Lennon and McCartney formed the writing partnership for The Beatles, the rock ‘n’ roll band that took the world by storm in 1964 and changed music. Together and apart, the duo created some of the most compelling music in history.
Lennon’s 1970 song, “Imagine,” still remains an anthem for peace and hope, and until recently, was ranked as the No. 1 song of all time by Rolling Stone.
Lennon was born on Oct. 9, 1940, in Liverpool, England. He was born during an air raid as Nazi warplanes strafed the western seaport city.
“There was shrapnel and falling and gunfire,” Lennon’s aunt, Mimi Smith, recalled. “And when there was a lull and I ran into the hospital and there was this beautiful little baby.”
That beautiful boy would meet McCartney in 1957 and they would play in bands like the Quarrymen and Silver Beetles before finally becoming The Beatles.
The rest, as they say, is history.
Lennon had just released a comeback album, “Double Fantasy,” in 1980 when he was fatally shot on Dec. 8, 1980, outside his apartment in New York City.
To commemorate Lennon’s 81st birthday, a life-size sculpture of the single, called “Imagine,” was moved to Carnaby Street in London on Friday. The sculpture was created in 2009 by Lawrence Holofcener, and American/British sculptor, poet, playwright, lyricist, novelist and actor who died in 2017.
Remembering John Lennon Maharishi Mahesh Yogi (centre), the Indian mystic who introduced British pop group The Beatles to transcendental meditation, with George Harrison (1943 - 2001, left) and John Lennon (1940 -1980), at the UNICEF Gala in Paris. (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images) (Keystone/Getty Images)
Remembering John Lennon John Lennon (1940 - 1980), singer, songwriter and guitarist with pop group The Beatles, 26th June 1967. (Photo by Peter King/Fox Photos/Getty Images) (Peter King/Getty Images)
Remembering John Lennon Musician John Lennon (1940 - 1980) of English rock band the Beatles during the filming of 'Magical Mystery Tour' in the west of England, 16th September 1967. (Photo by Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images) (Keystone/Getty Images)
Remembering John Lennon Musicians John Lennon (left) and George Harrison of English rock band the Beatles during the filming of 'Magical Mystery Tour' in Devon, UK, 1967. (Photo by Jim Gray/Keystone Features/Hulton Archive/Getty Images) (Jim Gray/Getty Images)
Remembering John Lennon 1966: Beatles singer, songwriter and guitarist John Lennon (1940 -1980) performing against a lit backdrop. (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images) (Keystone/Getty Images)
Remembering John Lennon 17th October 1967: A happy John Lennon (1940 - 1980) at the wheel of the ISO Rivolta S4 car which he bought for £6,150 at the preview of the Motor Show. (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images) (Keystone/Getty Images)
Remembering John Lennon Ex-Beatle John Lennon (1940 - 1980) and his girlfriend May Pang, his former secretary, at the opening of 'Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band on the Road' on Broadway, New York City, 21st November 1974. (Photo by Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images) (Keystone/Getty Images)
Remembering John Lennon John Lennon (1940 - 1980) of the Beatles plays the guitar in a hotel room in Paris, 16th January 1964. (Photo by Harry Benson/Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images) (Harry Benson/Getty Images)
Remembering John Lennon John Lennon (1940-1980), guitarist and singer with the Beatles, pictured wearing a wizard style hat during the final day of filming of 'Magical Mystery Tour' at West Malling Air Station in Kent on 24th September 1967. (Photo by Borrison/Daily Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images) (Matt Green/Getty Images)
Remembering John Lennon George Harrison (1943 - 2001) (right) pushes John Lennon (1940 - 1980), both of the British pop group the Beatles, in a wheelchair as they travel in unconvincing disguises past a Pan American airline banner, July 20, 1965. (Photo by Express Newspapers/Getty Images) (Express Newspapers/Getty Images)
Remembering John Lennon The other members of British rock group the Beatles congratulate John Lennon on passing his driving test, 16th February 1965. From left to right, George Harrison, John Lennon, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr. (Photo by Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images) (Keystone/Getty Images)
Remembering John Lennon Singer and songwriter John Lennon (1940 - 1980) of the Beatles, in a psychedelic Radford Mini de Ville owned by George Harrison at West Malling Airfield, Kent, 7th November 1967. The Beatles are at the Aerodrome for work on their TV film 'Magical Mystery Tour'. (Photo by Keystone Features/Hulton Archive/Getty Images) (Keystone Features/Getty Images)
Remembering John Lennon English rock band the Beatles prepare to perform their new single 'Hello, Goodbye' on stage at the Saville Theatre, London, 1967. Clockwise from top left, they are Paul McCartney, John Lennon, Ringo Starr and George Harrison. (Photo by Keystone Features/Hulton Archive/Getty Images) (Keystone Features/Getty Images)
Remembering John Lennon 21st May 1971: Ex-member of the Beatles, singer and songwriter John Lennon (1940 - 1980) on the beach at Cannes, France. (Photo by Central Press/Getty Images) (Central Press/Getty Images)
