Born – 25th February 1943
Died – 29th November 2001
Father – Harold Harrison (1909 – 1978)
Mother – Louise French (1911 – 1970)
Spouse – m. 1966, div. 1977 – Pattie Boyd (b. 1944), m. 1978 – Olivia Trinidad Arias (b. 1948)
Children – by Olivia – Dhani (b. 1978)
Known to History – Singer/songwriter, member of The Beatles
1943 (25th February)
George Harrison was born in Liverpool, England to Harold Harrison and Louise nee French. He was the couple’s fourth child, his sister Louise was 12, his brother Harold was 9 and Peter was 3 years old.
1948 (September)
George began his education at Dovedale Primary School.
1954 (June)
George passed the 11-plus exam and entered Liverpool Institute High School for boys.
1956 (early)
George heard Elvis Presley’s ‘Heartbreak Hotel’ for the first time. He loved the music and became interested rock and roll.
1956 (during)
George’s father bought him an acoustic guitar and a family friend taught him how to play a number of songs.
1956 (during)
George became friends with a fellow school student, Paul McCartney.
1957 (6th July)
George’s friend Paul McCartney joined a band called the Quarrymen which had been founded by John Lennon.
1958 (6th February)
Paul McCartney introduced 15 year old George Harrison to John Lennon and suggested that he could join the group. However, John felt that he was too young to join the group.
1958 (March)
Having persistently requested to join the group, George Harrison joined the Quarrymen as lead guitarist.
1958 (12th July)
The Quarrymen recorded ‘In Spite of all the Danger, That’ll be the Day’.
1959 (July)
George left school and found work as an electrician in a local department store.
1960 (January)
John’s friend, Stuart Sutcliffe, joined the band playing bass guitar.
1960 (January)
The ‘Quarrymen’ changed their name to ‘Beatals’. The name was chosen to honour Buddy Holly and the Crickets.
1960 (May)
The ‘Beatals’ changed their name to the ‘Silver Beetles’.
1960 (early July)
The ‘Silver Beetles’ changed their name to ‘Silver Beatles’.
1960 (August)
Pete Best, a drummer, was asked to join the band.
1960 (15th August)
The ‘Silver Beetles’ changed their name to ‘The Beatles‘.
1960 (17th August)
The Beatles began a 46 night spot at the Indra Club, Hamburg.
1960 (1st October)
The Beatles began a 58 night spot at the Kaiserkeller, Hamburg.
1960 (21st November)
George was deported from Germany after authorities discovered he was under 18 years.
1961 (February)
Stuart Sutcliffe left the group to focus on art, Paul McCartney took over as bass guitarist.
1961 (1st April)
The Beatles began a three month spot at the Top Ten Club in Hamburg.
1961 (October)
The Beatles were backing musicians for Tony Sheridan’s ‘My Bonnie’ and ‘The Saints’.
1961 (9th November)
Brian Epstein watched ‘The Beatles’ performing at the Cavern Club.
1962 (January)
The Beatles auditioned for Decca Records but were unsuccessful.
1962 (24th January)
The Beatles signed a 5-year management contract with Brian Epstein.
1962 (13th April)
The Beatles began a 48 night spot at the Star-Club, Hamburg.
1962 (6th June)
George Martin of Parlophone, EMI offered the Beatles a recording contract on condition that they replace drummer Pete Best.
1962 (18th August)
Richard Starkey (Ringo Starr), drummer with the band Rory Storm and the Hurricanes, replaced Pete Best as drummer of the group.
1962 (1st October)
The Beatles signed a new management contract with Brian Epstein, needed because of Ringo Starr replacing Pete Best. Under the contract Epstein recieved 25% of the group’s earnings.
1962 (5th October)
‘The Beatles’ released their first single ‘Love Me Do’. The single reached number 17 in the British charts.
1962 (1st November)
The Beatles began a 14 night spot at the Star-Club, Hamburg.
1962 (26th November)
The Beatles recorded the single ‘Please Please Me’.
