The Day John Lennon Died!

On the 8th December 1980, an unidentified young man called Mark David Chapman asked John Lennon to sign his name on the streets of New York. A few hours later, he shot four hollow-point shots into Lennon’s back – fatally killing him in just a few seconds.

John Lennon’s tragic death shocked the world. On the 8th of December in 1980, the former Beatle was shot to death from the outside of his Manhattan apartment, The Dakota. Within a few minutes, one of the most famous rock stars of all time was lost forever.

Lennon’s flamboyant personality and his lyrical talent made a lasting impression on the world following his passing — when fans gathered in front of his residence to mourn his huge loss. Mark David Chapman, the crazy Beatles fan who killed John Lennon, was immediately arrested and is still in jail today.

What transpired to The Dakota on that infamous December night? What happened? How did John Lennon die? What was the reason Mark David Chapman decide to commit suicide with a man whom he was once a fan of?

The Hours Before John Lennon’s Death

On the 8th of December, 1980 John Lennon had a typical start to his day as the rock star that is. After a brief break from his music, Lennon — and his wife Yoko Ono just released a brand new album dubbed Double Fantasy. Lennon was in the studio that day to promote the album.

[People Profile] All We Know About Becky Hill Biography, Career, Love Life, Scandals, Networth

In the beginning, Ono and Ono met with Annie Leibovitz. The famous photographer was there to shoot a photograph to submit for Rolling Stone. After some deliberation, Lennon decided he would take a naked photo — and his wife dressed. Leibovitz took what would be an iconic and well-known photograph that the couple has ever taken. The couple Ono Lennon was delighted by the picture.

“This is it,” Lennon told Leibovitz as she handed him the Polaroid. “This is our relationship.”

Then A short time later, a team of RKO Radio arrived at The Dakota to record the final Lennon interview. At one moment during the interview, Lennon mused about getting older.

“When we were kids, 30 was dead, right?” Lennon said. “I’m 40 now and I feel just… I feel better than before.” In the course of an interview, Lennon took a moment to reflect on his huge collection of work “I consider that my work won’t be finished until I’m dead and buried and I hope that’s a long, long time.”

Unfortunately, Lennon would die later that same day.

A Fateful Meeting With Mark David Chapman

The moment that Lennon And Ono quit The Dakota a few hours after, they had a brief conversation with the man who was to murder Lennon on the same day. While waiting outside the apartment, Mark David Chapman held an unopened copy of Double Fantasy in his hands.

Ron Hummel, a producer who was in the same room with Lennon and Ono recalls the moment well. He remembers Chapman was silently handing his Double Fantasy copy to Ono. Double Fantasy, which Lennon signed. “[Chapman] was silent,” Hummel declared. “John demanded, “Is this all you need?’ but yet, Chapman said nothing.”

Not surprisingly, Chapman is also awed by this moment.

“He was very kind to me,” Chapman told me about Lennon. “Ironically extremely kind and very patient with me. There was a limousine in the waiting room… And the driver took his time with me. He then took the pen out and signed my album. He asked me what I wanted to know. I replied”No. Yes sir. He left. A very polite and courteous man.”

Lennon’s kindness towards Chapman did not alter anything. The 25-year-old, located in Hawaii at the time, had traveled from Hawaii to New York to murder John Lennon.

[Poeple Profile] All We Know About Victoria Dawn Justice, Biography, Career, Networth, Scandals

Though he had thought about other murders of celebrities such as John Lennon’s former bandmate Paul McCartney — Chapman was able to develop a particular hatred towards Lennon. Chapman’s dislike for Lennon’s former Beatle began after Lennon famously stated that his band had been “more popular than Jesus.” As time passed, Chapman began to see Lennon as an unreliable “poser.”

The day before his final day of working as a security guard at the airport in Hawaii, Chapman signed out of his shift like every other day — except Chapman wrote: “John Lennon” instead of his actual name. He was then preparing for a flight to New York City.

However, before taking out John Lennon, Chapman apparently was looking for an autograph. After Lennon accepted, Chapman slunk back into the darkness near his apartment. He observed the moment Lennon and Ono took off in their car and left. He waited for them to return.

How Did John Lennon Die?

At 10:50 pm on the 8th of December, the 8th of December, 1980 John Lennon and Yoko Ono returned to The Dakota. Chapman later added, “John came out, and he looked at me, and I think he recognized… here’s the fellow that I signed the album earlier, and he walked past me.”

When Lennon headed towards the house he was staying in, Chapman raised his weapon. He fired five times and four of the rounds were aimed at Lennon at the back. Lennon fell into the building screaming, “I’m shot!” Ono was according to Chapman hiding after hearing the gunshots. was quick to comfort her husband as she realized he was assaulted.

“I stood there with the gun hanging limply down at my right side,” Chapman described in a later interview. “Jose the doorman walked in and he was crying. And the doorman is grabbing him and shook my hand and then the gun was shaking straight out of my hands and that was a courageous thing to do to an unarmed person. He also kicked the gun across the road.”

