John Lennon was given up for adoption

[KurtNYC]

There are so many elements of John's life that are thought provoking and inspiring and I truly find this to be one.

Lennon was born to an unmarried mother during a German bombing of Britain on October 9th, 1940. John's birth father, who was an orphan himself at age 9 and raised in an English orphange, separated from John's birth mother when John was three years of age. John lost his second father when he was 12.

Surviving the middle of the worst war of the 20th Century and a failed union comes John Winston Lennon, the man who challenged us all to imagine a world beyond war and petty divisions.

From no security and no parents came the idea, and the soulful yearning: All you need is Love."

Happy Birthday John.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. I did not know that.

It's amazing what sorts of trauma we can survive...

Indeed, Happy Birthday, John.

Thank you for telling me this fact. It illuminates him and his life...

[KurtNYC]

3. I'm not sure why that says so much to me but

from John it says that we value the things we really need or needed in this life. The things and people that really got us through.

and for his birth mother, I think, it says that we all do our best in this life, whatever the obstacles.

[liberalmuse]

2. I love the play button on Google today.

According to VH1, he wasn't the greatest father, but he was certainly an inspirational human being who wrote down thought provoking ideas and put them to music. I don't think we'll ever see the likes of The Beatles or John Lennon again. I'm glad I can say I was breathing air when all this was happening - well, I first inhaled earth air near the end of an era and the beginning of another one, anyway.

[KurtNYC]

4. Lennon was a flawed human being, like all of us, but he advanced

ideas that were the complimentary opposites of the fascist ideology that fueled the war on Britain, split his parents and lingered in other forms.

[karynnj]

5. Not really - His aunt Mimi raised him

That's a bit different than he was put up for adoption. He knew his mom well in his teen years. There is a recent movie that illuminates John's early days in the Quarrymen and the relationships he had with his mom, aunt and uncle. Three of the original Quarrymen have been traveling withe the movie and playing some of the music from that time. In Newark, it was a fascinating show.
The movie is called Nowhere Boy. http://www.traileraddict.com/trailer/nowhere-boy/trailer

[lunamagica]

7. That's right. He always said he grew up in a loving home and had a happy childhood. nt

[karynnj]

8. It seems it was more complicated than that - his aunt and uncle did provide

a loving home, but he did have a confusing relationship with his mother, who seemed to be pretty unstable.

[lunamagica]

9. But that was later on. I think the point is that the OP makes it sound like he

grew up without home or family -like so many kids who are put up for adoption- The fact is he had a family; and prople who cared for him, loved him and provided for him.

ETA: and his parents were married

[karynnj]

12. I agree

[WinkyDink]

26. In fact, the OP heading is simply bizarre.

[gateley]

18. This makes me wonder if Mimi was really an aunt? nt

[karynnj]

23. She was his mother's sister

[EmilyKent]

6. Before the 'legend' gets out of hand:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Lennon#1940.E2.80.9357:_Early_years

[apocalypsehow]

13. Wasting your time: *facts* when it comes to demi-gods only provokes great anger. n/t.

[pepperbear]

10. that's wrong....

he was born to julia and alfred lennon (a merchant marine). he was never given up for adoption. his aunt mimi was given the responsibility of raising him when it was determined by all to be in his best interests.

[Maccagirl]

11. His parents were legally married, on December 3, 1938

His father was incarcerated (on Ellis Island no less) during WWII. His mother did have a daughter named Victoria in June 1945 by a Welsh soldier, and was given up for adoption to a sea captain and named Ingrid. John never knew that she lived only a few miles from him. His mother then had two daughters by her "common-law" husband, but she and Alfred Lennon never legally divorced, ironically. I think the OP's point was that John was very damaged by the emotional insecurity in his familial situation.

[K8-EEE]

21. He had a half sister given up for adoption

The dad was away when the mom got pregnant, they split up after.

He was in a kind of adopted by Mimi. It's a complicated family! Anyway Julia is a beautiful song.

[Crunchy Frog]

14. He was raised by his aunt who adored him.

He still had a relationship with his mother, but she was killed in a car crash when he was a teen. This was devastating to him.

[K8-EEE]

15. I LOVED that film "Nowhere Boy"

Goes into a lot of detail about the complicated relationship between the Aunt & Mom.

[proteus_lives]

16. I thought he was found in a basket among the reeds.

[LostinNY]

19. LOL!

Seriously, though, I have an adopted daughter and I hope she is growing up knowing she is loved and just as much a part of the family as our biological daughter. I wish she could meet her biological family, but being from China that's just not possible.

[johnaries]

17. Happy Birthday, John.

"Life is what happens to you when you're busy making other plans."

[REP]

20. No, he wasn't. He was born to married parents and raised by his aunt

Nice try at propaganda.

[KurtNYC]

24. His parents were married 12/3/1938 and John was their only child

Man, the OP is an idiot!

[Manifestor_of_Light]

22. Please read the definitive biography.

JOHN LENNON:The Life by Philip Norman.

It came out in 2008. I thought nothing new could come out about John Lennon but I was wrong.
The author interviewed Yoko, Paul, Cynthia, lots of people.

It's an 800+ page book, and there are some complex interactions that changed my opinions of people.

I recommend it highly. Very well written.

[mdmc]

25. ..