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- English musician, singer-songwriter and co-founder of The Beatles, John Winston Lennon, was born in Liverpool, England. In 1956 he formed the Quarrymen, which evolved into The Beatles in 1960, and his songwriting partnership with Paul McCartney became the most successful in history. He was shot and killed by Mark Chapman in New York on December 8, 1980, aged 40.
- John Lennon apologized at a press conference at the Astor Towers Hotel in Chicago for his remark that The Beatles were “more popular than Jesus.” The remark was originally published by the London Evening Standard. Lennon explained that he was talking about the intense obsession of fans with the group and that he could have mentioned television, cinema or automobiles instead—anything popular. His remark sparked protests, bans and Beatles record burnings in the US, especially among some Christian communities.
- John Lennon flew from London to Hanover, Germany, to begin work on his role as Private Gripweed in Richard Lester's film How I Won the War, which was filmed in Spain. The glasses worn by his character later became a defining part of Lennon's look.
- John Lennon recorded three takes of "Julia" as his solo contribution to The Beatles' album commonly known as the White Album.
- John Lennon wrote the song „Cold Turkey“ about heroin withdrawal, rehearsed it during the afternoon and recorded it that evening with Ringo Starr and Klaus Voormann. During the recording he also drew on his recent experience with primal scream therapy. Despite unfavorable reviews and a BBC ban, the song reached the U.K. Top 20 and U.S. Top 30 and became a precursor to his later album „Plastic Ono Band“.
- John Lennon flew from London's Heathrow Airport to New York. According to the source, he never subsequently set foot on British soil again, although he planned to visit his aunt Mimi before his death in December 1980.
- John Lennon left the United Kingdom and traveled to New York, from where he never permanently returned to Britain.
- John Lennon’s album “Imagine” received a gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in the United States. The certification was later upgraded to double platinum for more than two million copies sold in the USA.
- John Lennon's album “Imagine” entered the U.S. album chart at No. 155 and climbed to No. 1 during October. The first copies of the album included a postcard featuring Lennon holding a pig as a reference to the photograph of Paul McCartney with a sheep on the cover of the album “Ram.”
- John Lennon released the single “Imagine” in the UK.
- John Lennon's Imagine LP was released. It reached #1 on both sides of the Atlantic and was later ranked #76 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.
- John Lennon celebrated his 31st birthday at Yoko Ono's first major art exhibition, "This Is Not Here", at the Everson Art Museum in Syracuse, New York. Ringo Starr, Phil Spector, Bob Dylan, Frank Zappa and several Hollywood actors also attended.
- John Lennon claimed that he saw a UFO from the balcony of his New York apartment, which he shared with May Pang. He described it as a typical flying saucer surrounded by lights, with a red light on top. He later recorded the date and time of the alleged sighting, August 23, 1974 at 9 p.m., in the notes to the album “Walls and Bridges”.
- John Lennon testified in federal court that the Nixon administration had sought to deport him because of his participation in anti-war demonstrations during the Republican convention in Miami, Florida, in 1972. He also said he suspected that his phones had been tapped and that he had been followed by government agents. The federal appeals court overturned the deportation order on October 7, 1975.
- John Lennon released the album Walls And Bridges in the UK. The album was created during his separation from Yoko Ono and became his US number-one album, reaching the top of the Billboard chart several weeks later.
- The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit overturned John Lennon's deportation order. The court ruled that his 1968 British conviction for marijuana possession did not provide sufficient legal grounds for his deportation. The decision also rejected selective deportation based on secret political motives.
- John Lennon and Yoko Ono began recording the album “Double Fantasy” at The Hit Factory in New York, Lennon’s final studio album.
- John Lennon began recording his final album, “Double Fantasy”. The album was released on November 17 by the newly established Geffen Records and reached No. 1 on the Billboard Top LPs & Tape chart three weeks later. In February 1982, it won Album of the Year at the 24th Grammy Awards.
