Thousands of Beatles fans visited the famous London crosswalk that's found on the cover photo of their 1969 album Abbey Road. The event marked the 50th anniversary of the day the picture was taken.

According to NME, an estimated 3,500 people made their way to the spot, located near the intersection of Abbey and Grove End roads in St. John's Wood and across the street from where the group made most of their records. Some fans brought guitars; one man, dressed as Paul McCartney, even proposed to his girlfriend while surrounded by men dressed as the other three Beatles.

Social media featured many of these fans recreating the famous photo. Pattie Boyd, the former wife of George Harrison, wasn't at the event, but she shared a picture taken by a friend who attended.

You can see a selection of these social-media posts below.

Photographing yourself in the middle of Abbey Road is a rite of passage for Beatles fans when in London. Five years ago, local officials were so concerned about the pedestrian traffic at the crosswalk during the summer, when tourism is at its peak, that they considered putting a crossing guard to ensure safety.

McCartney posted a video of himself in the crosswalk last year, when he visited the recording studio to perform in support of Egypt Station. His daughter Mary captured the moment. He was also photographed in the same spot for the cover of his 1993 concert album, Paul Is Live.

The Beatles also announced an Abbey Road box set that arrives on  Sept. 27, one day after the 50th anniversary of its original release. The set contains three CDs -- a remix of the original LP, plus two discs of demos and alternate takes, including the Side Two medley in its original sequence -- as well as a Blu-ray and a 100-page book with a forward by McCartney. The set was remastered by Giles Martin and engineer Sam Okell.

 

50 Years of 'Abbey Road' Album Cover Tributes and Parodies

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