Fifty Years Ago This Month: January 1964

The countdown to The Beatles continues... 

News: 
1/5 – Barry Goldwater announces his bid for the 1968 presidency.
1/11 – The first warning about the health risks of smoking is issued by the Surgeon General.
1/13 – B-52 carrying nuclear bombs crashes in Maryland.
1/16 – John Glenn resigns from NASA. The next day he runs for senator from Ohio.
1/18 – Plans are unveiled for the World Trade Center in NYC.
1/29 – Winter Olympics in Innsbrook, Austria begin.


Music: 
Last month until the Beatles take over! In the US, the #1 song for all 4 weeks in January 1964 was “There I Said It Again” by Bobby Vinton. #2 every week was "Louie, Louie" by the Kingsmen. Various songs were #3, with “I Want to Hold Your Hand” jumping from #45 to #3 for the last week in January. (More on that next month!)

1/10 – Vee-Jay Records releases the LP “Introducing the Beatles”
1/20 – Capitol Records releases the LP “Meet the Beatles”


Movies: 
Notable movies released in January 1964 were:
The Fall of the Roman Empire (1/1)
Man’s Favorite Sport (1/1)
Marnie (1/1)
Zorba the Greek (1/1)
Dr. Strangelove (1/29)


Births: 
1/7 – Nicholas Cage
1/17 – Michelle Obama
1/23 – Mariska Hargitay
1/27 - Bridget Fonda (co-starred with Cage in the 1994 movie “It Could Happen to You”)


Deaths: 
1/29 – Actor Alan Ladd

.