John Lennon was born in 1940 in Liverpool and was a founding member of The Beatles, formed in 1960. After The Beatles broke up in 1970, Lennon moved to New York with his wife Yoko Ono and pursued a solo career and activism against the Vietnam War. He took a break from music in 1975 to spend time with his family before releasing a new album in 1980. However, he was tragically shot and killed by a fan just three weeks later in New York City.