All You Need to Know About the Beatles · the Amazing Story Behind the Iconic Rock Band the Beatles

The Beatles, formerly called the Quarrymen or the Silver Beatles, byname Fab Four, British musical quartet and a global cynosure for the hopes and dreams of a generation that came of age in the 1960s. The principal members were John Lennon (b. October 9, 1940, Liverpool, Merseyside, England—d. December 8, 1980, New York, New York, U.S.), Paul McCartney (in full Sir James Paul McCartney; b. June 18, 1942, Liverpool), George Harrison (b. February 25, 1943, Liverpool—d. November 29, 2001, Los Angeles, California, U.S.), and Ringo Starr (byname of Richard Starkey; b. July 7, 1940, Liverpool). Other early members included Stuart Sutcliffe (b. June 23, 1940, Edinburgh, Scotland—d. April 10, 1962, Hamburg, West Germany) and Pete Best (b. November 24, 1941, Madras [now Chennai], India).