On this day in 1963, a Beatles record was played for the first time on American radio

Throughout the year the group had made a mark across Britain but had not yet seen much success in the US. This changed when WWDC DJ James Carroll obtained a copy of “I Want to Hold Your Hand” from his air stewardess girlfriend who brought the single back from Britain.

Though some reports say Chicago’s WLS began playing “Please Please Me” in February, Caroll is most commonly mentioned as being the first disc jockey to play a track from the band on American radio when he started broadcasting “I Want to Hold Your Hand” throughout DC on December 17.

Due to listener demand, the song was soon played daily, every hour. Since the song had not officially launched in the US, Capitol Records considered taking legal action but instead decided to release the single earlier than planned.