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Into History.

com. It's February 7th, 1964 at New York's recently renamed John F. Kennedy Airport.

As Pan Am Flight 101 approaches the runway,

four musicians from the north of England

sit in their first class seats and gaze out the

windows. Throughout the flight they've been laughing and joking as if they're on a

carefree holiday. But now as the plane touches down at JFK, they share nervous grins, each knowing how crucial the next few days will be.

These lads from Liverpool wear matching suits and their distinctive mock-topped hairstyles are also identical.

John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr together formed the Beatles,

and over the past year they've taken their native Britain by storm, enjoying three number

one hits, She Loves You, I Want to Hold Your Hand, and From Me To You.

They are the most popular band at home, especially with teenage girls. Hours earlier when they left

Heathrow Airport in London, the Beatles waved goodbye to a screaming crowd of 3,000 hysterical

fans. According to one reporter, the girl screams so loudly that they drown out the sound of the jet engines.

The phenomenon has been described as beetle mania, but until very recently, this craze has not crossed the Atlantic.

For a long time US radio shows were reluctant to play Beatles songs.

But in the past few weeks that changed.

The band is now finally seeing encouraging signs that they might be able to sell some records in America too.

Once the plane taxis to a stop, their manager Brian Epstein tells the boys he has arranged a press conference in the airport.

...