Time Capsule: Jan. 16, 1957

The Cavern Club opened in Liverpool, England 52 years ago.

The underground club was opened on Jan. 16, 1957 by owner Alan Sytner, who started it after having been impressed by cellar bars he'd visited in Paris, France. He turned an old bomb shelter into a jazz bar, and The Cavern Club was born.

Despite originally targeting a jazz audience, the bar soon became known for hosting blues, beat and skiffle groups. Ringo Starr made his first performance at The Cavern Club before any other member of The Beatles, since he played with beat group Rory Storm And The Hurricanes at the club on May 25, 1960.

The Beatles made their Cavern Club debut on Feb. 21, 1961. The lunchtime show was played just after the band had returned from a grueling run in Hamburg, Germany. Over the next two years, they would play The Cavern Club nearly 300 times, and their last appearance came on Aug. 3, 1963.

The Hollies took The Beatles slot at The Cavern Club after the band became famous and left for America. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, many different acts would play the club, such as The Rolling Stones, The Kinks, Elton John, The Who, John Lee Hooker and others.

The Cavern Club was closed in May 1973, and Liverpool soccer player Tommy Smith bought it 11 years later. Smith re-built the club so it would look as close to the original Cavern Club as possible, and it was re-opened in 1991. The club is still open and remains a popular spot for "secret" shows, having previously hosted those by the Arctic Monkeys, Oasis and Travis.