Michael Jackson, born on August 29, 1958, in Gary, Indiana, rose to fame as a member of the Jackson 5 and later became a solo superstar with the record-breaking album 'Thriller' in 1982. Known for his signature dance moves and significant physical transformations due to surgeries, he won numerous awards and set records with over 400 million album sales worldwide. Jackson died on June 25, 2009, at the age of 50, from a lethal dose of anesthetic, with his death ruled a homicide.