On this day in Montreal: John Lennon and Yoko Ono's bed-in
Historic event at Queen Elizabeth Hotel kicked off on May 26, 1969
On this day in Montreal – on May 26, 1969 - John Lennon and Yoko Ono kicked off their bed-in for peace at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in downtown Montreal.
The couple reserved several rooms, but the bed-in took place in room 1742.
"I am against violence, you know? Period," Lennon said.
Over the following seven days, the couple spoke and sang about peace with visiting guests.
It was Lennon and Ono's second bed-in for peace. They held their first one in Amsterdam. The second one was supposed to be held in New York, but the Beatle member had a previous conviction for possession of cannabis and therefore was not allowed entry into the United States.
They then went to the Bahamas but after spending one night there, they found the heat to be too uncomfortable. So they looked much farther north and booked a room in Montreal.
During this historic event, they recorded the anthem Give Peace a Chance.