That Was the Year That Was: 1964

1/11 -- Surgeon General's report on cigarette smoking released: "...use of cigarettes contributes substantially to mortality from certain specific diseases and to the overall death rate."

2/7 -- Beatles arrive in New York

3/14 -- Jack Ruby convicted of killing Lee Harvey Oswald, sentenced to death

3/23 -- Peter Lorre dies at 59

3/27 -- Anchorage earthquake kills 117

4/5 -- Douglas MacArthur dies at 84

4/14 -- Rachel Carson dies at 56

7/2 -- Civil Rights Act of 1964 signed by LBJ

8/2 -- Gulf of Tonkin incident

8/4 -- Three white civil rights workers found murdered in Philadelphia, Mississippi

8/7 -- Gulf of Tonkin Resolution passed by Congress, gave President authority to use "all necessary force" in Southeast Asia

8/19 -- Beatles arrive in San Francisco

8/27 -- Gracie Allen dies at 58

8/31 -- California declared most populous state

9/2 -- Sgt. Alvin York dies at 76

9/27 -- Warren Commission Report released

9/28 -- Harpo Marx dies at 70

10/10 -- Eddie Cantor dies at 72

10/15 -- Cole Porter dies at 71

10/20 -- Herbert Hoover dies at 90