The British city of Liverpool home to the world-renowned Beatles launches Beatles Day on Thursday to celebrate the musical achievements of the band.

The event is to coincide with the 44th anniversary of the legendary band's triumphant homecoming after conquering the United States in 1964, Sky News reported.

Fans will vote for their favorite Beatles hit and a special concert at the Liverpool Echo Arena will be part of the celebration, with bands from across Britain playing cover versions of Beatles' biggest hits.

There will also be a special fun run and parades through locations the band has made world-famous, including Penny Lane and Strawberry Fields.

Thousands of inflatable guitars and 5-pound (some 10 dollars) mop-top' wigs will be on sale across Liverpool as the city honors the four-member band.

Money raised through the event will go toward Alder Hey Hospital and a fund to generate resources for a community center in memory of murdered schoolboy Rhys Jones.

"Liverpool has always been proud of The Beatles and it's a wonderful idea to combine an annual celebration of their music with a fund-raising drive for charity," said promoter Chas Cole, mastermind of the event.

"Beatles Day will really be about the ordinary people of this city and hopefully, in the future, cities in the UK and beyond," he added.

On July 10, 1964, The Beatles were greeted by thousands of screaming fans when they landed at Speke Airport - now John Lennon Airport - after a immensely successful American tour.

A crowd of 100,000 people lined the streets of Liverpool that evening as John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr made their way to a reception for the premiere of A Hard Day's Night.

(Xinhua News Agency July 10, 2008)