- John Lennon released "Starting Over," his first single in five years. At the end of December it would top the Billboard Hot 100 for five weeks and the UK chart for one week.
- Mark David Chapman, who murdered John Lennon outside the Dakota building in New York on December 8, 1980, was sentenced to 20 years to life in prison. His parole requests were repeatedly denied.
- The documentary film Imagine: John Lennon, commissioned by Yoko Ono and directed by Andrew Solt, premiered in theaters.
- On what would have been John Lennon's 60th birthday, the book "Lennon Remembers: The Complete Rolling Stone Interviews" was released, containing previously unpublished controversial interviews and material considered too controversial to publish years earlier.
- The John Lennon Museum opened in Japan on what would have been his 60th birthday. It operated for exactly ten years under an agreement with Yoko Ono.
- The concert Come Together: A Night for John Lennon's Words and Music took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York. Performers included Dave Matthews Band, Alanis Morissette, Stone Temple Pilots, and Moby; the host was Kevin Spacey.
- A memorial to John Lennon was unveiled in the Scottish village of Durness. Lennon spent his holidays there from the age of seven to fifteen, and the memorial consists of three stones engraved with verses from the song “In My Life”.
- Sixteen of John Lennon's solo albums were made available for download through iTunes for the first time following an agreement approved by Yoko Ono. The agreement followed a long legal dispute between Apple Corps and Apple.
- Mark David Chapman was denied parole for the fifth time.
- Rolling Stone published a 1970 interview with John Lennon in which he discussed some of the reasons for The Beatles' breakup. Lennon said that his bandmates did not respect and insulted Yoko Ono, and he also criticized his former songwriting relationship with Paul McCartney.
- Worldwide media reported that a toilet once owned by John Lennon sold at auction for £9,500 ($14,740), approximately ten times its original estimated value. After a new toilet was installed, Lennon told builder John Hancock, who took away the original blue-and-white toilet: “Put some flowers in it or something.” The toilet had been stored for more than 40 years and was put up for sale after Hancock died.
- The FBI seized a set of John Lennon's fingerprints from a New York music memorabilia dealer who wanted to sell them for a minimum bid of $100,000. The fingerprints had been taken at a New York police station in 1976 when Lennon applied for permanent residency in the United States. The FBI believed the card still belonged to the government and investigated how it had ended up in private hands.
- A black knitted tie once owned by John Lennon was auctioned in Liverpool for £3,627. Lennon had given it to Joyce McWilliam, a regular visitor to the Cavern Club, in 1962.
- A signed copy of John Lennon’s 1964 humorous book “In His Own Write” sold for more than $5,600 on eBay after 47 bids. The book contained short stories, poems and drawings.
- John Lennon's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame was covered with graffiti several days before what would have been his 73rd birthday. After authorities were notified, the damage was quickly removed and the star repaired.
- Spotify announced that it had acquired the rights to John Lennon's solo catalog and made it available worldwide for streaming. The offering included his eight solo studio albums, from Plastic Ono Band to Milk and Honey, and three official compilations. Collaborations with Yoko Ono were not included.
- The US Postal Service issued a commemorative stamp honoring John Lennon, featuring a photograph by Bob Gruen from the photo session for Lennon's 1974 album “Walls and Bridges”. The stamp was unveiled at a ceremony in New York's Central Park attended by Lennon's widow Yoko Ono and son Sean Lennon.
- Fifty years after its release, John Lennon’s “Imagine” receives a triple-platinum certification from the RIAA. The single peaked at No. 3 in the U.S. and, when issued with the album Shaved Fish in 1975, reached No. 6 in the UK.
- A letter signed by John Lennon on the day of his assassination was offered at auction by Gotta Have Rock and Roll. It was addressed to his accountant Barry Nichols and named three voting representatives for an Apple Corps meeting scheduled nine days later. The document sold for $63,750.