On July 26, 1965, Bob Dylan, one of the most influential singer-songwriters of all time, performed a historic set at the Newport Folk Festival in Rhode Island. This performance marked a significant turning point in Dylan's career and in the history of rock music.

Dylan had been known as an acoustic folk singer, but on this day, he shocked the audience by taking the stage with an electric guitar and a full backing band. He launched into an electrified version of his hit song "Like a Rolling Stone," which had been released just a few days earlier.

The audience, mostly composed of die-hard folk fans, was taken aback by Dylan's new sound. Some booed and walked out, feeling that Dylan had betrayed the acoustic folk tradition. Others, however, were thrilled by the raw energy and power of Dylan's electric performance.

This event marked Dylan's transition from a purely folk artist to a rock and roll icon. It also signaled a broader shift in popular music, as more and more artists began to experiment with electric instruments and a harder-edged sound.

Despite the mixed reactions at the time, Dylan's electric set at Newport is now seen as a landmark moment in music history. It demonstrated Dylan's willingness to take risks and challenge expectations, a quality that would define his career for decades to come.

The performance also had a profound impact on other artists. Many musicians, from the Beatles to Bruce Springsteen, have cited Dylan's electric turn as a major influence on their own work.

In the years that followed, Dylan would continue to reinvent himself, exploring a wide range of musical styles and themes. But his performance at the Newport Folk Festival on July 26, 1965, remains a defining moment, a day when one of the greatest artists of his generation took a bold step forward and changed the course of popular music forever.