John Lennon was born in 1940 in Liverpool and formed his first band, The Quarrymen, in 1956. He went on to international fame as one of The Beatles in the 1960s, writing songs with Paul McCartney. Lennon left The Beatles in 1969 and married Yoko Ono, becoming actively involved in peace movements and political causes. On December 8, 1980, Lennon was fatally shot outside his New York City apartment building at age 40.