Michael Jackson

Joins his brothers' band at six years old. They become the Jackson 5. His father manages them with discipline that later accounts will describe as abusive. Michael is the lead singer. He is smaller than the microphone stand.

The Jackson 5 sign with Motown Records. Their first four singles all hit number one: "I Want You Back," "ABC," "The Love You Save," "I'll Be There." No group has ever done that before. Michael is 11.

Thriller is released. It produces seven singles, all top ten. It sells 66 million copies worldwide, making it the best-selling album in history. The 14-minute music video for the title track, directed by John Landis, premieres on MTV and is essentially a short horror film. MTV, which had resisted playing videos by Black artists, can no longer afford to ignore him.

Performs "Billie Jean" on the Motown 25 television special. Two minutes and thirty seconds in, he does the moonwalk for the first time on national television. The audience screams so loud the rest of the song is inaudible. Fred Astaire calls him the next morning.

Co-writes 'We Are the World' with Lionel Richie in one night. Forty-five artists record it at A&M Studios after the American Music Awards. A sign on the door reads: 'Check your egos at the door.' The song raises over $60 million for African famine relief.

Moves into Neverland Ranch, a 2,700-acre property in Santa Ynez Valley, California. It has a Ferris wheel, a zoo, a railroad, and a movie theater. He names it after the place where children never grow up.

The first child molestation allegations surface. The accuser's family settles out of court for a reported million. Jackson maintains his innocence. A criminal investigation produces no charges. His career and public image will never be the same.

Releases Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix. Critics dismiss it. It sells 6 million copies worldwide. He becomes increasingly reclusive. Wears masks in public. The tabloid years are beginning.

Dies of cardiac arrest at his rented mansion in Holmby Hills, Los Angeles. He is 50. He is rehearsing for a 50-show residency at the O2 Arena in London. His personal physician, Dr. Conrad Murray, had administered propofol, a surgical anesthetic, to help him sleep. Murray is later convicted of involuntary manslaughter. Jackson's memorial service at the Staples Center is watched by an estimated 2.5 billion people worldwide.

In the week after his death, his albums account for thirteen of the top 20 spots on the Billboard 200. Thriller returns to number one, 27 years after its release.