June 25, 2009. Los Angeles.
Michael Jackson was 50 years old and full of hope. For the last 2 months, he had been rehearsing at the Staples Center in LA for his comeback tour - THIS IS IT. 50 shows in London. All tickets sold out in 4 hours. Millions of fans were waiting.
He was dancing 8 hours a day. His dancers said he was better than ever. "He was happy, he was laughing, he was ready to show the world he was still the King," one dancer remembered.
At 12:22 PM, a 911 call was made from his rented mansion at 100 North Carolwood Drive in Holmby Hills.
Michael had suffered a cardiac arrest in his bedroom. Paramedics arrived quickly and tried to save him. They rushed him to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center.
At 2:26 PM, Michael Joseph Jackson was pronounced dead.
The news broke at 2:44 PM on TMZ, and within minutes, the entire world stopped.
CNN, BBC, every channel cut their programs. In Times Square, people stood staring at the big screens, crying. In Tokyo, crowds gathered in silence. In Africa, in India, in your own street in Mejia, people played "Heal The World" on their phones and wept.
The cause was later found to be acute propofol intoxication, administered by his personal doctor Conrad Murray. The doctor was later convicted of involuntary manslaughter. Michael had been suffering from severe insomnia for years and couldn't sleep without help.
But this chapter is not about how he died. It's about what happened after.
For 3 days, the internet broke. Google, Twitter, Wikipedia all crashed from too many searches. His songs were number 1 in every country at the same time - something that had never happened before.
On July 7, his public memorial was held. 1 billion people watched live. It was one of the most watched events in human history.
His body was finally laid to rest at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California, on September 3, 2009.
He left behind three beautiful children - Prince, Paris, and Bigi (Blanket). He left behind music that will never die. He left behind over 39 charities that he supported his whole life.
Michael once sang, "If you want to make the world a better place, take a look at yourself and make a change."
On June 25, the world lost a King. But his music made sure he will never truly leave us.
Whenever you hear that "hee-hee" or see someone try to moonwalk, he is alive.
Rest in Peace, Michael. 1958 - Forever.