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Have you ever found yourself belting out “Hey Jude” or singing along to “Twist and Shout” and wondered, what were The Beatles ages when they created these masterpieces?
As a Beatles superfan in her mid-twenties (who’s also going through a bit of a quarter-life crisis – but that’s a story for another time😅), I’ve often been struck by just how young the Beatles were when they achieved all these mind-blowing things.
Surprisingly, the vast internet, with its endless depths of information, left me coming up short. I had to manually calculate how old the Beatles were on a certain date every time I wanted an answer!
And so, I dived into a project that I naively thought would be a breeze.
Armed with a determination to fill this internet knowledge gap and a whole lot of patience, I embarked on a quest that led me to manually cross-referencing event dates with the Beatles’ birthdays.
Yes, it was as tedious as it sounds.
But hey, I’ve done the maths so you don’t have to!
Join me as we uncover the ages of the Beatles during their most iconic moments. Trust me, the insights are as fascinating as their tunes. They achieved a LOT before their 30th birthdays.
Let’s get started.
Beatles Birthdays
The logical place to start in working out how old the Beatles were at various points in time is by starting with their birthdays. So, here are the birthdays of the Beatles!
I took this information from Encyclopedia Britannica, so we know that the info is solid.
Ringo Starr’s birthday is 7 July 1940.
John Lennon’s birthday is 9 October 1940.
Paul McCartney’s birthday is 18 June 1942.
George Harrison’s birthday is 25 February 1943.
How Old Were The Beatles When They Broke Up in 1970?
The most fascinating place to start when talking about the Beatles’ ages is to work out how old they were when the band broke up.
The Beatles officially broke up on 10 April 1970, when Paul McCartney issued a press release.
The band had achieved a staggering amount in a very short amount of time, so you’ll probably be surprised to realise just how young they were when they left the Beatles – I know I was!
Ringo Starr was 29 years, 9 months and 3 days old, John Lennon was 29 years, 6 months and 1 day old, Paul McCartney was 27 years, 9 months and 23 days old, and George Harrison was 27 years, 1 month and 16 days old.
The Beatles had changed the course of music forever – all before any of them had turned 30!
Beatles Ages in Order
Ringo was the oldest Beatle, followed by John, followed by Paul, followed by George.
George was the youngest member of the Beatles.
Now that we know the ages of the Beatles when they broke up, and the order of their ages, let’s take a look at their ages on some of the most important dates in Beatles history:
6 July 1957 – John Lennon met Paul McCartney
On 6 July 1957 John Lennon met Paul McCartney at St Peter’s Church in Woolton, Liverpool. It’s still standing today, and you’re able to visit it on Liverpool Beatles tours!
At the time that they first met, John Lennon was playing in his original band, called The Quarrymen, which later went on to become The Beatles.
When they met for the first time, John Lennon was 16 years old, and Paul McCartney was 15 years old.
6 February 1958 – George Harrison Joined The Beatles
When George Harrison officially joined The Beatles he was 14 years old, but he was less than a month away from turning 15. This was the start of something special, as George went on to write over 20 songs for The Beatles!
At this time, John Lennon was 17 and Paul McCarney was 15.
17 August 1960 – The Beatles Went to Hamburg for the first time
When the Beatles went to Hamburg for the first of their numerous residencies on the Reeperbahn in St Pauli (Hamburg’s Red Light District), John Lennon was 19, Paul McCartney was 18 and George Harrison was 17.
Ringo Starr had not yet joined the band at this point. Instead, the band’s original lineup included Stuart Sutcliffe on bass and Pete Best on drums.
18 August 1962 – Ringo Starr Joined The Beatles
When Ringo Starr joined the Beatles, he was 22 years old. This made him the new oldest Beatle member. The other Beatles ages at that point were 21 (John), 20 (Paul), and 19 (George).
5 October 1962 – The Beatles’ First Single Was Released
The Beatles’ first official single, Love Me Do, was released in the UK in autumn 1962. You’re probably wondering about the ages of the Beatles on the date of the release, right?
Ringo Starr was 22, John Lennon was 21, Paul McCartney was 20, and George Harrison was 19.