1962 (18th December)
The Beatles began a 13 night spot at the Star-Club, Hamburg.
1963 (22nd March)
The album ‘Please Please Me’ was released in the UK. It reached No 1 in the album charts.
1963 (11th April)
The single ‘Please Please Me’ written by Lennon and McCartney was released in the UK. It was the group’s first no 1 hit in the UK.
1963 (18th May)
The Beatles went on tour supporting Roy Orbison.
1963 (27th May)
The single ‘Please Please Me’ written by Lennon and McCartney was released in the US. It did not do well.
1963 (July)
The album ‘Please Please Me’ was released in the US under the title ‘Introducing The Beatles’. It was a flop.
1963 (12th July)
The EP ‘Twist and Shout’ was released in the UK. It reached number 1 in the charts.
1963 (August)
George wrote the song ‘Don’t Bother Me’. It was his first attempt at songwriting and appeared on the album ‘With the Beatles’.
1963 (23rd August)
The single ‘She Loves You’ written by Lennon and McCartney was released in the UK. It was the fastest selling single at the time quickly reaching no 1 and remains the group’s best selling single.
1963 (16th September)
The single ‘She Loves You’ written by Lennon and McCartney was released in the US. It had little impact.
1963 (October)
The Beatles popularity continued to spread across Europe and the term Beatlemania was coined.
1963 (13th October)
The Beatles performed on the UK TV Show ‘Sunday Night at the London Palladium’.
1963 (17th October)
The Beatles recorded ‘I Want To Hold Your Hand’.
1963 (24th October)
The Beatles made a 7 day tour of Sweden.
1963 (4th November)
The Beatles performed in front of Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Margaret and Lord Snowdon at the Royal Command Performance.
1963 (22nd November)
The album ‘With the Beatles’ was released in the UK. It included the song ‘Don’t Bother Me’ written by George. It reached No 1 in album charts.
1963 (29th November)
The Beatles released ‘I Want To Hold Your Hand’ written by Lennon and McCartney in the UK. It reached No 1 in the charts and was the second album ever to sell a million copies (the first was the South Pacific soundtrack in 1958).
1963 (26th December)
The Beatles released ‘I Want To Hold Your Hand’ in the US. It was their first hit in America reaching no 1.
1964 (16th January)
The Beatles began a series of concerts at L’Olympia, Paris.
1964 (20th January)
The Beatles released the album ‘Meet the Beatles’ in the US. It reached No 1 in the charts.
1964 (29th January)
The Beatles recorded ‘Can’t Buy Me Love’.
1964 (7th February)
The Beatles released ‘All My Loving’ in the UK.
1964 (7th February)
The Beatles left London Heathrow to fly to New York. Around 4,000 screaming fans were at Heathrow to see them off and around 3,000 American fans welcomed them to JFK airport.
1964 (9th February)
The Beatles appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show in the United States. They performed 5 songs to an audience of more than 73 million people.
1964 (11th February)
The Beatles performed at the Washington Coliseum.
1964 (12th February)
The Beatles performed at Carnegie Hall in New York.
1964 (March/April)
The Beatles were involved in filming for ‘A Hard Day’s Night’.
1964 (2nd March)
The single ‘Twist and Shout’ was released in the US.
1964 (16th March)
The single ‘Can’t Buy Me Love’ was released in the US.
1964 (20th March)
The single ‘Can’t Buy Me Love’ was released in the UK.
1964 (4th June)
The Beatles began a Tour tour which included dates in Denmark, Netherlands, Hong Kong, Australia and New Zealand.
1964 (19th June)
The Beatles released ‘Long Tall Sally’ in the UK. It reached number 1 in the charts.
1964 (26th June)
The Beatles released the soundtrack to the film ‘A Hard Day’s Night’ in the US. It went to No 1 in the album charts.
1964 (10th July)
The Beatles film ‘A Hard Day’s Night’ premiered in London, UK.
