On this date in 1966, on what was to be their final US tour, The Beatles performed at New York's Shea Stadium. Unlike the previous year's appearance (on August 15, 1965), which had been completely sold out and saw 55,000 Beatlemaniacs screaming their lungs out, there were 11,000 unsold tickets for this performance.
Even so, due to their higher guaranteed appearance fee, the Beatles made more money this year than last.
The decline in ticket sales came as a result of the backlash against the band for comments John Lennon had made about Christianity, wherein he claimed that Christianity would fade and that the Beatles "were more popular than Jesus now."
The comments, which originally appeared in the London Evening Standard, drew little notice in the UK, but when they were re-printed in US teen magazine Datebook, the comments drew immense ire, resulting in death threats against the band and the burning of their records.