Across The Universe Of John Lennon In 39 Pictures

John Lennon as a child with his mother, Julia Lennon, 1949. To date, this is the only known photograph of John with his mother, who died after being struck by a car when John was only 17.

The Beatles perform in a Liverpool club prior to signing their first recording contract, 1962. The original drummer, Pete Best, in the background.

"Twist and Shout" is the band's first British EP, released in July 1963.

The Beatles leave London airport for America in 1964.

When the Beatles arrived in America, they were greeted with mass hysteria. Here, a group of Beatles fans scream as their heroes perform on the The Ed Sullivan Show.

Here, the group chats with Ed Sullivan at CBS Studio 50 before their live television debut.

With the Beatles is the band's second studio album, released in November 1963.

November 1963: John Lennon plays an acoustic guitar during Granada TV's Late Scene Extra television show filmed in Manchester, England.

April 1964: Lennon greets the press with his wife, Cynthia, at the Dorchester Hotel, London. Lennon and Cynthia will divorce four years later in 1968.

The Beatles play around on the diving board of their Hollywood Hills hideout during their 1964 tour.

Lennon gives a thumbs-up to bandmate George Harrison after passing his driving test in February 1965.

Rubber Soul is the band's sixth studio album, released in December 1965.

August 1966: All across America, people host "Beatlemania Bonfires," burning piles of the band's albums and merchandise in protest against John Lennon's remark that "The Beatles are more popular than Jesus."

An exhausted Lennon sits back in his hotel room after making a formal apology for his controversial statement.

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band is the band's eighth studio album, released June 1967. The record won the band four Grammy Awards in 1968, including Album of the Year.

The Beatles are seen backstage before the live broadcast of their latest song in 1967, "All You Need Is Love."

Lennon and his son Julian Lennon pose with his psychedelic Rolls Royce, 1968.

Lennon and his then-girlfriend Yoko Ono join Paul McCartney at the London Pavilion at the premiere of the new Beatles film Yellow Submarine. John and Paul are holding apples, the symbol of their newly formed company, Apple Corps.

John and his wife of a week, Yoko Ono, stage a "bed-in for peace" in the Presidential Suite of the Amsterdam Hilton, March 1969. It was their intention to stay in bed for seven days, "as a protest against war and violence in the world."

In 1971, billboards spring across New York City with the peace message "War Is Over!" The message from John Lennon and Yoko Ono was to protest against U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War, and was simultaneously displayed in Montreal, Toronto, Los Angeles, and six European cities.

Yoko Ono and John Lennon vacationing in Cap D'Antibes, with Lennon wearing an "Ono" shirt.

Unfinished Music No. 1: Two Virgins released in November 1968, is one of many experimental albums written and recorded by Yoko and John as a couple.

John and Yoko sharing an Eskimo kiss.

On Dec. 8, 1980, John Lennon was murdered by a crazed assailant outside of his Upper Westside Home. He was 40 years old.

In Central Park, New York, scores of people gather to mourn the death of John Lennon.

Here, a mourner holds a sign that reads, "Stop the American handgun war – pass effective handgun crime control legislation."

A makeshift peace sign of flowers lies on top John Lennon's "Strawberry Fields" memorial in New York's Central Park. The memorial is near the Dakota building where Lennon lived with his wife and son, Sean.