Michael Jackson

The King of Pop. From a kid singing lead for the Jackson 5 in Gary, Indiana, to the best-selling album of all time, the moonwalk, the music videos that remade the medium and the biggest tours on earth — and through the allegations, trials and tabloid storms that shadowed his later life, to his sudden death in 2009 and a legacy still argued over today. The whole story, all angles.

A chronological documentary of 110 moments spanning 1958–2019 on Loreline.

last updated 2026-07-22

1. 1958-08-29 — Born in Gary, Indiana (1958). Michael Joseph Jackson is born on 29 August 1958, the eighth of ten children in a working-class family in Gary, Indiana.
2. 1969-03-11 — The Jackson 5 sign to Motown (1969). With Michael singing lead, the Jackson 5 sign to Motown and explode — their first four singles all hit #1.
3. 1969-12-14 — Jackson 5 — "I Want You Back" (Ed Sullivan). The Jackson 5’s national TV breakout — a tiny Michael fronting their first #1.
4. 1970-02-24 — The Jackson 5 — "ABC" (1970). A ten-year-old Michael fronts "ABC", one of four consecutive Jackson 5 chart-toppers and a Motown landmark.
5. 1970-05-24 — Jackson 5 — "The Love You Save" (Ed Sullivan). The third of four straight #1s, on The Ed Sullivan Show.
6. 1970-08-28 — Jackson 5 — "I’ll Be There". The ballad that became their biggest hit and a Motown standard.
7. 1970-09-25 — The Jackson 5 on the Jim Nabors Show (1970). The brothers on prime-time American TV at the height of Jacksonmania.
8. 1971-09-11 — The Jackson 5ive cartoon (1971). The Saturday-morning cartoon that turned the brothers into kids’ TV icons.
9. 1972-07-12 — Michael Jackson — "Ben" (1972). His first solo #1 as a child star — a ballad to a pet rat.
10. 1972-11-04 — The Jackson 5 on Soul Train (1972). The group on the show that defined Black music television.
11. 1973-04-13 — The teenage Michael (1973). A young Michael Jackson mid-way through the Jackson 5 years.
12. 1974-02-16 — Jackson 5 — "Dancing Machine" & the robot. Michael’s "robot" dance on Soul Train made the group a 70s sensation again.
13. 1976-11-05 — The Jacksons (1976). Leaving Motown for Epic, the group becomes "The Jacksons" and Michael begins writing and producing — a step toward independence.
14. 1978-10-24 — The Wiz — "Ease on Down the Road" (1978). Michael as the Scarecrow in "The Wiz", where he met Quincy Jones.
15. 1979-07-28 — Michael Jackson — "Don’t Stop ’Til You Get Enough". The first single off "Off the Wall" — his first solo Grammy.
16. 1979-08-10 — A rare 1979 interview. A young Michael, on the cusp of solo stardom, in a 1979 interview.
17. 1979-08-10 — "Off the Wall" (1979). Produced with Quincy Jones, "Off the Wall" — "Don’t Stop ’Til You Get Enough", "Rock with You" — establishes Michael as a solo superstar and one of the great disco-soul records.
18. 1979-11-03 — Michael Jackson — "Rock with You". The shimmering disco-soul peak of the "Off the Wall" era.
19. 1981-03-16 — Michael Jackson — "One Day in Your Life". An early-solo ballad that topped the UK chart.
20. 1982-10-18 — Michael Jackson & Paul McCartney — "The Girl Is Mine". The first "Thriller" single, a duet with Paul McCartney.
21. 1983-01-02 — "Billie Jean" (1983). "Billie Jean" — its video among the first by a Black artist in heavy MTV rotation — is one of the defining pop records of the decade.
22. 1983-02-14 — "Beat It" (1983). With Eddie Van Halen’s guitar solo and a West Side Story-style gang video, "Beat It" fused rock and pop and won Record of the Year.
23. 1983-05-08 — Michael Jackson — "Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’". The propulsive opener of "Thriller".
24. 1983-05-16 — The moonwalk — Motown 25 (1983). On 16 May 1983, performing "Billie Jean" at Motown 25, Michael debuts the moonwalk to a stunned audience — a moment instantly seared into pop culture.
25. 1983-05-16 — Motown 25 — the full Jackson reunion. The complete Motown 25 set: a Jackson 5 reunion, then the solo "Billie Jean" and the moonwalk.
