Michael Jackson's mark over 60 years

Marking the 60th anniversary of Michael Jackson's birth. In his 50 years of life, the "King of Pop" has left a huge impact on contemporary music.

Michael Jackson was born on August 29, 1958 in Gary, Indiana, USA, one of nine children. The five Jackson sons - Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and Michael - first performed in a talent show when Michael Jackson was six years old. They won the contest.

In 1978, Michael Jackson met producer Quincy Jones, the man behind many of his later hits.

Michael Jackson's album "Thriller" (released in 1982) was not only the world's best-seller with 47.3 million copies sold, but also had an impact on the music market. The 14-minute music video set a Guinness World Record as "the most successful video of all time" and cost $500,000 - a huge amount in the 1980s.

"Smooth Criminal" is the seventh single from Michael Jackson's album "Bad" (1987). The "King of Pop" mesmerized millions of audiences with the Moonwalk. This is a street dance. Michael was the first to bring it to the big stage. In the Moonwalk, the artist makes a move that looks like he is walking forward but is actually moving backwards. The Moonwalk is suitable for activities that require physical strength, quick steps, and graceful leg movements.

In 1987, Michael Jackson bought land and built Neverland in California. This is where the singer and his father lived until his death in 2009. The villa has everything from a zoo, park, carousel, children's play area, roller coaster, pumpkin cart...

Michael Jackson married Lisa Marie Presley - daughter of rock legend Elvis Presley - in 1994. However, the marriage only lasted 19 months.

In 1996, the singer married Debbie Rowe. They had two children - Prince Michael (born 1997), Paris Jackson (born 1998) - before separating in 1999. The couple never lived together.

Michael's third child, Blanket Jackson, was born in 2012 via surrogacy. The identity of Blanket's mother has not been revealed.

In addition to his illustrious career, Michael Jackson has often faced accusations of child molestation. In 1994, the singer went to court for allegedly molesting an 11-year-old boy. Jackson and the boy's family later settled the case through negotiations. In 2005, Jackson went to court again for being accused of molesting a child, but the singer was acquitted.

After years of being plagued by sexual abuse scandals and mounting debt, Michael Jackson decided to hold a 50-night concert tour in the summer of 2009. Music label AEG Live estimated that after just 10 shows, Michael Jackson could earn approximately $60 million.

However, just a few weeks before the "This Is It" tour, Michael Jackson died of propofol and benzodiazepine (anti-anxiety) poisoning at his home in Los Angeles. Michael's personal physician - Conrad Murray - was convicted of manslaughter in 2011 and served two years in prison. Many years after his death, Michael Jackson is still the artist who earns the most money thanks to music products, souvenirs, auctions of memorabilia... According toForbes,In 2016 alone, Michael Jackson earned $825 million - the largest annual total and more than any other artist. In 2017, he still led with $75 million and this year it is $74 million.