Video: 'John & Yoko December 1969' (Dec. 17, 1969, at 33:42-35:50/44:32-44:53)

(Wednesday, December 17, 1969) — John Lennon of The Beatles and his wife, Yoko Ono, having flown from London to Toronto the previous day, gave a press conference today at the city’s Ontario Science Centre to launch what they hoped would be the beginning of “Year One A.P. (After Peace),” the latest and most grandiose phase of their antiwar campaign.

The centerpiece of the campaign was a major peace and musical festival to be held at Mosport Park near Toronto on July 3-5, 1970.

Video: 'John Lennon on Setting Up a Peace Concert Festival - Toronto Press Conference (1969)'

During a 53-minute press conference attended by more than 50 members of the press and broadcast media, Lennon promised it would be “the biggest music festival in history, and we’re going to be asking everybody who’s anybody to play,” including The Beatles and Elvis Presley.

Lennon and Ono were interviewed this evening by Howard Smith for WABC-AM in New York at the farm of rock musician Ronnie Hawkins in Mississquga, just southwest of Toronto.

Video: 'Hawkin's Ranch Mississauga, Ontario Part 1'

Video: 'Hawkin's Ranch Mississauga, Ontario Part 2 Reels 3-4'