On This Day: John Lennon Passes His Driving Test – February 15th, 1965

February 15, 2026

On This Day: John Lennon Passes His Driving Test – February 15th, 1965

On 15th February 1965, just before heading into the first recording session for Help!, John Lennon achieved a small but notable personal milestone: he passed his driving test in Weybridge, Surrey, the town he called home.

While many might expect a Beatle to be a confident driver, Lennon was notoriously bad behind the wheel. Even after passing, he rarely drove himself, preferring the comfort and reliability of being chauffeured. His car confidence took a further hit when he crashed shortly after this date, reinforcing the fact that Lennon’s true talent lay in music, not motoring.

Interestingly, the other Beatles—Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr—were competent drivers and often took the wheel themselves. Lennon’s reliance on his driver, Les Anthony, became routine, though on the rare occasions he did drive, he was known for inattentive road habits and a rather haphazard navigation style.

This little-known snippet of Beatles history reminds us that even legends had everyday challenges. The passing of a driving test might seem trivial, but for Lennon, it was a rare taste of “normal life” amid the whirlwind of Beatlemania.

Check out these great photographs from that day, showing Lennon’s more relaxed, everyday side—proof that even the Fab Four had mundane milestones amidst their extraordinary lives.