1979 - On their Destiny World Tour The Jacksons perform the 1st of three shows at the Market Theatre in Johannesburg,South Africa.
1984 - Michael is on the cover of TIME magazine with a nine page article and a cover Portrait by Andy Warhol. This portrait Michael Jackson (yellow) hangs in the National Portrait Gallery at the Smithsonian in Washington DC. This was the 5th biggest-selling issue in TIME magazine's history.
One of the original portraits known as Michael Jackson (green) sold in 2009 for an undisclosed amount of over a million dollars.
In his diaries Warhol talks about the portrait of Michael:
March 7,1984:
"I finished the Michael Jackson cover. I didn't like it but the office kids did. Then the Time people came down to see it about forty of them. And they stood around saying that it should increase news stand sales... Then later the Time guy called me... and said they were going to use it. I think the yellow one. And I told him to cross his fingers that it wouldn't get bumped on Saturday and he said he would".
March 12,1984:
"Time came out and the Jackson cover made it it didn't get bumped. And the article inside was crazy. It had them asking if he was going to get a sex-change operation and he said no. The cover should have had more blur. I gave them some in the style of the Fonda cover I did for Time once but they wanted this style".
1988 - On his Bad World Tour Michael performs his 2nd & final show at the Market Square Arena (closed-1999) in Indianapolis,Indiana.
1988 - Michael buys Sycamore Ranch in the Santa Ynez Valley,California. It will become world-famed as Neverland. Michael had been in love with the property ever since filming "Say Say Say" there 6 years earlier. He had stayed with Paul & Linda McCartney while they rented the home.
The property came on the market for $35 million furnished. Michael offered the owners less than half that amount. After weeks of haggling he prevailed and acquired the ranch - fully furnished with European antiques - for between $17 - $19.5 million.
The property was initially purchased by a trust with Michael's lawyer John Branca and his accountant Marshall Gelfand as trustees for reasons of privacy. The arrangement was later rescinded by Jackson in April 1988 and he became the ultimate owner of the property.
Originally named Zaca Laderas Ranch the estate is renamed Sycamore Valley Ranch shortly after it was purchased by property developer William Bone in 1981.
The grounds of this 2800 acre ranch consist of a mansion,guest house,tennis courts,lakes,streams,thousands of oak trees and a large space for his menagerie. Michael would spend upwards of $35 million transforming it into an entertainment complex, complete with a zoo, a train,an amusement park that included a Ferris wheel,and a 50-seat theater. The house will become more or less an official non-profit organization housing disadvantaged children and their families for over 17 years.
Michael reportedly did not bother to tell his parents about the purchase. They learned about it by seeing on television that he had paid $28 million for the property (he denied).
Shortly before purchasing his new home his Encino house was used for an auction of artwork the 2 million-dollar proceeds from the auction going to the "South African Council of Churches" for housing clothing and medical supplies. The auction is hosted by actress Whoopi Goldberg; Michael was not at home at the time.
1993 - Michael gets approval from Santa Barbara County officials to build a breeding ground for gorillas,white tigers & bears at Neverland.
1996 - Michael gives a press conference at Le Palais des Congres de Paris to announce the launch of Kingdom Entertainment a joint venture based in Paris. It is owned with Saudi Prince Al Waleed bin Talal Al Saud (nephew of the King of Saudi Arabia,Fahd bin Abdul Aziz).
1996 - Michael hires Tarak Ben Amar a Tuisian-born Paris-based international film producer and distributor as his manager for the HIStory World Tour.
After Michael's death the former manager and friend blamed the negligence of doctors treating Jackson for his untimely demise.
Ben Ammar suggested that towards the end of Jackson's life the sheet scale of his stardom prevented him from receiving sound medical counsel.
2001 - Michael became the youngest person ever to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist at age 43.
N'Sync inducted Michael during a special presentation at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York. Michael invites Frank Cascio and Shmuley Boteach as his guests.
"For more than 35 years Michael Jackson has been the "Man In The Mirror" he thrilled us with the Thriller... He's Bad,he's Dangerous... He's the King of Pop the one the only Michael Jackson" - Justin Timberlake.
2004 - The Department of Child & Family Services of LA refuses to remove Michael's children from his care in response to an earlier application asking the presiding judge of Los Angeles County Juvenile Court to begin proceedings to take his children from him and palace them under the court's jurisdiction.
2009 - Michael goes to Dr Klein's in Beverly Hills.