Ringo Starr celebrated his 85th birthday on Monday, becoming the first member of the Beatles to reach the milestone while remaining an active performer. The Liverpool-born drummer, born Richard Starkey on 7 July 1940, now stands as the oldest surviving Beatle; John Lennon was killed in 1980 and George Harrison died in 2001. Starr marked the occasion by repeating his annual call for fans to flash the “peace and love” hand sign at noon, a tradition he began in 2008. Fellow Beatle Paul McCartney, 83, joined the well-wishers, posting a vintage photograph and writing, “A very happy birthday to my dear friend, Ringo (or should I say, Sir Richard).” Far from retiring, Starr continues to tour with his rotating super-group, the All Starr Band, and in January issued his twenty-first solo studio release, “Look Up,” featuring appearances by bluegrass guitarist Billy Strings, Molly Tuttle and producer T Bone Burnett. The milestone underscores the longevity of the Beatles’ two surviving members, who remain prominent more than six decades after the band’s breakthrough.