World pays tribute to John Lennon 40 years after his assassination

It was on this day 40 years ago when John Lennon, an English musician former star of the Beatles, was shot dead in the archway of his residence in New York City.

He was killed by an American Beatles fan named Mark David Chapman. Who claimed that he was angered by Lennon’s lifestyle and public statements.

Chapman admitted that Lennon’s remarks about the Beatles being “more popular than Jesus” and the lyrics of his later songs “God” and “Imagine”, provoked him to shoot John Lennon.

The co-founder of the group from Liverpool, England, could have been 80 today, he had celebrated his 40th birthday on October 9, 1980, and was shot on  December 8, 1980.

The musician was returning home to the Dakota Apartments by Central Park with his wife, Yoko Ono. He died on the way to the hospital.

On Tuesday many of Lennon’s fans including his wife Yoko Ono, Paul McCartney, Lennon’s songwriting partner, and Ringo Starr, the other surviving Beatle, paid tribute to one of the world’s most revered singer-songwriters on social media with hashtag #JohnLennon