26. 1983-07-04 — Michael Jackson — "Human Nature". The wistful, much-sampled "Thriller" ballad.
27. 1983-09-19 — Michael Jackson — "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)". A bright Quincy Jones-produced "Thriller" single.
28. 1983-12-02 — "Thriller" — the 14-minute video (1983). John Landis’s 14-minute "Thriller" short film turned the music video into event cinema and is preserved in the U.S. National Film Registry.
29. 1983-12-14 — "The Making of Thriller" (1983). The behind-the-scenes documentary on the most famous music video ever made.
30. 1984-05-14 — The face of the 80s. The single white glove, the jacket, the jheri curl — the most photographed star in the world.
31. 1984-07-06 — Publicity portrait (1984). A 1984 publicity portrait at the absolute peak of the Thriller phenomenon.
32. 1984-07-06 — The Victory Tour (1984). The Jacksons’ Victory Tour — Michael’s last with his brothers before going fully solo.
33. 1986-09-12 — Captain EO (1986). The Coppola/Lucas 3-D Disney attraction starring Michael — film as theme-park spectacle.
34. 1987-08-31 — "Bad" (1987). "Bad" produces a record five #1 singles and launches Michael’s first solo world tour — 123 shows seen by 4.4 million people.
35. 1987-09-12 — Fan frenzy — arriving in Japan (1987). AP archive of the mania that met Michael everywhere — fans mobbing his every arrival.
36. 1987-09-26 — "Bad" live — Yokohama (1987). The Bad World Tour opens in Japan — the first time he toured as a solo artist.
37. 1987-11-09 — Michael Jackson — "The Way You Make Me Feel". A swaggering "Bad"-era single and video.
38. 1988-01-26 — Michael Jackson — "Man in the Mirror". The gospel-tinged anthem of personal and social change.
39. 1988-04-18 — Michael Jackson — "Dirty Diana". A rock-leaning "Bad" single — his fifth #1 from one album, a record.
40. 1988-07-16 — Backstage on tour. Rare backstage footage from the touring years.
41. 1988-07-16 — The King of Pop at his peak. By the late 1980s Michael Jackson was the most famous entertainer on the planet, the "King of Pop".
42. 1988-07-16 — Live at Wembley — the Bad Tour (1988). Michael at Wembley on the record-breaking Bad world tour.
43. 1988-10-10 — Moonwalker (1988). Michael’s anthology feature film — music, fantasy and the "Smooth Criminal" centrepiece.
44. 1988-10-24 — "Smooth Criminal" & the lean (1988). "Smooth Criminal" and the gravity-defying anti-gravity lean became one of his most iconic visual signatures.
45. 1989-02-13 — Michael Jackson — "Leave Me Alone". A Grammy-winning video satirising the tabloid coverage of his life.
46. 1989-07-03 — Michael Jackson — "Liberian Girl". “Liberian Girl” by Michael Jackson “Liberian Girl” is the eighth of nine short films for the “Bad” album and features three dozen actors, musicians and celebrities in a humorous “behind-the-scenes” look at the set of a Michael Jackson short film as everyone awaits Michael’s arrival. At the short film’s conclusion, when everyone converges on the set, it is revealed that Michael was actually there the whole time, as he descends from a camera crane laughing and says, “Okay everyone, that’s a wrap!”Director Jim…
47. 1991-11-14 — The "Black or White" world premiere (1991). Premiered simultaneously to an estimated 500 million viewers worldwide.
48. 1991-11-26 — "Dangerous" & "Black or White" (1991). "Dangerous" and the "Black or White" video — with its groundbreaking morphing finale — kept Michael at the cutting edge of pop and music video.
49. 1992-01-14 — Michael Jackson — "Remember the Time". The ancient-Egypt-set "Dangerous" video, an all-star short film.
50. 1992-04-13 — Michael Jackson — "In the Closet". A sultry "Dangerous" single and video.
51. 1992 — Michael Jackson — "Jam" (with Michael Jordan). The "Dangerous" single that paired the King of Pop with the era’s biggest athlete.
52. 1992-06-27 — Fans faint at the sight of him. The Beatlemania-scale hysteria — fans fainting and weeping at his mere presence.
