John LennonMore Than A Beatle

John Lennon was born in 1940 during a German air raid

Liverpool, 1940 John Lennon was born October 9, 1940 in Liverpool, England during a German air raid when the Germans bombed Liverpool and all the major cities in England in World War II.

John Lennon, Age 5John’s childhood was chaotic and somewhat violent. His parents argued all the time and fought over him. His parents divorced and they made him decide which parent to live with. Finally, they sent him off to live with his Aunt Mimi.

John Lennon As a Child With His MotherJohn Lennon only saw his mother occasionally. He probably wished his life was more peaceful. It’s probably no surprise that as an adult, he became involved in the peace movement and wrote songs supporting peace.

Bed-In, 1969John wrote the song, Give Peace a Chance, in 1969, during his and Yoko’s honeymoon bed-in as a protest against the Vietnam War.

John Lennon and Yoko Ono At Bed-InJohn wanted everybody to hear his message about peace so he invited reporters into his hotel room in Montreal to interview him.

John Lennon and Yoko Ono At Bed-In

John Lennon and Yoko Ono At Bed-In

John Lennon and Yoko Ono At Bed-In

John Lennon Sings Give Peace A ChanceDuring the Bed-In he sang Give Peace A Chance several times for the reporters and he recorded it in the hotel room while the reporters were listening using only a simple rented four track tape recorder.

Moratorium to End the War in Vietnam, 1969Give Peace A Chance soon became an anthem for the peace movement and it was sung by half a million demonstrators to President Nixon in Washington, D.C. In 1969.

John Lennon, Imagine

Maciunas' USA Surpasses all the Genocide Records!, 1970.

John Lennon and Yoko Ono

John Lennon and Yoko Ono At Niagara Falls

President Richard NixonIn 1972 the Nixon Administration tried to have John Lennon deported from the U.S. President Richard Nixon believed that John Lennon’s peace activities and support for George McGovern (for president) was dangerous and would take away his re-election.

President Richard NixonThe CIA began investigating John by following him and reporting about his activities to Nixon. “Deportation would be a strategic plan” against John Lennon, Republican senator Strom Thurmond said in 1972.

John Lennon, 1974 On March 23, 1973 John Lennon was ordered to leave the US within 60 days but, Yoko was granted a permanent residence.

John Lennon and the Statue of LibertyIn 1975 John Lennon’s order of deportation was over turned and he was allowed to remain in the U.S.

John Lennon’s Memorial in Central Park, New York

Sadly on December 8, 1980, John Lennon was shot by Mark David Chapman. Unfortunately, like a lot of peace supporters such as Gandhi, and Martin Luther King Jr., John Lennon had a violent death.

John Lennon, 1940 - 1980