Led Zeppelin played their very first show in the United States on December 26, 1968 at the Denver Auditorium Arena opening for Vanilla Fudge and Spirit. Their debut album was released a few weeks later on January 12, 1969. By the end of that US tour in February, they had achieved headline status and announced their arrival as a force to be reckoned with. March & April were spent touring the U.K. and Europe while squishing in a recording session that started work on a second album–Led Zeppelin II, celebrating it’s 50th anniversary this month!