53. 1992-06-27 — Fan frenzy — the sunglasses moment. The crowd erupts as Michael simply removes his sunglasses — the scale of the hysteria.
54. 1992-07-13 — Michael Jackson — "Who Is It". Another "Dangerous" single showcasing his beatbox-built production.
55. 1992-10-01 — "Jam" live — Bucharest (1992). Michael opening the Dangerous Tour with explosive energy.
56. 1992-10-01 — Live in Bucharest — the Dangerous Tour (1992). The Dangerous Tour, broadcast to a global TV audience from Bucharest.
57. 1992-11-23 — Michael Jackson — "Heal the World". The humanitarian ballad that named his children’s charity.
58. 1993-01-31 — The Super Bowl XXVII halftime (1993). Michael’s 1993 Super Bowl halftime show drew more viewers than the game — and rewrote the halftime show as a global stage forever after.
59. 1993-02-15 — Michael Jackson — "Give In to Me". A rock ballad from "Dangerous" with Slash on guitar.
60. 1993-02-24 — The Grammy Legend Award (1993). Sister Janet presents Michael the Grammy Legend Award at the peak of his fame.
61. 1993-06-28 — Michael Jackson — "Will You Be There". The "Free Willy" theme and a "Dangerous" highlight.
62. 1993-08-17 — The 1993 allegations. In 1993 Michael is accused of child sexual abuse; no criminal charges are filed and the civil case is settled out of court. He denies all wrongdoing. The tabloid scrutiny never lets up.
63. 1993-12-01 — Michael Jackson — "Gone Too Soon". A "Dangerous" ballad dedicated to Ryan White.
64. 1995-05-31 — Michael & Janet Jackson — "Scream" (1995). The most expensive music video ever made, a sci-fi siblings’ duet hitting back at the press.
65. 1995-06-14 — Diane Sawyer interview with Lisa Marie Presley (1995). Michael and then-wife Lisa Marie Presley answer questions on Primetime Live.
66. 1995-06-16 — "HIStory" & "Earth Song" (1995). The "HIStory" double album and the epic "Earth Song" leaned into spectacle and message, and the giant promo statues toured Europe.
67. 1995-06-19 — Michael Jackson — "Childhood". An autobiographical ballad — his plea to be understood.
68. 1995-08-15 — Michael Jackson — "You Are Not Alone" (1995). The first song ever to debut at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 — from a beleaguered HIStory era.
69. 1995-09-07 — The MTV VMAs medley (1995). Michael’s career-spanning medley at the 1995 MTV Video Music Awards.
70. 1995-11-04 — Michael Jackson — "Stranger in Moscow". A melancholy "HIStory" single, written in his most isolated period.
71. 1996-03-31 — Michael Jackson — "They Don’t Care About Us". The protest single and its Brazil / prison videos by Spike Lee.
72. 1996-09-07 — The HIStory Tour (1996–97). Michael’s final solo world tour, the biggest of his career.
73. 1996-10-11 — Fan-cam — a "Billie Jean" surprise. Audience footage of the electricity when "Billie Jean" begins live.
74. 1996-10-11 — HIStory World Tour — Seoul (1996). Live from the biggest tour of his career.
75. 1997-03-21 — Michael Jackson — "Blood on the Dance Floor". The title track of the 1997 remix album.
76. 1997-05-08 — Michael Jackson — "Ghosts" short film. A 38-minute Stephen King-co-written horror short — Michael pushing the music-film form.
77. 1997-05-31 — "Thriller" live — HIStory Tour. Michael performing "Thriller" live on the HIStory World Tour.
78. 1999-06-27 — "Michael Jackson & Friends" — Munich (1999). A charity mega-concert, including the night a bridge collapsed mid-performance and he fell.
79. 2001-08-22 — Michael Jackson — "You Rock My World" (2001). The lead single from "Invincible", his final studio album.
80. 2001-09-07 — 30th Anniversary Celebration (2001). A star-studded Madison Square Garden show marking 30 years of his solo career — and a J5 reunion.
81. 2001-11-27 — Michael Jackson — "Butterflies". A beloved "Invincible" R&B cut.
82. 2001-12-05 — Michael Jackson — "Cry". An "Invincible" single about collective hope.
83. 2002-07-06 — Fans demonstrate against Sony (2002). In 2002 Michael publicly feuded with his label; fans demonstrated outside Sony in London on his behalf.