22 March 1963 – The Beatles’ First Album Was Released
Please Please Me was the Beatles’ first album, and it was released in the UK in March 1963. I was so surprised to learn just how young the Beatles were when they released their first album!
On the release date, Ringo Starr was 23, John Lennon was 22, Paul McCartney was 20, and George Harrison was also 20.
9 February 1964 – The Beatles Make Their First Appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show
The Beatles took the world by storm when they made their first appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show on 9 February 1964 – when 73 million people tuned in! Many viewers were surprised to learn that The Beatles weren’t American.
This was The Beatles’ first time in America, and on this date, the ages of the Beatles were 23 (Ringo Starr), 23 (John Lennon), 21 (Paul McCartney), and 20 (George Harrison).
Those are the Beatles’ ages in 1964.
29 July 1965 – The Beatles Movie “Help” Was Released
The “Help” movie was The Beatles’ second movie, and on the release date Ringo Starr was 25, John Lennon was 24, Paul McCartney was 23, and George Harrison was 23.
5 August 1966 – Revolver Was Released in the U.K.
The Beatles’ first dip into hippie culture and psychedelia came with the release of Revolver, the Beatles’ 7th studio album. This album marked a turning point, and from here on out, the Beatles’ sound was very different.
On the U.K. release date for Revolver, Ringo Starr was 26, John Lennon was 25, Paul McCartney was 24, and George Harrison was 23.
26 May 1967 – Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band Was Released in the UK
The Beatles’ eighth studio album was a masterpiece. By now, the band had completely stopped touring to focus on studio work, and the result was this wild and wacky album.
At the time of the release of Sgt. Pepper’s, Ringo Starr was 26, John Lennon was 26, Paul McCartney was 24, and George Harrison was 24.
17 January 1969 – The Yellow Submarine Album Was Released in the UK
On the U.K. release date of Yellow Submarine, The Beatles’ 10th studio album, Ringo Starr was 28, John Lennon was 28, Paul McCartney was 26, and George Harrison was 25.
26 September 19969 – Abbey Road was Released in the U.K.
Abbey Road is arguably one of the Beatles’ most famous albums, thanks to its iconic album cover showing the four Beatles walking across the Abbey Road zebra crossing.
But how old were the Beatles when Abbey Road was released in the U.K.?
Ringo Starr was 29, John Lennon was 28, Paul McCartney was 27, and George Harrison was 26.
Who Was The Oldest Beatles Member?
The oldest Beatles member was Ringo Starr, who is 3 months and 2 days, or 94 days, older than the second-oldest Beatle, John Lennon. Ringo Starr joined the Beatles in 1962 when he was 22 years old.
Who Was The Youngest Beatle?
The youngest Beatle was George Harrison, who was 8 months and 7 days, or 252 days, younger than the second-youngest Beatle, Paul McCartney. George Harrison joined the Beatles in 1958 when he was 14.
What Are The Beatles Ages Now?
The current age of Paul McCartney is 81, and the current age of Ringo Starr is 83.
Unfortunately, two of the Beatles are now dead. John Lennon died on 8 December 1980, at the age of 40, and George Harrison died on 29 November 2001, at the age of 58.
Final Thoughts: The Beatles Ages
I hope you’ve enjoyed this deep-dive into how old the Beatles were at various points in time. It’s absolutely wild how much they achieved in such a short amount of time!
There’s no need to leave just yet, though. You see, this website is an absolute treasure trove for Beatles fans looking to learn more about their favourite band. I highly recommend a trip to the Beatles’ hometown, Liverpool, to learn more!
Once you’re in Liverpool, you can go on the Magical Mystery Tour (yes – it’s a real thing, and the tour bus looks just like the one in the Beatles movie!) to check out some of the coolest Beatles sites in the city.
Like Penny Lane, for example. Yup, it’s a real place, and you can visit it in Liverpool!
Want to dip your toes into Liverpool before fully committing to a huge Beatles bonanza? I’ve got you covered. Here’s my jam-packed 1 day in Liverpool itinerary if you’re short on time.
