Today marks the 40th anniversary of the death of John Lennon. All of us remember exactly where we were when we heard the awful news.
On December 8, 1980 John and wife, Yoko Ono, exited a limo at approximately 10:50 pm ET, as Lennon returned home from a recording session at the Record Plant to his luxury apartment building, The Dakota, on New York City's Upper West Side.
The shooter was 25-year-old Mark David Chapman, who earlier in the day had Lennon sign a copy of his new album, Double Fantasy.
Lennon passed Chapman, who he called out, "Mr. Lennon," while walking to his apartment entrance and as Lennon turned, Chapman shot him multiple times. Lennon collapsed inside the building's vestibule, and he was rushed to nearby Roosevelt Hospital where he was later pronounced dead.
John Lennon was only 40 years old. Chapman remains imprisoned at the Wende Correctional Facility in Alden, New York.
Millions heard the news when Howard Cosell announced it during a Monday Night Football game on ABC between the New England Patriots and Miami Dolphins.
Cosell, who interviewed Lennon during a Monday night game six years and a day earlier, December 9th, 1974, had to be talked into making the announcement by co-host, Frank Gifford.
Both Paul McCartney and George Harrison were home in England when they received the news. Ringo Starr was in the Bahamas where he was recording, and, after hearing the news, flew immediately to New York with his wife Barbara to console Yoko.
[courtesy of Classic Hits Today]