John Lennon Assassination Anniversary: 10 Facts About The Beatle's 1980 Death, 36 Years Later

Thursday marks the 36th anniversary of the assassination of John Lennon, the English musician famous for co-founding the legendary rock band the Beatles. Lennon, then 40 years old, was fatally shot by fan Mark David Chapman while walking into a New York City apartment on Dec. 8, 1980.

The world immediately began to mourn Lennon, who had released what would become his final studio album just weeks beforehand. Per his wife Yoko Ono's request, Lennon did not have a funeral, but that didn't stop massive crowds from turning out to honor him. More than 30,000 people gathered in Liverpool for a memorial concert, and 225,000 headed to New York City's Central Park to remember Lennon, Mashable reported.

Rock fans are still grieving decades later, leading the words "John Lennon" to trend on Twitter Thursday morning and news outlets to share still-relevant quotes about peace and love. If you're among the thousands remembering Lennon Thursday, take some time to listen to your favorite Beatles song and learn more about Lennon's death:

Chapman, who is still alive and in prison, told the court in 2012 that he killed Lennon "because he was very famous."

Chapman sold a painting by American artist Norman Rockwell in order to fund his trip to New York City to kill Lennon.

The gunman met Lennon hours before shooting him outside the Dakota, where the musician lived with Ono. Chapman has said the Beatle was "very kind" but he was "so compelled to commit murder that nothing would have dragged me away from that building."

Chapman was holding the book "The Catcher in the Rye" when he killed Lennon.

He used a .38-caliber revolver. He fired five bullets and hit Lennon four times.

News of Lennon's assassination broke during Monday Night Football. Anchor Howard Cosell broke into a Patriots-Dolphin game with the announcement. "An unspeakable tragedy, confirmed to us by ABC News in New York City: John Lennon, outside of his apartment building on the West Side of New York City, the most famous, perhaps, of all the Beatles, shot twice in the back, rushed to Roosevelt Hospital, dead on arrival," Cosell said. "Hard to go back to the game after that news flash, which in duty bound, we have to take."

New York City dedicated Lennon's favorite part of Central Park to him in 1981. Strawberry Fields, between 71st and 74th Streets, is near the Dakota.

Lennon's ashes were scattered in the park.

Since Lennon's death, Ono has advocated for gun control. In a Facebook post this week, she shared a photo of her husband's blood-splattered glasses and wrote, "Every day, 91 Americans are killed with guns. We are turning this beautiful country into a War Zone. Together, let's bring back America, the green land of Peace." She added that "the death of a loved one is a hollowing experience" and concluded by saying she and their son still missed Lennon.

After George Harrison's 2001 death, Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney became the only surviving Beatles.