The Beatles

1980: 12/8 -- John Ono Lennon was shot and killed by deranged fan Mark David Chapman outside of the Dakota apartment building in New York City. John and Yoko arrived at about 10:50 pm after a mixing session for Yoko's song "Walking on Thin Ice." That morning at the Dakota, they had been interviewed by Dave Sholin, Laurie Kaye, Ron Hummel and Bert Keane of RKO Radio in New York. The interview has since been released in part on disc. After the interview, photographer Annie Liebovitz arrived for a photo session that produced many shots that would later appear in the Jan. 22, 1981 issue of Rolling Stone magazine, including a nude one of John that was used on the cover.

John was rushed to St. Luke's Roosevelt Hospital in a patrol car by officers called to the scene. Though the hospital staff tried to revive him, John had lost too much blood, and was pronounced dead at 11:07 pm. His body was cremated without ceremony on Dec. 10th at Hartsdale Crematorium in New York.