the Who

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Giant portrait of late Chinese chairman Mao Zedong hung over the Forbidden City. Imperial palace complex at the heart of Beijing (Peking), China. Palace Museum, north of Tiananmen Square. UNESCO World Heritage site.

Behind the Scenes: 7 Historical Figures in Beatles Lyrics

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Dancers at a Cinco de Mayo festival at the Mission District, San Francisco, California. (Photo dated 2019.) holidays

Is Cinco de Mayo Mexico's Independence Day?

Periodical Cicada, Adult, Magicicada spp. Requires 17 years to complete development. Nymph splits its skin, and transforms into an adult. Feeds on sap of tree roots. Northern Illinois Brood. This brood is the largest emergence of cicadas anywhere

Why Do Some Cicadas Appear Only Every 17 Years?

Amendments 1-10 to the Constitution of the United States constitute what is known as the Bill of Rights on an American flag.

What Is the Emoluments Clause?

King Cobra snake in Malaysia. (reptile)

9 of the World’s Deadliest Snakes

Berries and leaves of the bittersweet nightshade (Solanum dulcamara) plant. Poisonous plant

7 of the World’s Deadliest Plants

Figure 13: A Maxim machine gun, belt-fed and water-cooled, operated by German infantrymen, World War I.

7 Deadliest Weapons in History

Drinking water is poured into a glass.

Water Fluoridation: Just the Facts

the Who: Facts & Related Content

Written and fact-checked by The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

News •

The Who fire drummer Zak Starkey for second time in a month • May 20, 2025, 5:43 AM ET (The Guardian)

The Who Parts Ways With Drummer Zak Starkey (Again) • May 19, 2025, 2:42 AM ET (The Hollywood Reporter)

Officials reiterate right to join WHA • May 17, 2025, 4:26 AM ET (Taipei Times)

Legendary rock band The Who to say goodbye after six decades with final tour • May 12, 2025, 9:05 AM ET (The Star)

'All good things must come to an end': The Who announce North America farewell tour dates • May 8, 2025, 12:44 PM ET (AP)

Facts

Awards And Honors	Kennedy Center Honors (2008) • Grammy Award (2001) • Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum (1990)
Notable Works	“Quadrophenia” • “Tommy”
Date	1964
Related People	John Entwistle • Roger Daltrey • Keith Moon • Pete Townshend

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Topics

the Eagles the Beatles One Direction Coldplay Pink Floyd Guns N’ Roses AC/DC Led Zeppelin Queen Black Sabbath

Quiz

Woody Guthrie

Composers and Songwriters

Louis Armstrong, 1953.

What’s in a Name: Music Edition

the Beatles. George Harrison. Publicity still from Let It Be (1970) directed by Michael Lindsay Hogg starring The Beatles (John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr) a British musical quartet. film documentary rock music movie

Spotlight on Musical Groups

Gong. Closeup of a khong wong gong circle chime. Thai classical musical instrument, part of piphat ensemble. (percussion, music)

Music Quiz