Michael Jackson was born in Gary, Indiana on August 29, 1958.

As a child, he was lead singer of the "The Jackson 5", a group that he had with his
brothers.
For several years, Michael Jackson and the Jackson 5 maintained a busy tour and
recording schedule.
In 1979 working with producer Quincy Jones, Michael Jackson wowed the music world
with his next solo album "Off the Wall".
He created a famous dance move called "The Moonwalk."
The video for "Thriller" became immensely popular and a successful album. "Thriller"
earned 12 Grammy Award nominations and won eight of those awards.
He, however, was badly injured while filming a commercial for the soda giant in 1984,
suffering burns to his face and scalp.Jackson had surgery to repair his injuries, and is
believed to have begun experimenting with plastic surgery around this time. His face,
especially his nose, would become dramatically altered in the coming years.
In 1985, Jackson showed his altruistic side, co-writing and singing on "We Are the World,"
a charity single for USA for Africa.
By 1980, Jackson had created his own fantasy retreat, a California ranch called
Neverland.
In 1993, allegations of child molestation against Jackson emerged. A 13-year-old boy
claimed that the music star had fondled him.
In August 1994, Jackson announced that he had married with Lisa Marie Presley,
daughter of rock icon Elvis Presley. They divorced in 1996.
Later that same year, Jackson wed nurse Debbie Rowe. The couple had two children
through artificial insemination. Son Prince Michael Jackson was born in 1997 and
daughter Paris Michael Jackson was born in 1998. Rowe and Jackson divorced in 1999
with Jackson receiving full custody of their two children. He would go on to have a third
child, Prince Michael Jackson II, with an unknown surrogate.
Soon after, he received enormous criticism for dangling his son, Prince Michael II, over a
balcony while greeting fans in Berlin, Germany
On June 14, 2005, Jackson was acquitted of all charges. His reputation, however, was
effectively destroyed, and his finances were in shambles.
On June 25, 2009, Jackson suffered cardiac arrest in his Los Angeles home. He was
rushed to the hospital after his heart stopped and CPR attempts failed, but he died later
that morning. He was 50 years old at the time of his death.
The Jackson family held a private funeral on September 3, 2009, for the immediate family
and 200 guests at Forest Lawn Memorial park in Los Angeles.