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Mar 12, 1914: Julia Stanley, mother of John Lennon, was born
Feb 18, 1933: Yoko Ono, future second wife of John Lennon, was born.
Dec 3, 1938: John's parents were married at the Mount Pleasant register Office, Liverpool.
Sep 10, 1939: Cynthia Powell, John's future wife, was born in Blackpool
Oct 9, 1940: John's birth was overdue. Julia was at Oxford Street Maternity Hospital, Liverpool, England in labor. It looked like a Caesarean birth would be required. Finally, by 6:30 P.M., a natural birth occurred. It was also this night that Liverpool was pounded in one of the heaviest raids on a major city and port. Mimi was dodging bombs and shrapnel to get to the hospital to see her new nephew.
Dec, 1943: Alfred Lennon jumped ship in America while employed as steward, and deserted his wife, Julia and his son John.
1945 (or 46): Julia placed John in the care of her sister, Mimi Stanley Smith, and her husband, George Smith, at 251 Menlove Ave, Woolton, a suburb of Liverpool
July, 1946: Freddie reappeared and took John on a holiday to Blackpool during which he tried to persuade his son to leave the country with him. Freddie was planning to take John to New Zealand and start a new life there. Not returning on time, Julia found out where they were and arrived unannounced. John was put in the difficult position of choosing his absentee dad. Or he could choose his mother, aunt Mimi and Uncle George. Mother and Father tussled over John in front of him. It was put to John to choose. He choose his dad. Julia continued to try to change his mind but finally gave up and walked out closing the door. The finality of the door closing and the uncertainty with his dad was too much. John ran after his mother callling, "Mummy, Mummy, don't go, don't go."
Jun 5, 1955: Mimi's husband George, Uncle George to John, was well received by John as a substitute dad. Mimi was the disciplinarian. John frequently found George in his corner. They enjoyed walks together. John adored the gentleness of this man. It was a bitter blow, upon returning from a vacation in Durness, Scotland at age 14, that he was informed by Mimi that the always healthy George had died of a hemorage at age 52.
1956: John, 16, formed a skiffle group first dubbed The Black Jacks. Their uniform was black jeans with green stitching with white shirts. Strangely, it was quickly renamed The Quarry Men, named for his school, Quarry Bank High School. Strangely, because two of the members did not go to Quarry Bank HS. Ivan Vaughans, playing "tea-chest" bass, went to the Liverpool Institute and Nigel Whalley, who alternated on bass, went to Bluecoats Grammer School. Members, though, would be constantly joining and quitting. Thanks to Nigel, the Quarry Men began to get some bookings at Childwall Golf Club, St. Barnabas Church hall and St. Peter's Youth Club. To the irritation of his band members, John started moving toward Rock and Roll. Since he was the singer, he felt if he wanted to sing "Rockers", he could.
July 6, 1957: An annual summer garden fete, sponsored by St. Peter's Parish Church, was held in the town of Woolton. The band members at this performance included John Lennon, Pete Shotton, Eric Griffiths, Colin Hanton and Len Garry. At the invitation of Ivan Vaughan, Paul McCartney attended, and intro'd to John, who was slightly drunk. He joined in a jam session after the fete. John was highly impressed that Paul could tune a guitar. For a skiffler who wanted to do more rock and roll, John was truly amazed at all the rockers that Paul knew. John felt he needed Paul to make the transition from skiffle to rock and roll. Paul was invited to join. He accepted but since he was going to scout camp, it was two months before he actually joined the Quarry Men.
Middle 1957: John entered the Art College of Liverpool Institute on Hope Street, Liverpool.
Feb 6, 1958: The Quarry Men appeared at Wilson Hall, Garston. It was perhaps at this appearance that Paul's friend George Harrison met The Quarry Men. Being three years younger, he would try to tag along with John and his girl friend Cynthia. When Mimi met him, she complained that "he had a pink shirt on. And winklepicker shoes. Her rejection of George cemented John's resolve to accept him as a full-fledged Quarry Man.
July 15, 1958: John was seeing more of his mother, Julia. She had a steady boyfriend; Twitchy John called him because he had a facial tic. John and Twitchy were at his house in Spring Wood when a policeman came to tell them Julia had been in an accident and was at Sefton General Hospital. It wasn't until they were at the hospital that a doctor told John, "I'm sorry, but your Mummy's dead." Julia, was killed instantly at age 44 when she stepped through a hedge into a car driven by a drunken off-duty policeman. She had just left Mimi's where they had shared tea. Paul McCartney's mother had died just a couple years earlier and was one of the few who could understand John's loss.
Oct (18?), 1959: The Quarry Men's name was changed to Johnny and The Moondogs.
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