Queen Elizabeth II presented the Beatles
Posted Saturday, September 26, 2015 06:38 AM

September 26, 1965…Queen Elizabeth II presented the Beatles with the Order of the British Empire. The award had been recommended by Prime Minister Harold Wilson who explained, "I saw the Beatles as having a transforming effect on the minds of youth, mostly for the good. It kept a lot of kids off the streets."

The Fab Four, who reportedly got high in a bathroom before the event, were said to be delighted, but many older and more conservative previous honorees returned their awards in protest. John Lennon later gave his award back, protesting "the war in Vietnam and also 'Cold Turkey' slipping down the charts."