John Lennon, who imagined a world at peace, was killed 40 years ago in New York
A gallery of images from John Lennon’s life and the aftermath of his killing on Dec. 8, 1980.
The Liverpool beat group The Beatles, with John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, George Harrison, take it easy resting their feet on a table, during a break in rehearsals for the Royal variety show at the Prince of Wales Theater, London, England, November 4, 1963. (AP Photo)
Paul McCartney, left, and John Lennon, two members of the Beatles pop group during a concert in London, on Nov. 11, 1963. (AP Photo/N)
The Beatles arrive at Speke airport, Liverpool on July 10, 1964, for the Liverpool premiere of their movie "A Hard Day's Night." From left: John Lennon, George Harrison, Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney. (AP Photo)
American TV host Ed Sullivan, left, talks with three members of the British pop group The Beatles during a rehearsal for their appearance on his TV show, in New York, Feb. 8, 1964. From left, Sullivan, John Lennon, Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney. George Harrison, the fourth member of the group missed the rehearsal due to illness. (AP Photo)
In this Feb. 9, 1964, file photo, The Beatles, from left, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr on drums, and John Lennon perform on the CBS "Ed Sullivan Show" in New York. The Beatles made their first appearance on "The Ed Sullivan Show," America's must-see weekly variety show, on Sunday, Feb. 9, 1964, and officially kicked off Beatlemania. (AP Photo/File)
John Lennon of the Beatles is shown backstage at the "Ed Sullivan Show" in New York, Feb. 9, 1964. (AP Photo)
FILE - In this Feb. 18, 1964, file photo, The Beatles, from left, Paul McCartney, John Lennon, Ringo Starr, and George Harrison, take a fake blow from Cassius Clay, who later changed his name to Muhammad Ali, while visiting the heavyweight contender at his training camp in Miami Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/File)
Beatle John Lennon and his wife, Cynthia, pictured at London Airport July 2, 1964, when the group arrived from their three-week tour of Australia and New Zealand. At a press conference after his arrival, Lennon denied a rumor that he was leaving the group. (AP Photo/Victor Boynton)
John Lennon from the Beatles salutes to airport staff after arriving in Paris, France for a series of concerts at L'Olympia on Jan. 14, 1964. (AP Photo/Spartaco Bodini)
John Lennon from The Beatles holds a Poll Winners award at the Empire Pool in Wembley, London, England on April 26, 1964. The awards are organized by the New Musical Express. (AP Photo/Hood)
In this March 2, 1964 file photo, Britain's pop group The Beatles, from top left John Lennon, George Harrison and from bottom left, Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney pose in the window of train at Paddington Station in London. (AP Photo/Bob Dear, File)
Beatle John Lennon is shown in this 1965 photo at an unknown location. (AP Photo)
Beatle John Lennon and his wife, Cynthia, arrive late for a news conference at Twickenham Studios, Middlesex, England, on June 12, 1965. The Beatles have been created members of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the Queen's birthday honors list. Behind the couple at center is the band's manager Brian Epstein. (AP Photo)
British rock and roll singer John Lennon of the Beatles arrives in an armored car before a concert in Houston, Tex., on Aug. 19, 1965. Screaming fans surrounded the group from the moment their plane arrived in Houston for radio station KILT's "Back to School Show" at Sam Houston Coliseum. (AP Photo/Ferd Kaufman)
Beatle John Lennon smiles as he poses with his Member of the Order of the British Empire medal (MBE), presented to the Beatles by the Queen of England in a ceremony at Buckingham Palace, in London, England on Oct. 26, 1965. (AP Photo)
John Lennon, one of the members of the Beatles is shown as a state trooper aids him through a crowd of newsmen at Logan International Airport in Boston, Aug. 11, 1966 as he and other members transferred planes after a flight from London. The Beatles are en route to Chicago where they will start their third tour of American cities. It was Lennon who was quoted as saying the group is more popular than Jesus, setting off a ban by numerous U.S. radio stations on playing their records. (AP Photo)
The Beatles pose for photographers during a press conference in New York on Monday, August 23, 1966. The group wound up thier current U.S. tour with a concert in New York. L-R: Ringo Starr; Paul McCartney; John Lennon; and George Harrison. (AP Photo)
John Lennon from The Beatles with son Julian, at Heathrow Airport London, July 22, 1967, before boarding a plane for a holiday trip to Athens, Greece. His wife Cynthia, fellow Beatle Paul McCartney and Jane Asher were also in the party. (AP Photo/Peter Kemp)
Singer John Lennon shown at a news conference May 13, 1968 at the Americana Hotel in New York. (AP Photo/John Lindsay)
John Lennon arrives at the premiere of the new Beatles cartoon film Yellow Submarine at the London Pavillion Cinema, England on July 17, 1968. (AP Photo/Peter Kemp)
In this 1968 photo, John Lennon of The Beatles poses with his son Julian. (AP Photo, File)
Beatle John Lennon waves his marriage certificate as his bride, Japanese artist Yoko Ono, stands at his side after their wedding at the Rock of Gibraltar on March 20, 1969. They are about to board a chartered jet to Paris where they will honeymoon. (AP Photo)
John Lennon, right, is seen with his wife Yoko Ono at a press conference in 1969. (AP Photo)
John Lennon and his wife Yoko Ono display a letter from Lennon to British Prime Minister Harold Wilson at the Beatles' Apple Records headquarters, Nov. 25, 1969. The letter explains his reasons for returning his Order of the British Empire medal, including British support for the U.S.A.'s war in Vietnam and British involvement in Biafra and Nigeria. (AP Photo)