1964 (10th July)
The Beatles released the soundtrack to the film ‘A Hard Day’s Night’ in the UK. It went to No 1 in the album charts.
1964 (11th August)
The Beatles film ‘A Hard Day’s Night’ was released in the US.
1964 (19th August)
The Beatles began a tour of America. They controversially refused to play to at any venue where blacks and whites were segregated.
1964 (28th August)
The Beatles met Bob Dylan who introduced them to marijuana.
1964 (October)
The Beatles recorded their album ‘Beatles for Sale’.
1964 (25th October)
The Beatles received five Ivor Novello awards.
1964 (23rd November)
The single ‘I Feel Fine’ was released in the US.
1964 (27th November)
The single ‘I Feel Fine’ was released in the UK.
1964 (4th December)
The album ‘Beatles for Sale’ was released in the UK and went straight to No 1 in the charts.
1965 (23rd February)
The Beatles began filming their second movie ‘Help!’.
1965 (27th March)
John and George experienced LSD for the first time after their coffee was spiked with the drug by George’s dentist.
1965 (9th April)
The single ‘Ticket To Ride’ was released.
1965 (12th June)
John, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and George Harrison were awarded the MBE.
1965 (14th June)
Paul McCartney recorded ‘Yesterday’. It was the first recording by a single member of the group.
1965 (19th July)
The single ‘Help’ written mainly by John Lennon was released in the US.
1965 (23rd July)
The single ‘Help’ written mainly by John Lennon was released in the UK. It reached number 1 in the charts.
1965 (29th July)
The film ‘Help’ premiered in London.
1965 (6th August)
The soundtrack to the film ‘Help’ was released in the UK. George wrote two of the tracks ‘I Need You’ and ‘You Like Me Too Much’. It reached number 1 in the charts.
1965 (11th August)
The film ‘Help’ was released in the US. It reached number 1 in the charts.
1965 (13th August)
The soundtrack to the film ‘Help’ was released in the US. It reached number 1 in the charts.
1965 (15th August)
The Beatles performed at the Shea Stadium in New York in front of an audience of 55,600. They were concerned that their music was not being heard over the screaming of fans.
1965 (13th September)
The single ‘Yesterday’ was released in the US.
1965 (29th September)
The single ‘Yesterday’ was released in the UK.
1965 (3rd December)
The Beatles released the album ‘Rubber Soul’ in the UK. It went straight to No 1 in the charts.
1965 (3rd December)
The single ‘Day Tripper’ was released.
1965 (6th December)
The Beatles released the album ‘Rubber Soul’ in the US. It went straight to No 1 in the charts.
1966 (during)
George began to experiment with instruments from other cultures especially the sitar and the tambura.
1966 (21st January)
George married model Pattie Boyd. Paul McCartney was best man.
1966 (4th March)
John controversially commented that ‘we’re more popular than Jesus now’. This caused demonstrations against the Beatles in religious areas of America.
1966 (6th April)
The Beatles began recording the album ‘Revolver’.
1966 (30th May)
The single Paperback Writer written by Lennon and McCartney was released in the US. It went straight to number 1 in the charts.
1966 (10th June)
The single Paperback Writer written by Lennon and McCartney was released in the UK. It went straight to number 1 in the charts.
1966 (20th June)
The compilation album ‘Yesterday and Today’ was released in the US by Capitol Records. The album initially caused controversy because the cover featured the Beatles in butchers aprons surrounded by mutilated dolls and raw meat. Capitol records hastily replaced the covers.
1966 (July)
The Beatles toured Japan and the Philippines. They were accused of snubbing the presidential family in the Philippines.
1966 (5th August)
The Beatles single ‘Eleanor Rigby/Yellow Submarine’ was released.
1966 (5th August)
The Beatles album ‘Revolver’ was released in the UK. It went straight to No 1.
1966 (8th August)
The Beatles album ‘Revolver’ was released in the US. It reached number 1 in the charts.
1966 (11th August)
The Beatles returned to America for another tour.
