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A look at the life and death of singer Michael Jackson

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A look at the life and death of singer Michael Jackson
A look at the life and death of singer Michael Jackson

MICHAEL Jackson fans around the world were left in shock when he suddenly died.

Over the years the self-proclaimed King of Pop was just 50-years-old when he passed away.

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Michael Jackson was a superstar singer who shot to fame as a childCredit: GETTY

When did Michael Jackson die?

Michael Jackson died on June 25, 2009 at 2.26pm.

The singer's personal physician Conrad Murray said he found the singer in bed and not breathing on the afternoon of June 25, 2009.

The pop legend had been rehearsing past midnight on the night of June 24, 2009 ahead of a series of comeback concerts at the London O2 Arena, and had not left his bedroom in the morning.

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After trying to revive Jackson for five to ten minutes without effect, Murray called paramedics who performed CPR on the singer for 42 minutes at his house in the Holmby Hills, Los Angeles, before he was taken to the hospital.

The ambulance arrived at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Centre at 1:14pm, and Jackson was pronounced dead after over an hour of attempted resuscitation at 2.26pm.

How did Michael Jackson die?

Michael Jackson died of an overdose of drugs, namely propofol.

Following the singer's death, his family released the following statement: “Our beloved son, brother, uncle and father of three children has gone so unexpectedly, in such a tragic way and much too soon.

“It leaves us, his family, speechless and devastated to a point, where communication with the outside world seems almost impossible at times.”

A three-hour autopsy was performed in the LA County Coroner’s office the day after Jackson’s death, which found that he died from a combination of drugs, with propofol and lorazepam named as the primary substances.

Among the other drugs found in the pop star’s body were midazolam, diazepam, lidocaine, and ephedrine.

The coroner concluded that his death was a homicide, with Jackson’s family stating that they were “[looking] forward to the day that justice can be served”.

On November 29, 2011, Conrad Murray was sentenced to four years in county jail for involuntary manslaughter because he reportedly gave Jackson propofol for two months to help treat his insomnia ahead of his 2009 tour.

Murray ended up serving two years of his sentence.

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Was Michael Jackson married and did he have any children?

Michael Jackson had two high profile short-lived marriages.

The King of Pop married Elvis Presley's daughter Lisa Marie in 1994 who he had first met in the 1970s.

They split in early 1996 with Lisa Marie citing "irreconcilable differences" as grounds for divorce.

Presley told Oprah Winfrey in 2010 after their separation that they repeatedly tried to reconcile.

Michael reportedly relied heavily on Lisa Marie for support when he first became embroiled in allegations of child abuse.

In 1996, Jackson married nurse Debbie Rowe who worked with his dermatologist who was treating him for vitiligo.

She offered to have his children, and after becoming pregnant in 1996 wed the singer in Sydney, Australia - they divorced three years later.

Michael had two children with his second wife Debbie Rowe and one from an unnamed donor.

The children he had with Rowe were Michael Joseph Jackson Jr, also known as "Prince" in 1997, and Paris-Michael Katherine Jackson in 1998.

His third child Prince Michael Jackson II, nicknamed "Blanket", was born in 2002 to an unnamed mother.

The youngest Jackson has since changed his name officially to "Bigi" after it was revealed he was bullied as a result of the nickname his dad gave him.

Blanket was infamously dangled over the balcony of a Berlin hotel room shortly after his birth by his dad as the paparazzi waited outside.

How many siblings did Michael Jackson have?

Michael was one of nine children, meaning he had eight siblings.

MJ was one of the youngest kids of the family, as he had six older siblings and only two younger siblings.

In the 60s he was part of the famous Jackson 5 band with his brothers.

Michael's younger sister Janet Jackson is also a mega star.

Dan Hall

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