Lennon's 70th birthday marked with monument at hometown

The singer's first wife Cynthia and their son Julian were present to officially open the statue in front of 2,000 fans. The monument, a globe with doves flying overhead, represents peace and will act as a shrine for Lennon devotees, reports express.co.uk.

"We come here with our hearts to honour dad and pray for peace and say thank you to each and every one of you and everybody involved in the celebrations today," said Julian.

The global celebrations of Lennon's birthday included a performance by his widow Yoko Ono and the couple's son Sean in Reykjavik, Iceland.

Meanwhile, Lennon's original band The Quarrymen headlined a tribute concert in New York and fans gathered to remember the icon in Central Park.Lennon was shot dead outside his New York apartment block in December 1980.