This Day in Rock History: January 3

Breakthrough Hits and Milestones

• 1963: The Beatles started their first tour of the year, a five-day trek through Scotland to support the release of their latest single at the time, "Love Me Do." They were billed as the "Love Me Do" Boys, and the shows were a major milestone in the band's history, as they exploded in popularity in Scotland before the global rise of Beatlemania.
• 1964: A year later, The Beatles hit another milestone with their first-ever appearance on a U.S. TV show. It was "The Jack Paar Program," and it featured a BBC clip from "The Mersey Sound" showing the band play "She Loves You."
• 1970: Fast-forward six years, and The Beatles scored another important moment in history as they recorded the song "I Me Mine," their final new song recording. It happened at Abbey Road Studios and only included George, who wrote the song, Paul, and Ringo, as John was on vacation at the time.

Cultural Milestones

• 1926: Legendary producer George Martin, the man behind The Beatles' unique sound, was born in Coleshill, Oxfordshire, England. He's often referred to as "the fifth Beatle," and he's responsible for 31 No. 1 singles in the U.K. and 23 in the U.S.
• 1946: Led Zeppelin bass player and keyboardist John Paul Jones was born in Sidcup, Kent, England. He formed the band alongside Jimmy Page in the late 1960s, and he's widely considered to be one of the best and most influential bassists of all time.
• 1987: Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul, was the first woman to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. She was inducted by Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards, and her brother Cecil accepted the induction on her behalf.