Chapman was patiently waiting for his arrest, while in the midst of reading The Catcher the Rye, a book that was his obsession. He was later sent to prison for 20.

As per reports, John Lennon died almost immediately when he was shot. He was bleeding heavily and too badly to be able to wait for the ambulance to arrive, Lennon was rushed to the police car and taken to Roosevelt Hospital. However, it was too late.

Lennon was declared dead upon his arrival. News that the attack had occurred had been circulating like wildfire. Stephen Lynn, the doctor who appeared to address the media, made the official announcement that Lennon was dead.

“Extensive resuscitative efforts were made,” Lynn explained. “But in spite of transfusions and many procedures, he could not be resuscitated.”

[People Profile] All We Know About Tessa Thompson, Biography, Career, Scandals

Doctors officially declared Lennon to be dead around 11:07 p.m. on the 8th of December in 1980. And, as Lynn stated to the crowd John Lennon’s cause for death was probably a fatal shot wound that was caused by the shootings.

“There was a significant injury of the major vessels inside the chest, which caused a massive amount of blood loss, which probably resulted in his death,” Lynn explained. “I’m certain that he was dead at the moment that the first shots hit his body.”

Former Beatles React To John Lennon’s Death

Millions mourned over the murder of John Lennon. However, no one except Ono was aware of Lennon, as did others from the former Beatles: Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr as well as George Harrison. How did they react to the death of John Lennon?

McCartney was a cornered artist in the studio, and was reported to have said, “It’s a drag.” Much criticized for this statement, McCartney later clarified his remarks: “There was a reporter, and as we were driving away, he just stuck the microphone in the window and shouted, ‘What do you think about John’s death?’ I had just finished a whole day in shock and I said, ‘It’s a drag.’ I meant drag in the heaviest sense of the word.”

After a long time, McCartney told an interviewer, “It was just so terrible that you couldn’t be able to take it in. I could not accept it. In the course of a few some days, you couldn’t imagine that he had gone.”

In the case of Starr, He lived located in The Bahamas in the Bahamas at that time. When he learned that John Lennon was dead, Starr flew to New York City and walked straight into The Dakota, and asked Ono what he could do to help. She suggested he be able to keep Sean Lennon — her son who was with John engaged. “And that’s what we did,” explained Starr.

In the year 2019, Starr admitted to getting emotional when he thinks of the way John Lennon died: “I still well up that some bastard shot him.”

Harrison the actor made this statement to the media:

“After everything we’ve gone through together, I have and continue to have tremendous respect and love for him. I am stunned and shocked. Robbery is the most heinous crime in the world. Incessant encroachment of other people’s privacy is pushed to its limits by using firearms. It’s an outrage that gunmen can inflict harm on the lives of others while they clearly don’t have their own lives in order.”

In private, Harrison reportedly told his acquaintances, “I just wanted to be in the band. Now, twenty decades later and someone’s random person has shot my friend. I was just looking to be a guitarist in an ensemble.”

In the days following John Lennon’s demise, the world mourned alongside his wife and his former bandmates. A crowd gathered outside The Dakota, where Lennon was killed. Radio stations played songs from the past Beatles songs. Candlelight vigils were held across the globe.

Unfortunately, some fans found John Lennon’s passing so shocking that they decided to take their life.

Ono With the help of New York City officials, made a fitting tribute to her husband who passed away. After Lennon’s passing the city decided to name the small portion within Central Park “Strawberry Fields” in honor of one of the well-known Beatles songs.

Since then it was established, the park has been transformed into an ode to John Lennon. Within the 2.5 acres of Strawberry Fields is a circular marble mosaic in black and white, engraved with the word “Imagine” at its center which is a reference to one of Lennon’s famous songs.

[People Profile] All We Know About Janelle Monáe, Biography, Networth, Scandals

“During his career with the Beatles and in his solo work, John’s music gave hope and inspiration to people around the world,” Ono later stated. “His campaign for peace lives on symbolized here at Strawberry Fields.”

John Lennon lives on in different ways than Strawberry Fields. The music of his time continues to inspire and delight generations. The song “Imagine” — Lennon’s famous song about creating peace in the world is believed by some to be the best song ever recorded.

Lennon’s murderer, Mark David Chapman is still in prison until this day. His parole was refused 11 times. Each time, Yoko Ono has sent an open letter, urging the board to put him in jail.

Chapman earlier claimed that he killed Lennon to gain fame. He claimed in 2010 that he killed Lennon to gain fame. claimed, “I felt that by killing John Lennon I would become somebody, and instead of that I became a murderer, and murderers are not somebodies.” In 2014, he declared “I am sorry for being such an idiot and choosing the wrong way for glory,” and added that “Jesus has forgiven me.”

He’s since declared his actions “premeditated, selfish, and evil.” It’s likely that many people believe in this.