John Lennon's life in pictures

Lennon was born on October 9, 1940 in Liverpool. Already as a child (pictured here with his mother Julia), Lennon was more interested in various musical instruments than in school. Buddy Holly and Elvis Presley were his idols. In 1956, Lennon founded the Black Jacks, renamed the band as The Quarrymen and recruited Paul McCartney and George Harrison. In 1960 they became The Beatles.

The success of the band was unprecedented. At concerts worldwide, their music was at times not even audible due to screaming fans. Lennon and McCartney were the band's main songwriters and fought their battles early on to impose their own ideas. It's only on the band's second album, "With the Beatles" (1963), that Harrison was first allowed to contribute a composition.

In 1967, at the height of their drug consumption, the band returned from a trip to Greece. Lennon had persuaded his band mates to purchase an island there to build a hippie commune. The band had always been good at coming up with big ideas while on the road, drummer Ringo Starr later said. But little came from it and the commune remained just a dream.

In the same year, the BBC commissioned The Beatles to compose a song for "Our World" which was broadcast worldwide. Soon after, the band found themselves in Abbey Road Studios with an orchestra ensemble alongside Mick Jagger, Eric Clapton and Marianne Faithfull and recorded "All You Need Is Love." For many, this was the peak of the band's musical career.

In 1966, Lennon met Japanese avant-garde artist Yoko Ono. In 1968, their joint experimental album "Two Virgins" was released. Lennon went on to play at concerts without his band. In 1969, the couple released "Wedding Album" and celebrated their union. The pair founded the Plastic Ono Band, and The Beatles fell even further apart. Their last album was "Abbey Road": Lennon later said he disliked it.

Taken in 1971, this picture shows Lennon one year after the separation of The Beatles. McCartney announced the dissolution of the band and preceded Lennon, who had informed the members of his decision. Although he described the feud with Lennon as "pretty hurtful," McCartney said that the band members never despised one another. Lennon went on to release his first solo hit, "Instant Karma."

In 1971, after The Beatles split, Lennon and Ono moved to New York. In the mid-1970s, John retired into private life and became a stay-at-home father, taking care of his second son. Lennon and Ono are shown here in August 1980 on their way to The Hit Factory recording studio, where they worked on "Double Fantasy," Lennon's first album after five years – and also his last.

"Double Fantasy" was released on November 17, 1980. Lennon and Ono are seen kissing tenderly on the cover. Following Lennon's assassination outside his home three weeks later, the album climbed to number one on music charts, as did the single "Starting Over" and Lennon's earlier songs, including "Imagine."