Michael Jackson was born in Gary, Indiana on August 29, 1958/FILE
– August 29, 1958: Michael Jackson born in Gary, Indiana.
– August 1962: Singing debut with his brothers, The Jackson Five.
– March 1969: First Jackson Five contract with Motown Records, Detroit’s black-owned record label.
– 1970: launch of solo career alongside that of the Jackson Five.
– December 1982: Release of “Thriller” album, whose seven hits included “Billie Jean” and “Beat It,” pushing sales to 50 million copies worldwide.
– 1984: Jackson’s face gets burned during filming for a Pepsi ad.
– 1988: His autobiography “Moonwalk” is published.
– August 1993: A father accuses Jackson of molesting his 13-year-old son, but settles out of court.
– May 1994-February 1996: Marriage to Lisa Marie Presley, daughter of Elvis.
– November 1996-October 1999: Marriage to Debbie Rowe, a 37-year-old nurse with whom he has two children, Prince Michael and Paris Michael Katherine.
– November 19, 2002: Scandal after Jackson dangles his third son, nine-month-old Prince Michael II, from a Berlin hotel balcony.
– February 3, 2003: In British TV documentary “Living with Michael Jackson,” Jackson claims never to have abused a child, merely to have shared his bed.
– November 18, 2003: Police raid Jackson’s Neverland ranch in California.
– November 20, 2003: Jackson is arrested on several counts of child molestation. He is held briefly and then released on bail.
– January 16, 2004: Jackson pleads not guilty during his first appearance amid a media circus.
– June 13, 2005: Jackson is acquitted on all charges against him.
– March 5, 2009: Jackson announces a series of comeback concerts in London, his first major shows for more than a decade.
– May 20, 2009: Jackson delays comeback shows. Concert organizers say the singer’s health is “fantastic.”
– June 25, 2009: Jackson dies in Los Angeles after an apparent cardiac arrest. The Los Angeles coroner says the next day that after an initial autopsy that there was “no indication… of foul play.”
– July 4, 2009: Reports surface saying investigators had found the powerful sedative propofol at Jackson’s home.
– August 28, 2009: Coroners rule Jackson’s death a homicide, saying “acute intoxication” from propofol was the primary cause of death.
– September 3, 2009: Jackson is buried during a sunset service in a mausoleum at the Forest Lawn Memorial Park.
– October 27, 2009: Jackson concert movie “This Is It” released.
– February 8, 2010: Doctor Conrad Murray is charged with involuntary manslaughter in Los Angeles. He pleads not guilty.
– December 2010: Release of posthumous album “Michael,” comprising 10 songs Jackson was at various stages of completing.
– September 8, 2011: Jury selection finally begins after several delays to the start of the trial.
— September 27, 2011: Murray goes on trial in Los Angeles. The jury is shown a picture of Jackson’s body on a gurney draped in a sheet, and played an audio recording of the star speaking, apparently heavily drugged.
– November 7: Murray is found guilty of Jackson’s manslaughter.
About The Author
