"When I was 5 years old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down 'happy'. They told me I didn't understand the assignment, and I told them they didn't understand life." - John Lennon. John Lennon was an English pop artist, peace activist and member of The Beatles. On 8 December 1980, Lennon went to a photoshoot and a studio session. When he left his home he signed a copy of 'Double Fantasy' for Mark David Chapman, while another fan took a picture. Later that night Lennon was shot, by Chapman, in front of his house at 22:50, after which he died in the hospital at 23:07.