Richard Burton marries Elizabeth Taylor

The actors Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor married (for the first time) in Montreal, Canada, on March 15, 1964.

Boston Strangler Arrested

It was in this year that Albert Henry DeSalvo (1931-1973) was arrested. He was an American rapist and serial killer in Boston, Massachusetts, who purportedly confessed to being the "Boston Strangler," the murderer of 13 women in the Boston area from 1962 to 1964. In 1967, DeSalvo was imprisoned for life for committing a series of rapes. However, his murder confession has been disputed and debate continues as to which crimes he actually committed.

In 1968, a film about the murders, The Boston Strangler, was released, with DeSalvo being portrayed by Tony Curtis.

In July 2013, DNA was matched between seminal fluid found at the rape and murder of Mary Sullivan and DNA obtained from DeSalvo's nephew, linking DeSalvo to the murder of Sullivan and excluding 99.9% of the remaining population. Authorities exhumed DeSalvo's remains later that month and confirmed the DNA match.

Birth of Dan Brown

Daniel Gerhard Brown was born on June 22, 1964. He is an American author best known for his thriller novels, including the Robert Langdon novels Angels & Demons (2000), The Da Vinci Code (2003), The Lost Symbol (2009), Inferno (2013), and Origin (2017). His novels are treasure hunts which usually take place over a period of 24 hours and feature recurring themes - cryptography, art and conspiracy theories. His books have been translated into 57 languages and, as of 2012, have sold over 200 million copies. Three (Angels & Demons, The Da Vinci Code and Inferno have been adapted into films).

The Robert Langdon novels are deeply engaged with Christian themes and historical fiction, and have generated controversy. Brown states on his website that his books are not anti-Christian and he is on a "constant spiritual journey" himself. He claims that The Da Vinci Code is simply "an entertaining story that promotes spiritual discussion and debate" and suggests that the book may be used "as a positive catalyst for introspection and exploration of our faith." One doubts it.

Birth of Keanu Reeves

On September 2 the Canadian actor Keanu Reeves was born in Beirut. He was raised in Toronto.

Beatles Albums USA

No less than six albums were released in the USA in 1964, as the American label Capitol sort to catch up with the UK releases and spread things out a little. The first album to be released was on Vee Jay records and was called - Introducing... The Beatles. It came out in two forms. Meet the Beatles!, The Beatles' Second Album, (sic, as it was on Capitol) A Hard Day's Night (which included George Martin scored instrumentals from the film)  Something New, Beatles '65 (sic, it came out in December of 1964). 

Beatles Albums UK

In the UK two Beatles albums came out in the UK, both on Parlophone. A Hard Day's Night was the third studio album, released on 10 July 1964. The first side contained songs from the soundtrack to their film of the same name. In contrast to the Beatles' first two albums, all 13 tracks on A Hard Day's Night were written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, showcasing the development of their songwriting partnership. Beatles for Sale the fourth studio album was released on 4 December 1964.

Rolling Stones

In 1964 The Rolling Stones released two albums, both on Decca in the UK and London in the USA. (The track listing in the UK and the US was slightly different for the first album.) Their debut album was self-titled and their second album was called 12 X 5. Most titles were covers but not all.

Bob Dylan Albums

In 1964, Bob Dylan released two albums, both on Columbia Records and featuring only Dylan himself. The Times They Are a-Changin' is the third studio album, released on January 13. Whereas previous albums consisted of original material among cover songs, this third album was the first to feature only original compositions.

Another Side of Bob Dylan the fourth studio album was released on August 8.

The Hollies

Stay with The Hollies (American title: Here I Go Again) is the debut album by the British rock band The Hollies. It was released in January 1964 on Parlophone Records.

The Animals

The Animals is the self-titled debut album by the British band the Animals. It was released in the UK in October 1964 on Columbia Records. That same year an American version of the album was released.