People: May 23, 1969

It had all the earmarks of a swinging trip for Beatle John Lennon and his bride, Yoko Ono: a cruise to the U.S. on the Queen Elizabeth 2 in the company of such other swinging junketeers as Peter Sellers and Ringo Starr. But there was a serious bureaucratic hitch. John had been busted last year for possession of marijuana, a crime which invalidated his U.S. visa. John battled with U.S. embassy officials in London right up to the last minute, but to no avail. Sellers and Starr had to sail without him.

"I think...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!