Following The Beatles’ unscheduled nine-hour stop in Anchorage, Alaska, their long journey to Tokyo continued.
Anchorage, Alaska, was like a cowboy town to us; it was really like a backwater. My only great memory of Alaska is that at the airport they have a huge, magnificent white bear in a glass case.
Ringo Starr was the owner of one of the first portable cassette recorders, and spent much of the journey recording the conversations of those around him on the aeroplane.
The Beatles flew from Anchorage International Airport, and landed at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport at 3.40am on 30 June.
Last updated: 2 November 2010
Also on this day...
- 2014: Ringo Starr live: Chicago Theatre, Chicago, Illinois
- 1974: UK single release: Band On The Run by Paul McCartney and Wings
- 1968: Recording: Good Night
- 1967: George Harrison is fined for speeding
- 1965: Live: Teatro Adriano, Rome, Italy
- 1964: Travel: New Zealand to Australia
- 1963: Live: Queen’s Hall, Leeds
- 1962: Live: Majestic Ballroom, Birkenhead
- 1961: Live: Top Ten Club, Hamburg
Want more? Visit the Beatles history section.
I was told the Beatles equiptment was stollen while in Alaska. I have a story about this which is quite interesting and I would like to confirm
I do know that they stayed at the Anchorage Westward Hilton. A friend of mine saw them hanging out the window of their hotel room
We were so excited the day the Beatles came to Anchorage! Yes, they looked out of the windows but no amount of persuading succeeded in getting them to interact further. We all listened on the local radio – it was reported that they played Barefootin’ (Robert Parker) over and over again in their room. Take off your shoes and throw them away; come back and get ’em another day …
So funny this is..
On around 10 December 1970 I also flew out of Anchorage headed for Tokyo. I was on my way way to Vietnam with the US Army. 2 weeks prior there was a crash during takeoff on a similar flight. These were people who we were together with in Ft Lewis waiting to go over.
https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19701127-1
The link above gives more detail.
Anyway when we landed about suppertime we had a layover where we could go inside or walk around etc. The longer than usual layover was due to this recent crash and it was on all of our minds (over 200 people)
The point of this whole story is that I only remember seeing one thing in Alaska that night ..and yeah- you guessed it- it was the polar bear in the glass cage in the terminal.
That was the first time I saw a bear (being from the city) and it stayed with me all these years like Ringo mentions above..
Joe -keep up the fantastic work on this site.
Sam