On October 9, 1940, John Lennon was born in Liverpool, England.

In 1966, John Lennon met Yoko Ono for the first time at an art gallery in London.

In 1973, Elvis and Priscilla Presley were divorced in Santa Monica, California. They had been married since May 1, 1967, and had one child, Lisa Marie.

In 1980, John Lennon celebrated his 40th birthday by releasing the single "(Just Like) Starting Over."

In 1985, moviemaker Orson Welles died. He was 70.

Also in 1985, Yoko Ono dedicated "Strawberry Fields" in New York's Central Park to the memory of John Lennon.

In 1986, Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical version of "Phantom of the Opera" opened in London. The $2.9 million show, based on a 1911 novel by Gaston Leroux, drew a six-minute standing ovation from the first night audience.

In 2011, Paul McCartney married Nancy Shevell in London.

Today's birthdays: Actor Fyvush Finkel ("Boston Public," "Picket Fences") is 90. R&B singer Nona Hendryx (LaBelle) is 68. Singer Jackson Browne is 64. Actor Robert Wuhl ("Arli$$") is 61. Manager-TV personality Sharon Osbourne ("The Osbournes") is 60. Actor Tony Shalhoub ("Monk," "Wings") is 59. Accordion player James Fearnley of The Pogues is 58. Actor Scott Bakula (BAK'-yoo-lah) is 58. Actor John O'Hurley ("Dancing With The Stars," "Seinfeld") is 58. Actor Michael Pare ("Eddie and the Cruisers") is 54. Singer-guitarist Kurt Neumann of The BoDeans is 51. Country singer Gary Bennett (BR549) is 48. Singer P.J. Harvey is 43. Actor Steve Burns ("Blues Clues") is 39. Singer Sean Lennon is 37. Actor Zachery Ty Bryan ("Home Improvement") is 31. Actor Tyler James Williams ("Everybody Hates Chris") is 20. Country singer Scotty McCreery ("American Idol") is 19.

Copyright 2012. The Associated Press.