May 8, 1943: Paul Samwell-Smith was born.
July 25, 1943: Jim McCarty was born.
June 24, 1944: Jeff Beck was born.
November 11, 1944: Chris Dreja was born.
1964: The Animals, Rolling Stones, Yardbirds and other British blues bands achieve success recording American blues; Son House “rediscovered” and performs at the Newport Folk Festival.
1965: Eric Clapton leaves the Yardbirds and joins John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers.
June 5, 1965: The Yardbirds’ “For Your Love” enters the Billboard Hot 100 at Number 84. The song stays on the charts for twelve weeks, peaking at Number Six.
September 23, 1966: The Yardbirds, with lead guitarists Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page, embark upon a British tour with the Rolling Stones and Tina Turner.
July 7, 1968: The Yardbirds break up, guitarist Jimmy Page forms the New Yardbirds and changes the group’s name to Led Zeppelin, allegedly on the advice of the Who’s Keith Moon.
May 14, 1976: Keith Relf of the Yardbirds dies of electrocution in his London home.
1992: The Yardbirds inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
