(Image: Washington Post/Creative Commons).
Timeline
Here's a timeline of Michael Jackson's life:
- 1958 - Born August 29 in Gary, Indiana. He is the seventh child of Joseph and Katherine Esther Jackson.
- 1969 - In Los Angeles, the Jackson 5 debut as Motown’s newest act.
In December, the group’s single “I Want You Back” hits No. 1 on the Billboard Top 40 Chart.
- 1970 - Jackson 5 hits “ABC, “The Love You Save” and “I’ll Be There” all reach No. 1 on Billboard charts.
- 1972 - First No. 1 solo hit “Ben,” a song about a movie rat.
- 1974 - Introduces a dance step called the robot on “Soul Train.” The step sweeps the country.
- 1978 - Played “The Scarecrow” in the movie musical “The Wiz,” alongside Diana Ross, Richard Pryor and Nipsey Russell.
- 1979 - Jackson’s “Off the Wall” solo album catapults him to superstar status.
- 1982 - “Thriller” is released, eventually selling more than 100 million copies. It makes Jackson the biggest pop music star of the decade. The record becomes one of the best-selling albums of all time.
- 1983 - “Beat It” reaches No. 1 on the charts.
- 1984 - Jackson’s hair catches on fire during filming of a Pepsi commercial.
- 1987 - News reports say Jackson tries to buy the skeleton of the “Elephant Man.” The album “Bad” is released and sells more than 8 million copies.
- 1988 - Michael Jackson donates $125,000 from a concert at the Palace of Auburn Hills, Mich., and some personal memorabilia to start off a fundraising drive to preserve and improve the Motown Historical Museum.
- 1991 - Releases “Dangerous” album, certified for 7 million in sales.
- 1993 - In his first TV interview in 14 years, Jackson tells Oprah Winfrey that the change in his skin complexion is from a disorder called vitiligo. A lawsuit claims that Jackson seduced and abused a 13-year-old boy.
- 1994 - Settles the lawsuit with substantial payment to the plaintiff. Los Angeles and Santa Barbara district attorneys don’t file child molestation charges against him.
Marries Lisa Marie Presley, daughter of Elvis Presley.
- 2008 - "Thriller 25" and fan-curated compilation "King of Pop" are released.
- June 25, 2009 - Jackson dies at the age of 50.
"I can't stop crying over the sad news. I've always admired Michael Jackson – the world has lost one of its greats but his music will live on forever. My heart goes out to his three children and other members of his family. God bless."
At your leisure period, you can decide to read more about this amazing entertainer on his Wikipedia entry.