Beatle John Lennon and his wife Yoko Ono arrived in Paris coming from Denmark on January 26, 1970. The Lennons stop at Pierre Cardin's boutique where they did some shopping. (AP Photo)
French film director Louis Malle, left, with John Lennon of the Beatles, his wife Yoko Ono and French actress Jeanne Moreau, right, in Cannes, France, for the film festival, on May 15, 1971. (AP Photo)
John Lennon and his wife Yoko Ono raise their fists as they join a protest, Feb. 5, 1972, by about 500 persons in front of British Overseas Airways Corp. offices in New York on Fifth Avenue. The demonstrators called for the withdrawal of British troops from Northern Ireland. (AP Photo/Ron Frehm)
John Lennon speaks as he arrived for a hearing on his case at U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service offices in the lower Manhattan section of New York, May 12, 1972. (AP Photo/Ron Frehm)
In this April 18, 1972, file photo, John Lennon and his wife, Yoko Ono, leave a U.S. Immigration hearing in New York City. (AP Photo)
FILE - In this Aug. 30, 1972 file photo, John Lennon performs at New York's Madison Square Garden. (AP Photo/File)
John Lennon performs on the keyboard during "One To One", a charity concert to benefit mentally challenged children at Madison Square Garden, Aug. 30, 1972, New York. (AP Photo/Dave Pickoff)
John Lennon and his wife Yoko Ono speak at a press conference, March 2, 1973, in New York. (AP Photo)
Singer John Lennon attends a reception January 18, 1977 in New York City. The Lennon attended the Broadway premiere of modern dance choreographer Merce Cunningham. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
FILE - In this Aug. 22, 1980, file photo, John Lennon, right, and his wife, Yoko Ono, arrive at The Hit Factory, a recording studio in New York City. (AP Photo/Steve Sands, File)
Singer-songwriter and political activist John Lennon is seen Dec. 8, 1980 in New York City, the day Lennon was shot in front of his apartment house at the Dakota on Manhattan's Upper West Side. (AP Photo)
FILE - In this Dec. 9, 1980, file photo, a crowd gathers outside the Dakota apartment building after John Lennon, who lived there, was shot hours earlier in front of the building when returning home on the evening of Dec. 8. (AP Photo/Ray Stubblebine, File)
FILE - In this Dec. 9, 1980, file photo, Yoko Ono and record producer David Geffen leave Roosevelt Hospital in New York after the death of her husband, John Lennon. (AP Photo/Lyndon Fox, File)
Anchorwoman Jane Pauley of NBC's "Today" show, left, breaks down in tears at the end of a half-hour memorial tribute to musician John Lennon, Dec. 9, 1980, as Tom Brokaw looks on. Lennon was shot and killed last night outside his apartment building. (AP Photo/Roberto Borea)
John Lennon fans continue their vigil outside the Dakota apartment building in New York, Dec. 10, 1980, chanting for peace, raising their hands with the peace sign and protesting current gun control laws, all the while listening to Beatles' music. (AP Photo/David Bookstaver)
In this Dec. 10, 1980 file photo, a fan of British pop group The Beatles holds a vintage record album Beatles for Sale in a record shop in Stuttgart, Germany. A special stand with portraits of the four members of the group and all available records was erected this morning in memory of John Lennon who was killed in New York City. (AP Photo/Thomas Meyer, File)
A crowd gathers on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, Dec. 10, 1980 for a vigil for John Lennon, who was slain in New York Monday night. (AP Photo/Charles Tasnadi)
FILE - In this Dec. 14, 1980, file photo, people participating in tribute to the slain musician John Lennon wave the peace sign and sing "Give Peace A Chance" at New York's Central Park. Thirty-five years ago on Dec. 8, Mark David Chapman shot and killed Lennon, a former Beatles member. (AP Photo/Carlos Rene Perez, File)
FILE - In this Dec. 14, 1980, file photo, people jam the street at Central Park West and 72nd Street in New York, just outside the Dakota apartment house where John Lennon lived, after leaving a memorial service held at the bandshell in Central Park, across the street. (AP Photo/David Bookstaver, File)
FILE - in this Dec. 14, 1980, file photo, a crowd gathers during a tribute to John Lennon in New York's Central Park. (AP File Photo)
FILE - In this Dec. 14, 1980, file photo, a woman weeps during a ten minute silent vigil for John Lennon held in front of Trinity Church in Boston. An estimated crowd of 2,000 people came to honor the former Beatle who was murdered in New York. (AP Photo/John Martell, File)
A woman comforts a man who is crying, Dec. 14, 1980, in Seattle as the two took part in a somber memorial to John Lennon, who was murdered in New York, December 8. (AP Photo/Gary Stewart)
Vivie Kellogg, 15, a junior high school student from Tacoma, carries a sign at a memorial service for John Lennon honoring the former Beatle at the Seattle Center, Sunday, Dec. 14, 1980. (AP Photo/Gary Stewart)
FILE - In this Dec. 14, 1980, file photo, a helicopter flies over Central Park in New York where an estimated crowd of between 50,000 to 100,000 people gathered to pay tribute to the late John Lennon. (AP Photo/Dave Pickoff, File)
MUSICIAN SONGWRITER, MEMORIAL PHOTOGRAPH, FLOWERS, POSTER
People walk past a yellow rose placed on John Lennon's star on the Walk of Fame in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles, Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2005. (AP Photo/Nick Ut)
Shoppers walk past a statue of former Beatle John Lennon, where tributes mark the 25th anniversary of his death, in Mathew Street, Liverpool, England, Thursday, Dec. 8, 2005. (AP Photo/Paul Ellis)
Images of John Lennon are projected onto the side of the Mersey Tunnel Exhaust Tower in Liverpool, England, Lennon's home town, Thursday Dec. 8 2005, marking the life of the former Beatle on the 25th anniversary of his death. (AP Photo/Paul Ellis)