Michael Jackson (1958–2009) was an American recording artist, entertainer, and philanthropist. He debuted on the professional music scene as a member of The Jackson 5 and began a solo career in 1971 while still a member of the group. Referred to as the "King of Pop" in subsequent years, Jackson became an influential figure in popular music and the first African-American to have a strong crossover following on MTV. He donated and raised hundreds of millions of dollars for beneficial causes, and is recognized by Guinness World Records for supporting more charities than any other musician. Other aspects of Jackson's life—including his changing appearance and personal relationships—generated controversy. Though he was accused of child sexual abuse in 1993, the criminal investigation was closed due to lack of evidence and Jackson was not charged. In 2005, he was tried and acquitted of further sexual abuse allegations and several other charges. Jackson's achievements include multiple world records—including one for "Most Successful Entertainer of All Time"—the estimated sale of over 750 million albums worldwide, and dozens of awards, which have made him the most awarded recording artist in the history of music.

Read the rest of this article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Jackson

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1530:

The Augsburg Confession, the primary confession of faith of the Lutheran Church, was presented to the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V at the Diet of Augsburg. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augsburg_Confession

1876:

Black Hills War: United States Army Colonel George Armstrong Custer was killed at the Battle of the Little Bighorn in present-day Big Horn County, Montana. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Armstrong_Custer

1938:

Douglas Hyde became the first President of Ireland after the office was established by the Constitution of Ireland in 1937. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_Hyde

1950:

The Korean War began with North Koreans forces launching a pre-dawn raid over the 38th parallel into South Korea. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_War

1996:

The Khobar Towers bombing in Khobar, Saudi Arabia, left 19 American servicemen dead and 372 of many nationalities wounded. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khobar_Towers_bombing

2006:

Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit was kidnapped in a cross border raid from the Gaza Strip on the crossing Kerem Shalom, and has been held hostage by Hamas since. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gilad_Shalit

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

prolix (adj): 1. Tediously lengthy. 2. Tending to use large or obscure words that few understand http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/prolix

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear. --George Orwell http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/George_Orwell