84. 2002-11-18 — Artist of the Century (2002). Michael receives the "Artist of the Century" award at the American Music Awards.
85. 2003-02-03 — "Living with Michael Jackson" (2003). Martin Bashir’s controversial documentary, whose footage helped trigger the 2005 prosecution.
86. 2003-12-28 — 60 Minutes interview (2003). Michael answers the allegations on 60 Minutes after the Bashir documentary.
87. 2004 — The fans. Wherever Michael went, the fans followed in their millions — a devotion few entertainers have known. The subject dates from 1988; this photograph was taken in 2004.
88. 2005-06-13 — The verdict aftermath — news coverage. The media scrum and public reaction as the not-guilty verdicts come in.
89. 2005-06-13 — Fans outside the courthouse (2005). Italian fans keep vigil outside the Santa Maria courthouse during the 2005 trial.
90. 2005-06-13 — The 2005 trial & acquittal. After a 2003 indictment, Michael stands trial in 2005 on child-molestation charges and is acquitted on all counts. The years of investigation, debt and seclusion take a heavy toll.
91. 2008 — Michael & Janet. The Jackson family produced a dynasty — Michael and his sister Janet both becoming global stars. The subject dates from 1972; this photograph was taken in 2008.
92. 2009-03-05 — "This Is It" announced (2009). In March 2009 Michael announces a 50-show London residency, "This Is It" — billed as his comeback and farewell.
93. 2009 — Neverland Ranch. In 1988 Michael builds Neverland Ranch — a private fairground and zoo — which became both a symbol of his fame and, later, the centre of the allegations against him. The subject dates from 1988; this photograph was taken in 2009.
94. 2009 — The "Thriller" filming location. The East Los Angeles street where the legendary "Thriller" video was shot. The subject dates from 1983; this photograph was taken in 2009.
95. 2009-06-23 — "This Is It" rehearsal footage (2009). Band and stage rehearsals for the comeback shows — the basis of the posthumous film.
96. 2009-06-25 — The Hollywood Walk of Fame star. Michael’s star on the Walk of Fame became a shrine after his death.
97. 2009-06-25 — TMZ breaks the news (2009). The story of how TMZ first reported Michael Jackson’s death.
98. 2009-06-25 — Larry King after the death (2009). CNN’s Larry King covers the world’s reaction the day after Michael’s death.
99. 2009-06-25 — Death — 25 June 2009. On 25 June 2009, weeks before opening night, Michael dies of acute propofol intoxication at 50. His physician, Conrad Murray, is later convicted of involuntary manslaughter. The world mourns en masse.
100. 2009-06-25 — Inside Neverland (2009). A walk through the by-then-shuttered Neverland Ranch after his death.
101. 2009-06-25 — CNN — how Michael’s death unfolded (2009). The breaking-news coverage of 25 June 2009 that stopped the world.
102. 2009-07-07 — "We Are the World" at the memorial (2009). The world’s farewell at Michael’s public memorial at the Staples Center.
103. 2011 — "Thriller" — the best-selling album ever (1982). Released in November 1982, "Thriller" becomes the best-selling album in history, spawning seven hit singles and winning a record eight Grammys. The subject dates from 1982; this photograph was taken in 2011.
104. 2011-11-02 — "The Life of an Icon" (2011). A feature documentary on Michael’s life and influence.
105. 2012 — The Holmby Hills home. The Los Angeles mansion where Michael spent his final years and died in 2009.
106. 2012-11-22 — "Bad 25" — Spike Lee documentary. Spike Lee’s documentary on the making and legacy of "Bad".
107. 2014-05-13 — The legacy of the King of Pop. One of the best-selling music artists of all time, Michael Jackson reshaped pop music, dance and the music video — a towering, and deeply contested, cultural figure.
108. 2017 — Kingvention — the fan conventions. Years after his death, fan conventions like Kingvention keep the King of Pop’s community alive.
109. 2019-01-25 — "Leaving Neverland" (2019). The 2019 documentary "Leaving Neverland", in which two men allege abuse as children, reignites the debate over Michael’s legacy. His estate disputes the claims.
110. 2019 — The "Bad" LP. The vinyl label of "Bad" — the album that produced a record five #1 singles. The subject dates from 1987; this photograph was taken in 2019.

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