On this day in 1980, a vigil was held in memory of John Lennon

On the 8th of December Lennon was tragically gunned down by a crazed Beatles fan who had been angered by Lennon’s lifestyle and comments about religion. Lennon was rushed to Roosevelt Hospital but attempts to revive him were unsuccessful, and he was pronounced dead at 11:15pm.

In the following days, tributes to Lennon began. Crowds gathered at the hospital and in front of the Dakota Hotel, the site of the shooting. Radio stations played hours of both Beatles music and Lennon’s solo material, while newspapers and magazines wrote countless touching eulogies. His former bandmates also expressed their grief publicly, while his wife Yoko Ono released a statement the day after the murder, saying  “There is no for funeral for John. Later in the week we will set the time for a silent vigil to pray for his soul. We invite you to participate from wherever you are at the time. … John loved and prayed for the human race. Please pray the same for him. Love. Yoko and Sean.”

The vigil went ahead on the 14th December, six days after the murder. 30,000 fans gathered in  Liverpool, and 225,000 in Central Park in New York to commemorate Lennon’s life and mourn his death. The crowd in Central Park sang along to Give Peace a Chance before a 10 minute silence was conducted and observed by millions around the world, even by the popular radio stations of the time. 

Many tributes have been held for Lennon in the years since his death by friends, family and strangers alike. To this day, Ono lights the Imagine Peace Tower in Iceland every year between Lennon’s birthday, the 9th of October, and December 8th, ensuring Lennon will be remembered forever.