John Lennon, 40, 1940-1980

John Lennon is The Beatles’ co-founder. Their music is why his death led to a scale of outpoured grief, shock, and bewilderment, similar to the killing of other significant world figures in politics, like Martin Luther King or Robert Kennedy. Musicians like the Give Peace a Chance singer-songwriter are as important as political figures for how they make us feel.

He had his last photo taken by Mark David Chapman the very same day he died. Chapman would shoot him dead just hours later. There are no redeeming words for a death like this, but it gives weight to Lennon’s song, Imagine.