August 18

On August 18, 1965, the Beatles made their only Georgia appearance at a concert in Atlanta Stadium.

Beatlemania was in full swing that summer and Atlanta’s anticipation was high. The Atlanta Journal had a story about how to give a Beatle haircut. At a pre–concert press conference, Mayor Ivan Allen gave the Beatles the keys to the city, and they named Georgians Otis Redding and James Brown first on a list of favorites.

A crowd of over 30,000 endured no fewer than six warm–up acts. Finally, at 9:37 p.m., the boys from Liverpool ran out of the third–base dugout. The stadium erupted in screams, popping flashbulbs, and fainting girls. After a twelve–song set that began with “Twist and Shout,” the boys disappeared into a limo behind the stage and raced to the airport.

They were in town less than ten hours, and they never played Georgia again. But for a few hours on a hot summer night, Atlanta was the center of the Beatlemania universe on August 18, 1965, Today in Georgia History.