Michael Jackson, an American singer, songwriter, and dancer is internationally regarded as one of the most meaningful cultural figures of the late 20th century and one of the greatest entertainers of all time. Jackson's contributions to music and dance, along with his broadcasted personal life, made him a global pop culture icon for over four decades.
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© AP Photo / Cliff Schiappa
Michael Jackson during the opening performance of his 13-city US tour, in Kansas City, Missouri in 1988.
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© AP Photo
Jackson through the years. Here are photos of the pop star throughout the years, top: 1971; 1977; 1979, and bottom: 1983; 1987; and 1990. The entertainer debuted at age 5 with his family's music group, the Jackson Five.
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© AP Photo / Ron Frehm
Michael Jackson and hi sback-up dancers perform at the Grammy Awards ceremony at New York's Radio City Music Hall in this 2 March 1988 photo. Jackson's 1983 video "Thriller" was ground-breaking both for the music video industry and the videocasette industry; it sold over a million tapes and boosted MTV's popularity. It was inducted in 2009 for preservation in the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress.
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© AP Photo / Itsuo Inouye
Michael Jackson shows a V 'peace' sign to Japanese media upon his arrival at Narita international airport, near Tokyo.
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© AP Photo
Michael Jackson is shown on the White House lawn during a 14 May 1984 ceremony at which he received a Presidential Award from Ronald Reagan for his part in a National Campaign against drunk driving.
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© AP Photo / Chris Pizzello
Michael Jackson is approached by reporters after leaving a memorial service in honour of Princess Diana, Saturday, 13 September 1997, at St. James Church in Los Angeles.
Michael Jackson (R) and rock guitarist Slash perform the opening number at the 1995 MTV Video Music Awards in September 1995 in New York.
Michael Jackson performs at Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, 1993.
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© AP Photo / Wayne Parry
Shoes that were worn onstage and in videos by Michael Jackson, are part of a large collection of music memorabilia on display at the Hard Rock casino in Atlantic City, NJ.
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© AP Photo / Laurent Rebours
Michael Jackson performs “Earth song” as fans wave their hands during the World Music Awards ceremony at the Monte Carlo Sporting Club, Monaco, in May 1996. Jackson received five awards during the ceremony.
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© AP Photo / Joel Ryan
US singer Michael Jackson announced that he was set to play ten live concerts at the London O2 Arena in July 2009. The singer also stated that these would be his final performances in London.
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© AP Photo / Kevork Djansezian
Singer Michael Jackson, centre, joins host Barbara Davis, left, and band members on stage during the Carousel of Hope, a star-studded charity gala benefitting childhood diabetes held in Beverly Hills, California, in October 2000.
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© AP Photo / Chester Baldicantos
Inmates perform a Michael Jackson song to pay tribute to the King of Pop on the first anniversary of his death in June 2010 at the Cebu jail in Cebu city in the central Philippines.
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© AP Photo / Tsugufumi Matsumoto
Michael Jackson clinches his fist as he performs at Yokohama Stadium, 1987.
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© AP Photo / Michel Lipchitz
Michael Jackson stands next to a new wax model at the Grevin Wax Museum in Paris in April 1997.
