U2 at 50: 50 things you might not know

1. The origins of U2 can be traced back to a kitchen in Artane, Dublin, on September 25, 1976. A notice placed by drummer Larry Mullen Jr. on the school board of Mount Temple Comprehensive School sought musicians for a new band. 3. Seven individuals responded to Mullen's call: Peter Martin, Ivan McCormick, Paul Hewson (Bono), Adam Clayton, and the brothers Dave and Dik Evans.

4. Initially, the group went by the name "Larry Mullen Band" for a brief period before evolving into The Hype and eventually settling on U2. Averill, a member of Dublin band The Radiators From Space, suggested the name after The Hype wanted a new moniker. 7. U2 made their debut on Irish television during an appearance on the RTÉ youth programme Youngline on March 2, 1978, performing Street Mission.

8. U2's breakthrough came when they won a talent contest in Limerick in March 1978. They performed at the Stella Ballroom and won a competition that included £500 and the opportunity to audition for a recording contract. 9. Paul McGuinness, who would later become U2's manager, first witnessed the band at Dublin's Project Arts Centre in 1978.

Though initially unimpressed by their musical skills, he was impressed by their determination and drive, eventually managing the band for many years. 10. U2's first release, U2-3, originally contained only 1,000 copies, which were individually hand-numbered. 11. Listeners of RTÉ Radio 2 were instrumental in determining which song would be the lead single for U2's first album.

Dave Fanning played Out of Control, Stories for Boys, and Boy/Girl on his radio show, and the audience chose "Out of Control." 12. Bono penned "Out of Control" on his 18th birthday, marking his songwriting debut. 13. U2 endured numerous rejections before securing a major record deal. Despite McGuinness's faith in the band, they struggled to land a long-term contract.

Eventually, U2 signed with Island Records in 1980. 15. The image of a boy on the cover of U2's debut album, Boy, was not a band member. It was Peter Rowen, the younger brother of Bono's childhood friend Guggi. Rowen appeared on several early U2 album covers and returned on the cover of the 1998 compilation The Best of 1980 - 1990, wearing a military helmet.

16. While recording October, Bono lost a set of lyrics during an American tour, forcing him to either improvise or reconstruct the material on the spot. 17. War, U2's third album, became their first UK number one album, displacing Michael Jackson's Thriller for a week in 1983. 18. "New Year's Day" marked U2's first UK top ten single, reaching number ten in Britain and number 53 on the US Billboard Hot 100.

19. U2's first live album, Under a Blood Red Sky, featured performances from three different concerts on their War tour. The accompanying concert film was taken from the famous Red Rocks show in Colorado. 20. The Red Rocks show, held in June 1983, took place in cold and wet conditions, but the rain added to the band's spectacle.

21. U2's 1984 album, The Unforgettable Fire, marked the beginning of one of their most significant creative partnerships. Recorded at locations like Slane Castle and Windmill Lane Studios, the album was produced by Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois. 22. U2 performed at Croke Park for the first time in 1985, with around 60,000 fans attending their homecoming show on The Unforgettable Fire tour.

The event also featured R.E.M., The Alarm, Squeeze, and In Tua Nua. 23. During U2's Live Aid performance in 1985 at Wembley Stadium, Bono left the stage during "Bad" to interact with the crowd. This extended the song's duration to approximately 14 minutes, leading to the omission of "Pride (In the Name of Love)" from their planned set.

24. "The Joshua Tree" sold over 20 million copies worldwide, propelling U2 to international stardom. Released in March 1987, the album was produced by Brian Eno and produced by Steve Lillywhite.