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michael is born!
ug. 29, 1958: Michael Joseph Jackson is born to Katherine and Joe Jackson in Gary, Ind. His older siblings are Rebbie, Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, LaToya and Marlon. Later, brother Randy and sister Janet join the family. Katherine Jackson raises her children as Jehovah's Witnesses. -
the come up of the jackson 5
form a band. At first, their father does not approve, but later changes his mind and manages the band. Jackson sings lead vocal on most of the songs. -
they got a deal
Motown signs The Jackson 5 -
I want you backkk!
The song "I Want You Back" jumps to the number-one singles spot. "ABC (1970)," "The Love You Save" and "I'll Be There" follow suit. -
i waana be where you are
Jackson goes solo, and his singles "Got to Be There," "Rockin' Robin" and "I Wanna Be Where You Are" storm the charts — as does "Ben," a ballad about a pet rat featured in the horror movie Ben -
scarecrow
1978: Jackson makes his film debut as the Scarecrow in The Wiz, an urban retelling of the classic film The Wizard Of Oz. Diana Ross co-stars as Dorothy. Jackson is said to wear his makeup long after production hours. -
off the wall
Jackson records Off The Wall, his first album as a solo artist. The singles "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" and "Rock With You" both shoot to number-one hits -
grammy award winner
:Jackson nabs his first Grammy Award for Best R&B Male Vocal Performance -
thriller
jackson releases the album Thriller, and it tops the charts for 37 weeks. Seven singles dash into the top 10, including "Billie Jean," "Beat It," "Thriller" and "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'." The extended video sequence on "Thriller" has Jackson morph into a werewolf. Jackson unveils his signature dance move, the moonwalk. -
plastic surgery
Questions arise about Jackson's changing appearance, and some wonder if the singer has had plastic surgery. He builds a home on 2,700 acres in Central California, complete with its own amusement park rides, and calls it Neverland -
we are the world
Jackson and Lionel Richie pen "We Are The World," with the proceeds from sales of the single slated for hunger relief in Africa. Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, Cyndi Lauper and other prominent artists lend their voices to the song. It sells a record seven million copies. -
moonwalk
Jackson’s autobiography, “Moonwalk,” is published. He writes that his father “was a great trainer,” but adds, “We’d perform for him and he’d critique us. If you messed up, you got hit, sometimes with a belt, sometimes with a switch.” He also writes that as a child, he’d see kids playing and wish he could be with them instead of working. He maintains he’s had plastic surgery only on his nose and his chin, to create a cleft. -
the simpsons
The album “Dangerous” is released. The same year, in an episode of “The Simpsons,” Jackson provides the voice for the character of a 300-pound white man whom Homer Simpson meets in a mental institution. The character tells Homer that, “People thought I was crazy for the way I dressed…one white glove, covered with rhinestones.” -
sues jackson
Beverly Hills pharmacy sues Jackson, claiming the singer owes more than $100,000 for prescription drugs during the past two years. The suit was later settled. -
ebony magazines
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24.5 mill
An eleventh-hour deal is cut allowing Jackson to keep Neverland Ranch off the auction block. Financial Title Co. of San Francisco said he owed $24.5 million on the property. -
health problems
Some who knew Jackson make contradictory statements about his health in the days before his death. Video shows him appearing healthy and doing signature dance moves including the moonwalk, but reports persist that he was thin, frail, and dependent on painkillers.