1966 (29th August)
The Beatles performed their last live concert at San Francisco’s Candlestick Park.
1966 (Autumn)
George and his wife, Pattie, went to India and visited many holy places. George also studied sitar with Ravi Shankar.
1966 (late November)
1966 (November)
John met Yoko Ono at the Indica Gallery.
1966 (late November)
The Beatles began work on ‘Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’.
1967 (13th February)
The Beatles released ‘Strawberry Fields Forever”/”Penny Lane” a double A side single in the UK and the US. It reached number 2 in the UK and number 8 in the US.
1967 (26th May)
The Beatles released the album ‘Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’ in the UK. It went straight to number 1 in the charts.
1967 (2nd June)
The Beatles released the album ‘Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’ in the US. It reached number 1 in the charts.
1967 (25th June)
The Beatles performed ‘All You Need is Love’ on ‘Our World’ the World’s first global TV link. It was viewed by an audience of 350 million.
1967 (7th July)
The Beatles released the single ‘All You Need is Love’ written by John Lennon in the UK.
1967 (17th July)
The Beatles released the single ‘All You Need is Love’ written by John Lennon in the US.
1967 (27th August)
The Beatles’ manager, Brian Epstein died of an accidental overdose of sleeping tablets. The group were told of his death while attending a seminar on Transcendental Meditation by the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.
1967 (24th November)
The Beatles released the single ‘Hello, Goodbye’ in the UK.
1967 (27th November)
The Beatles released the single ‘Hello, Goodbye’ in the UK.
1967 (26th December)
The Beatles released the film ‘Magical Mystery Tour’. The film itself did not do well but the movie soundtrack did well.
1968 (February)
The Beatles founded Apple Corps, a corporation that included Apple Records and other companies.
1968 (February)
The Beatles went to India for two months to study with the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.
1968 (15th March)
The Beatles released the single ‘Lady Madonna’ in the UK. The B side to the single featured George’s song ‘The Inner Light’.
1968 (18th March)
The Beatles released the single ‘Lady Madonna’ in the US. The B side to the single featured George’s song ‘The Inner Light’.
1968 (17th July)
The Beatles’ movie ‘Yellow Submarine’ premiered in London.
1968 (26th August)
The Beatles released the single ‘Hey Jude’ in the US.
1968 (30th August)
The Beatles released the single ‘Hey Jude’ in the UK.
1968 (September)
The Beatles recorded George’s song ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps’.
1968 (1st November)
George released his first solo album ‘Wonderwall Music’ the soundtrack to the film Wonderwall.
1968 (22nd November)
The Beatles’ album ‘White Album’ also known as ‘The Beatles’ was released in the UK. It included ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps’ written by George. It reached number 1 in the charts.
1968 (25th November)
The Beatles’ album ‘White Album’ also known as ‘The Beatles’ was released in the US. It included ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps’ written by George.
1968 (late)
George met Bob Dylan at Woodstock and the two became friends.
1968 (during)
George worked with Eric Clapton on the song ‘Badge’ which featured on Cream’s album ‘Goodbye’.
1969 (10th January)
George had become increasingly frustrated with the group. He felt that John had lost interest in the group and that Paul McCartney was too dominant. So he decided to leave the group.
1969 (13th January)
The Beatles’ album ‘Yellow Submarine’ was released in the US. It reached No 2 in the charts, second to ‘The White Album’.
1969 (17th January)
The Beatles’ album ‘Yellow Submarine’ was released in the UK.
1969 (22nd January)
George was persuaded to remain with the group.
1969 (30th January)
The Beatles performed an impromptu rooftop concert from the roof of Apple Corps Ltd in London. It was the last time they performed together.
1969 (11th April)
The Beatles released the single ‘Get Back’ in the UK.
1969 (5th May)
The Beatles released the single ‘Get Back’ in the US.
1969 (9th May)
George released the album ‘Electronic Sound’.
1969 (July)
George produced the song ‘Hare Krishna Mantra’ by Radha Krishna Temple.
