Was a bright child, but not much of a student from secondary school (akin to middle and high school) on; he found little to engage him, and failed his last round of final exams by just a few points. Was able to enter Art school on a headmaster's recommendation, but found it no more engaging, and slacked off, giving most of his energies to the Beatles, friends and girlfriends.
Was best man at Peter Boyle's wedding to Loraine Alterman Boyle
Was photographed for the cover of "Rolling Stone" magazine by Annie Leibovitz on the day he was murdered. Had also just recorded an extensive interview for RKO Radio, and for the BBC the week before.
Was taught banjo chords by his mother, Julia, and played his guitar at first in banjo style. Paul McCartney later taught him proper guitar chords.
Was the first Beatle to perform solo, appearing in The Rolling Stones's The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus (1996) (filmed in December 1968), and also at a concert in Toronto the next year. Was also the only Beatle never to do a solo tour. Tours were planned for 1972 (cancelled because of his immigration problems) and 1981 (cancelled after his death).
Was the only member of The Beatles to eat meat regularly. Ringo Starr was a vegetarian for life, due to health problems. George Harrison converted in 1968, and Paul McCartney became one in 1975. Lennon mostly followed a macrobiotic diet (with brown rice as a staple), but not strictly.
When "Rolling Stone" magazine was launched in November 1967, Lennon made the first cover, in a photo from How I Won the War (1967).
When Lennon attended Liverpool's Dovedale Primary School (1945-51), it was situated a mere two blocks from a street named "Penny Lane".
Widow Yoko Ono's photograph of John's spectacles, bloodstained from day he was fatally shot outside their apartment building in December 1980, sold at auction in London, April 2002 for about $13,000. At a second Christie's auction later in April, two tape recordings of Lennon were also sold. One, from the summer of 1969, was of Lennon making up tunes and telling six-year-old Kyoko about a dwarf who lived in their garden. It sold for $110,000. The other tape, a 25-minute recording of Lennon working on the melody and lyrics for "She Said She Said", contains lyrics never heard in the song's final version. It sold for $85,200.