Remembering John Lennon British pop group The Beatles, from left to right; Ringo Starr, John Lennon (1940 - 1980), Paul McCartney and George Harrison (1943 - 2001), outside Buckingham Palace, London, after receiving their MBEs (Member of the Order of the British Empire) from the Queen, 26th October 1965. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images) (Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
Remembering John Lennon Pop group The Beatles George Harrison, Paul McCartney and John Lennon with fans, circa 1968. (Photo by Daily Express/Archive Photos/Getty Images) (Express/Getty Images)
Remembering John Lennon The Beatles on stage at the London Palladium during a performance in front of 2, 000 screaming fans. (Photo by Michael Webb/Getty Images) (Michael Webb/Getty Images)
Remembering John Lennon 13th September 1964: Beatles Paul McCartney (left) and John Lennon (1940 - 1980) at the Variety Club Showbusiness Awards held at the Dorchester, London. (Photo by William Vanderson/Fox Photos/Getty Images) (William Vanderson/Getty Images)
Remembering John Lennon 31st August 1966: The Beatles disembark from an aeroplane at London Airport in the early morning, on return from their American tour. They are, from the bottom up, Ringo Starr, John Lennon (1940 - 1980), Paul McCartney and George Harrison (1943 - 2001). (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images) (Keystone/Getty Images)
Remembering John Lennon 20th May 1965: Beatle John Lennon and his wife Cynthia boarding an aeroplane at London Airport. (Photo by Evening Standard/Getty Images) (Evening Standard/Getty Images)
Remembering John Lennon English musician, singer and guitarist with the Beatles, John Lennon (1940-1980) pictured during production and filming of the British musical comedy film Help! on New Providence Island in the Bahamas on 2nd March 1965. (Photo by William Lovelace/Daily Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images) (Antonia Hille/Getty Images)
Remembering John Lennon Left to right: Paul McCartney, George Harrison (1943 - 2001) and John Lennon (1940 - 1980) of the Beatles, backstage with the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi after he gave a lecture on transcendental meditation at the Hilton hotel, London, 25th August 1967. (Photo by C. Maher/Daily Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images) (C. Maher/Getty Images)
Remembering John Lennon Headshot portrait of British musician and songwriter John Lennon (1940 -1980), of the pop group The Beatles, as a young boy in a school uniform and cap, circa 1948. (Photo by Pictorial Press/Getty Images) (Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
Remembering John Lennon John Lennon (1940 - 1980) and Yoko Ono pose on the steps of the Apple building in London, holding one of the posters that they distributed to the world's major cities as part of a peace campaign protesting against the Vietnam War, December 1969. The poster reads 'War Is Over, If You Want It'. (Photo by Frank Barrett/Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images) (Frank Barratt/Getty Images)
Remembering John Lennon December 1961: Singer, guitarist and songwriter John Lennon (1940 - 1980) of the British group The Beatles live on stage at the Cavern Club in Matthew Street, Liverpool. (Photo by Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images) (Evening Standard/Getty Images)
Remembering John Lennon Singer John Lennon (1940 - 1980), drummer Ringo Starr, and guitarist George Harrison (1943 - 2001) in telephone kiosks at Marylebone Station while filming musical comedy film 'A Hard Day's Night', London, March 1964. (Photo by Kaye/Daily Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images) (Kaye/Getty Images)
Remembering John Lennon Japanese multimedia artist, singer, songwriter, and peace activist Yoko Ono with her daughter Kyoko Chan Cox and her husband English singer, songwriter, and peace activist John Lennon (1940 -1980) of The Beatles, at Heathrow Airport, London, UK, 7th June 1969. (Photo by George Stroud/Daily Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images) (George Stroud/Getty Images)
Remembering John Lennon Singer and songwriter John Lennon (1940 - 1980) and his wife Yoko Ono arrive at London Airport from New York, 14th July 1971. (Photo by R. Brigden/Daily Express/Getty Images) (R. Brigden/Getty Images)
Remembering John Lennon Beatles John Lennon (1940 - 1980) and George Harrison (1943 - 2001) leave Heathrow Airport for two months' transcendental meditation at Rishikesh in the Himalayas with the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, 15th February 1968. Accompanying them are their wives Cynthia and Patti, and Patti's younger sister Jenny. The other two Beatles are due to join them later. (Photo by Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images) (Keystone/Getty Images)
Remembering John Lennon 1st June 1971: Singer, songwriter and guitarist John Lennon (1940 - 1980), previously of the now defunct pop group The Beatles, at London Airport. (Photo by Evening Standard/Getty Images) (Evening Standard/Getty Images)
John Lennon birthday A life-size sculpture of John Lennon, titled "Imagine," is positioned in London's Carnaby Street on Oct. 8, 2021. Lennon would have turned 81 on Oct. 9, 2021. (Kirsty Wigglesworth/Associated Press )
Remembering Lennon: A life-size sculpture of John Lennon entitled 'Imagine', was moved to Carnaby Street in London on Oct. 8, 2021 -- a day before what would have been Lennon's 81st birthday. (Kirsty Wigglesworth/Associated Press )