Will Bob Dylan snub them? Nobel panel gives up knockin’ on Dylan’s door

[Miles Archer]

2. Nov. 25, 1969: John Lennon returns his MBE

http://ultimateclassicrock.com/john-lennon-returns-mbe/

Calling a press conference for Nov. 25, 1969 (a portion of which you can watch above), Lennon announced his intention to return his MBE to the Queen and outlined his reasons for doing so, which were succinctly summed up in a typically cheeky note that read as follows:

Your Majesty,
I am returning my MBE as a protest against Britain’s involvement in the Nigeria-Biafra thing, against our support of America in Vietnam and against ‘Cold Turkey’ slipping down the charts.
With love. John Lennon of Bag

As he’d known there would be, Lennon’s decision sparked a public outcry — but as he later pointed out, plenty of people never thought he deserved an MBE in the first place. “Lots of people who complained about us getting the MBE received theirs for heroism in the war,” he shrugged. “They got them for killing people. We deserved ours for not killing people. In a way it was hypocritical of me to accept it, but I’m glad I did, really, because it meant that four years later I was able to use it to make a gesture.”

Although he was relatively distinct in choosing to return his MBE in such a high-profile way, Lennon was far from alone in rejecting royal awards; in 2012, following a Freedom of Information request, the BBC unearthed a list of other would-be recipients, including novelist Roald Dahl and painter L.S. Lowry (who refused multiple honors on five separate occasions).