most of their recording.
Martin liked everything about the band except Best, who was by this time was not on the best of terms with the other band members either. Ringo Starr, the drummer for another popular Liverpool band, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes, was recruited to replace Best.
In September, 1962, the band's first single, "Love Me Do" was released, eventually reaching #17 in the UK. It would be almost two years until the song was released (and became a #1 hit) in the US, because of the skepticism of Parlophone's sister label in the US, Capitol Records, about the prospects of a British band succeeding in America.
Their first album, Please Please Me was released in the UK in March 1963. The singles, "Please Please Me"  and "She Loves You" received scattered, limited airplay in the US. The teen audience on Dick Clark's American Bandstand reacted to "She Loves You" by laughing at the band's "mop top" haircuts.
After their second album, With The Beatles became only the second album ever to sell a million copies in the UK, Vee Jay Records, predominantly an R&B label, obtained the US rights to most of the songs from Please Please Me, and released them on an album titled Introducing ... The Beatles in January 1964.
A booking on Ed Sullivan's popular CBS network variety show in February 1964 (watched by an estimated 73-million people) and the fact that the band had two #1 albums in the UK the previous year, finally convinced Capitol Records to sign The Beatles to a US record deal.
By April, 1964, the band's singles occupied the top five spots on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. That summer, they toured New Zealand and Australia, where their arrival in Adelaide was greeted by a crowd estimated at more than 300,000. The first Beatles movie, A Hard Day's Night was released in 1964.
All told, the band released seven albums in the US and UK in 1964, all but three of them charting at #1. Two others peaked at #2, and the third, the soundtrack from a UK TV documentary (The Beatles Story) reached #7.
Beatlemania was responsible for the concept of the stadium concert. More than 55-thousand screaming fans -- at the time, the most ever to have attended a single concert -- packed New York's Shea Stadium in August  1965. Two months later, the Fab Four became Members of the Order of the British Empire, one of the highest honors bestowed in the UK, usually to military and government officials.
The Beatles' second movie, Help! came out in 1965, and the soundtrack was one of the four albums the band released that year.
The band released just two albums in 1966, one of them a US compilation of previous UK-only releases (Yesterday and Today). Although the other, Revolver, is considered to be one of the Beatles' best albums, the sands beneath the Beatlemania behemoth were obviously beginning to shift.
In the summer of 1966 the band was attacked by an angry crowd in the Philippines after turning down an invitation to breakfast at the Presidential Palace. That disastrous tour had no sooner ended when Lennon set off a huge wave of record burning protests when he suggested in an interview that "Christianity is dying" and that the Beatles "are more popular than Jesus now."
In August 1966, the band made what would turn out to be its last public performance -- at Candlestick Park in San Francisco -- lasting barely over a half hour. The decision was made to stop touring and concentrate on writing and recording.
Although they had lost some of their luster, The Beatles continued to produce critically and commercially successful albums: in 1967, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and the soundtrack from their third feature film, Magical Mystery Tour.
The band spent the first part of 1968 in India, studying transcendental meditation under the tutelage of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. When they returned, they announced the creation of their own label, Apple Records,  and went to work on the double album, The Beatles (also known as The White Album) which was released in November 1968.
The End
1969-1970
Disputes, disagreements and disharmony among band members had been gradually increasing, become especially apparent during the White Album recording sessions. The band's last performance together outside the studio (a promotional event on the roof of Apple Studios) came in January 1969. Their last recording session (for Abbey Road) followed in August.
In September 1969, Lennon told the band that he was leaving. The others persuaded him not to go public until they made one more effort to get an acceptable version of their final album, Let It Be, which had been recorded several months before Abbey Road but shelved after two attempts by producer George Martin to put it in final form.
Phil Spector, who had produced Lennon's "Instant Karma" single was enlisted to make a last ditch effort at producing Let It Be (originally titled Get Back.) McCartney, unhappy with the way several of the songs were produced, tried without success to stop the album's release.
The band's breakup was announced in April 1970, a month before Let It Be was released. Documents filed on December 31, 1970 officially ended the legal entity known as The Beatles.
Life After The Beatles
1970-present
All four of The Beatles carried on with successful solo careers after the breakup of The Beatles.
John Lennon released seven albums between 1970 and 1980, the last one just three weeks before he was murdered, at age 40, outside his New York City apartment in December 1980. An additional album, Milk and Honey, was released (in 1984) after Lennon's death.
George Harrison released a dozen solo albums (and two with the Traveling Wilburys) and produced films through his company, Handmade Films. Harrison died of cancer at the age of 58 in November 2001.
Ringo Starr has released nearly two dozen albums and appeared in about the same number of films since the breakup of The Beatles. He continues to tour every few years with his All Starr Band.
Paul McCartney has been the most prolific ex-Beatle as a solo artist, with his late wife, Linda and with his band Wings. He continues to tour and record, and is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the most successful musician and contemporary songwriter in history.
Stu Sutcliffe died of a cerebral hemorrhage at the age of 22, shortly after he left the band. Pete Best continues to perform with The Pete Best Band, and does frequent personal appearances and interviews about the history of The Beatles.
In addition to the 23 albums (counting soundtracks and separate US and UK releases) released during the band's life (1960-1970) there have been more than 150 compilations, recorded interviews and videos issued.  Hundreds of books have been written about their personal lives, their music, and their influence on pop culture and rock music.
Their original record label, EMI and the Guinness Book of World Records estimate that more than 1-billion Beatles albums, singles and CDs have been sold worldwide. Authentic Beatles memorabilia continues to command huge sums. Recently an audio tape of a 1974 interview with Lennon sold at auction for more than $38,000. At the same auction, McCartney's handwritten lyrics for "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" brought $192,000.