Thirty years ago, a certain Mark Chapman was the biggest villain in America, just like Kasab is in India today. The man who shot five bullets into the Beatles hero, John Lennon, enraged the nation and a good chunk of the world.u00a0 On his birthday, we tell you more about him:
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1. He had a disturbed childhood. By the time he was 14, he was doing drugs. His favourite band was The Beatles.
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2. A friend recommended him the book, The Catcher in the Rye, that became an obsession for him.
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3. After graduating, Chapman played guitar in churches. He worked as a counsellor at the YMCA with Vietnamese refugees.
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4. In college, Champman got into a relationship and fell behind in his studies. He became obsessed with guilt over his affair. He eventually broke up.
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5. In 1977, Chapman attempted suicide.
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6. He went to New York in October 1980 planning to kill Lennon. Around 5pm, Lennon left for a recording session. Chapman shook hands with him and got his autograph.
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7. At 10:49pm, when Lennon was returning, Chapman fired five hollow point bullets at him from a gun that he had purchased in Hawaii. Chapman stayed at the scene reading The Catcher in the Rye until the police arrived. He was charged with second degree murder and is still languishing in jail.