1969 (2nd July)
The Beatles began recording the album Abbey Road. The album featured 2 songs by George ‘Here Comes the Sun’ and ‘Something’.
1969 (20th September)
John left The Beatles but the news was kept secret.
1969 (26th September)
The Beatles released the album ‘Abbey Road’ in the UK. It was the Beatles last studio album and reached No 1 in the charts.
1969 (1st October)
The Beatles released the album ‘Abbey Road’ in the US.
1969 (6th October)
The single ‘Something/Come Together’ was released.
1969 (December)
George made a short tour of Europe with the group ‘Delaney & Bonnie’ and Friends Eric Clapton also joined the tour.
1970 (11th January)
Paul McCartney announced that he had left The Beatles.
1970 (6th March)
The Beatles released their final single ‘Let It Be’ in the UK.
1970 (11th March)
The Beatles released their final single ‘Let It Be’ in the US.
1970 (10th April)
Paul McCartney announced that the Beatles had split.
1970 (May)
George played guitar on a number of tracks of Bob Dylan’s album ‘New Morning’.
1970 (8th May)
The Beatles album ‘Let It Be’ was released.
1970 (23rd November)
George released the single ‘My Sweet Lord’ which reached number 1 in the UK and US charts.
1970 (27th November)
George released the album ‘All Things Must Pass’ which reached number 1 in the UK and US charts.
1970 (31st December)
Paul McCartney filed for a legal dissolution of the Beatles partnership.
1971 (during)
The record label Bright Tunes sued George for copyright infringement claiming that ‘My Sweet Lord’ was very similar to ‘He’s So Fine’ by the Chiffons. Although he fought, he lost the case.
1971 (1st August)
George organised a Concert for Bangladesh to raise awareness and money to help starving refugees in the country.
1973 (30th May)
The album ‘Living in the Material World’ was released by George. It reached number 1 in the US and number 2 in the UK.
1974 (during)
Pattie left George stating that his womanising and drug use were to blame.
1974 (during)
George Harrison met Olivia Trinidad Arias in Los Angeles and they began a relationship.
1974 (May)
George founded Dark Horse Records.
1974 (November)
George made a tour of America, playing 45 shows. The tour was not a great success and George was upset by the negative reviews.
1974 (9th December)
George Harrison released the album ‘Dark Horse’. It was not well received.
1974 (29th December)
The Beatles partnership was officially dissolved.
1975 (22nd September)
George released the album ‘Extra Texture (Read All About It’.
1976 (19th November)
The album ‘Thirty-Three & 1/3’ was released on George’s own record label, Dark Horse. It reached number 11 in the US charts and number 35 in the UK charts.
1977 (during)
George and Pattie were divorced.
1978 (during)
George Harrison and Denis O’Brien formed the company HandMade Films in order to produce Monty Python’s Life of Brian.
1978 (May)
George’s father died.
1978 (1st August)
A son, Dhani, was born to George and Olivia at Henley on Thames, England.
1978 (2nd September)
George married Olivia Trinidad Arias.
1979 (20th February)
George released the album ‘George Harrison’. It reached number 14 in the US charts and number 39 in the UK.
1980 (during)
George Harrison’s HandMade Films was the distributer for the film ‘The Long Good Friday’.
1980 (8th December)
John Lennon was assassinated by Mark Chapman in New York. The death of John left George ‘shocked and stunned’.
1981 (11th May)
George released the single ‘All Those Years Ago’ as a tribute to John Lennon. It reached number 2 in the US and number 13 in the UK.
1981 (1st June)
The album ‘Somewhere in England’ was released. It reached number 11 in the US and number 13 in the UK.
1981 (10th July)
The film ‘Time Bandits’ produced by HandMade Films was released. George wrote and performed the closing credits song ‘Dream Away’.
1982 (5th November)
George Harrison released the album ‘Gone Troppo’.
1985 (21st October)
George took part in a televised concert which included Carl Perkins, Ringo Starr, Eric Clapton and Dave Edmunds.
1986 (March)
George took part in the Birmingham Heart Beat Charity Concert.
1987 (during)
George performed two songs at the Prince’s Trust concert in London.
1987 (February)
George performed with Bob Dylan, John Fogerty and Jesse Ed Davis and blues musician Taj Mahal.
1987 (2nd November)
The album ‘Cloud Nine; was released. It reached number 8 in the US and number 10 in the UK.
1987 (12th October)
George released a cover of ‘Got My Mind Set On You’. It reached number 1 in the US and number 2 in the UK.
1988 (during)
George Harrison formed the group ‘The Traveling Wilburys’ with Bob Dylan, Jeff Lynne, Roy Orbison and Tom Petty. They used pseudonyms.
1988 (18th October)
The album ‘The Travelling Wilburys Vol 1’ was released by The Travelling Wilburys. It reached number 3 in the US charts and number 16 in the UK charts.
1988 (6th December)
Roy Orbison died. The Travelling Wilburys decided to continue.
1989 (during)
George provided backing vocals and played the guitar on Tom Petty’s song ‘I Won’t Back Down’.
1990 (29th October)
‘The Traveling Wilburys Vol 3’ was released. George deliberately chose the title to confuse the public.
1991 (December)
George joined Eric Clapton on his tour of Japan.
1992 (6th April)
George Harrison performed at a benefit concert for the Natural Law Party at the Royal Albert Hall.
1992 (October)
George performed at a Bob Dylan tribute concert at Madison Square Garden, New York.
1994 (during)
George began working with Paul McCartney on an anthology of Beatles Albums.
1995 (20th November)
‘Anthology 1’ a compilation of music was released.
1995 (4th December)
The single ‘Free as a Bird’ from the album ‘Anthology 1’ was released in the UK. It reached number 2 in the charts.
1995 (12th December)
The single ‘Free as a Bird’ from the album ‘Anthology 1’ was released in the US. It reached number 6 in the charts.
1996 (4th March)
The single ‘Real Love’ from the album ‘Anthology 2’ was released. It reached number 1 in the US and UK.
1996 (18th March)
‘Anthology 2’ a compilation of music was released.
1996 (28th October)
‘Anthology 3’ a compilation of music was released.
1997 (early)
George worked with Ravi Shankar on his album ‘Chants of India’.
1997 (during)
George became ill and was diagnosed with cancer of the throat. He was given a course of radiotherapy.
1998 (Spring)
George played guitar on two tracks of Ringo Starr’s album, ‘Vertical Man’.
1998 (19th January)
The singer, Carl Perkins died. George attended his funeral.
1998 (June)
George attended a memorial service for Paul McCartney’s wife, Linda, who had died on 17th April.
1999 (30th December)
George Harrison was stabbed around 40 times by paranoid schizophrenic Michael Abram who broke into his home. George was hospitalised for treatment.
2001 (May)
George had an operation to receive a cancerous growth from a lung.
2001 (July)
George Harrison was treated in Switzerland for a brain tumour.
2001 (November)
George underwent a course of radiotherapy for lung cancer which had spread to his brain.
2001 (12th November)
George, Paul and Ringo met for the last time.
2001 (29th November)
George Harrison died in Los Angeles. His ashes were scattered at Varanasi, India.
2002 (18th November)
The album ‘Brainwashed’ was released posthumously. It was finished by George’s son, Dhani and Jeff Lynne. It reached number 18 in the US and number 29 in the UK.
2002 (29th November)
Eric Clapton organised a charity ‘Concert for George’ to commemorate his life and raise money for Harrison’s charity the ‘Material World Charitable Foundation’.
Published Jul 23, 2018 @ 4:50 pm – Updated – [last-modified]
Harvard Reference for this page:
Heather Y Wheeler. (2018 – 2020). George Harrison 1943 – 2001. https://www.thetimelinegeek.com/george-harrison-1943-2001 Last accessed [date]